Loose Leash WalkingWe all want a dog that walks nicely on the end of the leash. After all, nobody chooses to have their pooch yank their arm out of the socket or drag them unceremoniously down the street. Not only is this important for safety, but a dog that walks nicely is likely to get walked more often, which is healthier for both dog and owner. Does your dog drag you down the sidewalk? You're probably looking for one of two things:
Teaching your dog to walk politely takes a lot more effort than going out and buying some nifty piece of equipment to keep your shoulder from being twisted out of shape, but hey, you can be honest. If you don't have the time or intiative to to train your dog, you still want to find the solution that safest for both of you. When a person wants to train their dog not to pull, one of the first questions they usually "what collar should I use?" No collar, harness or head halter will teach a dog how to walk politely. While a front-hook harness, prong collar, or head halter can deflect some of a dog's pulling power, it will not change the dog's underlying behavior. There is still an advantage to choosing the right collar, harness or leash, because choosing the right tool will let you manage the dog while it is still in training. If you walk your dog often (and especially if you don't have a yard), you may not always have time to follow the methods described in the link below. Managing your dog is not as effective as training him, but management keeps your dog from practicing the wrong behavior, a.k.a. pulling, when you're not actively training him. If you have a big dog, it also keeps you both safe until he learns how to walk politely. If you take the time to train your dog rather than permanently manage his behavior with equipment, your goal should be to get your dog to walk calmly with a flat collar. When training, use the methods in the link above that work best for your dog. Depending on how much your dog pulls, and on your patience level, you may never need anything other than a flat collar. The most important thing is to be consistent that pulling is never permitted. Different dogs learn polite walking at different rates. Dogs under 2 years old will have a much more difficult time walking politely than older dogs. Even still, you and your dog will both benefit from the time you invest; as your walks become more enjoyable, you're likely to walk more, and that's good for both you and your dog! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
