Probably the hardest part of dog training that takes the most time to train and get the results you want. Would you like your dog to sit on command quickly? Would you like your dog to lie down on command, even when he is running? Sound impossible? Many dog owners find that quick response is beyond them and as soon as their dog is off the leash all notion of control is gone.
They have been to training clubs, attended seminars, read books and tried any number of tips and tricks and nothing has worked. So what is the secret to a consistent quick response? Only very few trainers have the answer and I will share some of those secrets with you in this article. These techniques are very powerful and when implemented correctly they produce truly outstanding results.
If your dog likes his training, you’ll get a quicker and more positive response than using other methods. The techniques and methods I am about to share with you have been perfected over many years of training dogs of all ages and breeds and building your relationship with your dog through teamwork, trust, and mutual respect.
Sounds so easy, doesn’t it? Just you and your dog go out for a beautiful walk, your dog walks quietly by your side, and everything is fine. Happy Days!!
So why do you see so many dogs taking their owners for a walk, pulling on the leash to get somewhere as fast as possible? Where are they trying to get to in such a hurry? Why don’t they listen to commands like “Heel” and “NO”? Too often you see owners upset, frustrated and fed up with their dog or you see them dragged along with expressions on their faces that are completely resigned to the fact that it will always be this way.
Well, it doesn’t have to be that way and you might be surprised to learn that training a dog to walk calmly on a slack leash actually starts in the house before they even walk out the door. How many of us are always in a hurry to walk the dog, or get excited getting ready, yelling “Walkies” and getting the dog excited??? Be honest now!!
What is the reason why the dog pulls on the leash? Because they are taking their pack out on the hunt and they feel they must lead from the front. That’s why if you speed up, they do too to stay ahead of the chasing pack, that’s you by the way! That’s also why not many dogs pull on the leash when they go home, because the hunt is over.
So, ready for the solution? This will prove to be a test of character for you, but if done correctly it is very effective. In order to have control of the walk away from home, we must have a control prior to departure. You may have heard that you have to go through the door first, and many do this by commanding the dog to “sit” or “wait.” But this doesn’t work because it doesn’t allow the dog to back up voluntarily to let you pass first.
The preparation for the walk should be divided into stages. If you’ve generated excitement with your dog in the past, then stop and calmly prepare for the walk. You should watch your dog for signs of excitement at each stage because you cannot move on to the next stage if the dog gets excited. To do this, you need to remain perfectly calm and relaxed no matter what your dog does to make things happen.
So take the initiative. If the dog gets excited, put the leash back and walk a couple of steps away. Wait for the dog to calm down and pick up the leash again. If the dog becomes excited again, he puts the leash back on and so on until you can lift the leash and the dog remains calm. Once this is achieved, put the leash on the dog. If the dog gets excited, take the leash off and walk a few steps away and wait for the dog to relax. Repeat this until you can put the leash on the dog and the dog remains calm.
OK, that’s the easy part out of the way. You now have a calm dog on a leash. Whats Next? Take a step towards the door through which you usually leave the house. If your dog runs ahead of you to get to the door first, stop and take a couple of steps back and wait for the dog to take the tension off the leash, i.e. stop pulling. If they are still in front of you, between you and the exit door, make a full turn so the dog comes after you as he heads for the door again. If they go to the front, repeat the steps outlined above.
Continue this process every time the dog learns to be calm, he will be able to take more steps towards the door. When you have arrived at the door with your dog calm and relaxed and having followed him, he has not towed you to the door, open the door but do not enter. If your dog bolts out the front, leave the door open and go back into the house and walk back about 6 steps bringing the dog with you and turn to face the door and stop. Head towards the now open door and if your dog stops in front of you, take a few steps back, turn towards the door and stop.
This teaches the dog that in order to move forward and out the door, he must follow you, if he tries to lead you, you will not go anywhere. Repeat the process until you can walk through the door calmly and your dog backs up to let you through first without any command from you. When you go for a walk, if the dog gets ahead of you, turn around and do the same procedure that was followed at home.
Be patient, be consistent and enjoy your training.