DD: 010 Leash Training – When your dog is too excited to walk
DD: 010 Leash Training – When your dog is too excited to walk
When walking becomes dangerous…
Walking your dog is meant to be one of those fun experiences; Comfortable, fun and unforgettable. But for a lot of people, remember all the wrong reasons! Pulling in the street, pulling the feet, pulling the arm out of her fist, tearing the wrists and a lot of pressure.
It can actually be frustrating to see other dog owners with their dogs walking so well on their side of a leash!
A lady I was working with told me she had just bought a cup of coffee to enjoy while she was walking with two black Labradors, when they spotted another dog and rushed over to him. She ended up clinging to a lamppost, arms and legs wrapped around it, coffee in one hand and two dogs in the other! This was the last straw… She asked for my help as soon as she got home.
So how do you go from that crazy situation where your dog gets out of control right from the start to a nice, fun outing? When it comes to training a dog when he is super excited for a walk, you have to start from the beginning.
A completely different approach
In this podcast, I explain a technique that I suggest to dog owners who only have the most active dogs. For most of us, this method is not necessary. Being the leader of the pack and waiting for your dog to calm down at every step of getting ready for a walk will be enough to regain control when you leave the house.
Before we get to the nitty-gritty, here’s a free download for you: The 7 Most Common Mistakes People Make When Walking Their Dogs. Just click the button:
Disable the dog first
In perhaps 1 in 20 difficult-to-pull leash dogs, I would apply this method to drain some of the dog’s energy before attempting to control it. Many of these dogs have not been walked for long because they have become too stressful and dangerous to owners, the dog and the public.
The method I explain in the podcast is simple but it needs to be done correctly or else you won’t get anything fast because it is very accurate and it is easy to miss the target. This is the general idea of what we do.
Standard Approach
Let me first summarize the standard approach to calming a dog before a walk. Usually when we train our dogs to be calm and walk well on a leash, we only continue walking if your dog is calm. So we won’t go through the door unless your dog has calmed down to a reasonable level. Next, we’ll move to the garden path only if your dog is still calm. simple enough?
To find out how to do exactly that and get started, watch this video…
However, with so few dogs, this would never happen!
Some dogs are so loaded that due to their age, personality, lack of exercise, breed, status, and many other factors, it is almost impossible for them to calm down before we get over their energy.
If you have a dog with high levels of energy, I encourage you to check out my program – The Dog Calming Code.
Or if you have a puppy, the Puppy Coach training program will be a great first resource for you!
Get rid of old habits and create new ones
This approach envisions taking them for a nice walk in the park. The very smart and subtle part is how we take advantage of our tired dog when we get home and immediately apply completely new habits!
Breaking old habits, forming new ones, forming new connections and new ways of behaving is half the battle. Once you start, it becomes much easier to keep improving.
