By Erin Gianella, Perfect Pals Dog Training
Will the snow ever stop?! I know we still have a few more months of it but now is the perfect time to start working on leash training with your dog so you’ll be ready. I’m Erin Gianella, Owner and Head Trainer of Perfect Pals Dog Training based in Edgewater, Colorado. I’m here to bring you monthly safety and training tips from a Certified Positive Reinforcement Dog Trainer. This month, I’m sharing a few easy training exercises and tips you can start working on with your dog so they’re not pulling too much once Spring comes.
With leash training, as much as we want to get outside to the park for a walk, it’s always best to start in a less distracting and less exciting environment. This will help our dogs keep their focus on you and learn quicker. Try this first exercise: Start with your dog off leash and with a handful of treats. Walk around your home or your yard and give a treat every time your dog chooses to come up to your side on their own. This will start to teach them that good things happen when they stay near you and they’ll want to do this more often! You can also do this at a quiet park, with a longer leash, if you don’t want to do at home. When they’re consistently sticking by your side then it’s time to put on the leash. Take a step, when they stop by your side, say “yes” and give a treat. Saying “yes” helps us communicate to the dog that they’re doing what we want and the treat reinforces the behavior. Repeat the above over and over again and add a few steps when they’re consistently staying with you. Remember, we’re keeping it easy at first so they can learn, so don’t add too many steps at once!
Here’s another fun and easy training exercise to try! On walks, we want our dogs to check in with us and give us attention often. When they’re doing this, they’re slowing down and not pulling full steam ahead. Start by placing a treat on the ground. After they eat it and look back up at you, say the word “yes” and place another treat on the ground. Repeat this over and over again! Once they’re doing really well with this, you can start practicing this in more distracting areas (sidewalk, busier park, pet store, front yard, apartment lobby, etc.).
Last tip and this one is easy! Always bring treats with you on walks and outings. Don’t ever underestimate the power of a yummy treat! They can help your dog stay close to you instead of pulling, distract them if they see something exciting and you’re always prepared to reinforce them if they do something good. Bring a little fanny pack or treat pouch to make it easy!
Pro tip-When on walks, allow ample time for your dog to sniff. Sniffing is so beneficial for dogs in so many ways! It’s how they learn about the world, keeps them mentally stimulated and most importantly it can help dogs reduce stress which can reduce the amount of pulling you may be seeing on walks.
For more information, or if you have any questions, feel free to check out www.perfectpalsdogtraining.com or reach out to perfectpalsdogtraining@gmail.com. Follow @Perfectpals_dogtraining on Instagram and Facebook for more tips!
Joel has been a resident of Edgewater, Colorado with his family since 2012. He is the Executive Director of local education nonprofit Edgewater Collective and Editor of the Edgewater Echo.
Be the first to comment on "Goodbye Snow, Hello Sun! Leash Walking Tips and Training to Get Ready for Spring!"