Loose-Leash Walking Muggsy-Style

In addition to what my brother said (Mom must have been coaching him because those were good tips), an additional challenge to loose-leash walking is a nervous dog. I can tell you this for certain because I am a nervous dog. I provided an additional challenge to Mom's training because when I'm nervous, it's really difficult to listen, so I continue to pull.

When faced with this situation, as some of Mom's clients have been recently, remember that you are training two different things: calm and loose-leash walking. To be able to effectively train loose-leash walking, you have to help your dog learn calm behavior outside. This can be as simple as desensitization and counter-conditioning, two big scientific words that mean exposing us to fear at low levels and then pairing that thing that scares us with something that makes us happy, like treats. We've talked about how to do this before, but make sure to move slowly. If your dog is taking the treats too hard, won't take them at all or is reacting, you're moving too fast. You want your dog to feel comfortable.

If your dog is very nervous, however, this might not be enough. Many dogs, like me, don't know how to feel "calm." They've never felt it, so they don't know what you're looking for. When my mom was training me, the best advice she got was from New York trainer Sue Sternberg, who said that she needed to find someplace where there was nothing scary and just let me run. So twice a week, my mom would drive me an hour to this abandoned trail in Yorba Linda where we never saw other dogs or people. On that trail, for the first time ever, I learned to relax. Now, I can do it in other environments once I have been conditioned because I know how it feels. Before that experience, I wasn't capable of calming to that level. You may need to find a place like that for your dog. If you can't do that, try walking your dog up and down the same stretch of a block over and over until all the sights and sounds are no longer scary. Try going at night or early morning when the area is more quiet. When you see your dog offering you calm signals, such as relaxed tail, ears and body posture, reward profusely with praise and treats. Do this at home if you notice calm behavior as well. (I didn't even calm down at home.)

Once your dog is comfortable in an area, then you can teach loose-leash walking. If you get pulling with your nervous dog, use the normal tips for pulling to smells but recognize when your dog is pulling because he is nervous about a sight or sound. At that time, you have to stop your loose-leash walking training and start training him to be comfortable.

It certainly makes your job a little harder, but my mom can tell you from experience, the first time you see your dog show a calming behavior (mine was finally relaxing my tail), it is 100% worth the work. She still tears up when she thinks about it, like right now.

Love, Muggsy

Loose-Leash Walking Chubbs-Style

Since my mom was asked to publish a few loose-leash walking tips today, I thought I might add my own. And I should know. I'm very difficult to teach to walk politely on a leash. In fact, with me, the job is never done, which is probably what some of you are finding with your own stubborn dogs.

Remember when Mom said that some dogs won't respond to the stop and wait method? I'm one of those dogs. I will stand at the end of the leash for hours without making it loose. Why? Don't ask me. I'm just trying to get where I want to go. Thus, my mom had to train me with the penalty yards method. Let me give you some additional tips that really helped her:

• Try using something that really motivates your dog to want to do what you say. For example, Mom would let Dad, Muggsy and Fenway walk ahead of me. Every time, I pulled to catch up, I got penalty yards, falling even further behind! I would have to work really hard to catch up.
• If you always walk the same route every night, try going in the opposite direction. When I think I'm walking back home, I walk very politely because I don't want to go home. This gave my mom lots of chances to reward positive behavior.
• Make a lot of left turns right into your dog. That makes us pay attention!
• Don't talk to us when we're pulling. It doesn't work.
• Train in every new area that you visit. I need loose-leash walking training before every therapy visit because I want to pull to get inside. Mom arrives early and uses penalty yards to get inside.
• Stop and have your dog sit and focus. I always do better when I'm in working mode, so Mom often puts me in working mode when she really needs me to behave, like therapy visits.

Most of all, just remember to be patient. Some dogs will always need a little training at the beginning of the walk or in a new situation. If you are consistent with the training, the loose-leash walking will fall in place quickly. If you allow it occasionally, pulling will always continue.

Now, get out there and walk your dog! Love, Chubbs