Don’t sweat the small stuff!

One of the number one problems that dogs come into training for is pulling on a leash. They drag their owners all over the place. I mean I know your dog has important trees to sniff and they need to read the daily paper, but really they could walk by your side.

When training walking on a loose we tend to focus so hard on not having the dog pull on the leash we forget the “BIG GOAL!”

We simply want the dog to walk by our side, that’s it. Nothing more just walk by our side.

Now doesn’t that sound a tons easier to train? Just having to reward your dog staying by your side and nothing more.

When I have a dog come in for training the first thing I do is reward them for just generally chilling out by my side. When the dog gets lots of rewards form the same area, say from your side, the next time they will go back to that same area for more. Dog’s always go back to what is most rewarding.

Now I want “being by side” to be the best place on earth for the dog. When a dog comes and sits by my side or stands the sky “rains chicken!” Now to do that I place a treat stations in my house. I fill little containers with different treats through out my house that way no matter where I am at I can reward the dog for being my by side.

Once the has gotten all these treats by my side and I can see they are starting to wan

t to be my side on their own, I will add the leash. Now the leash is only suppose to be a connection between you and your dog, nothing more. So don’t make the dreaded leash anything more than that.

Either get a hands free leash or a leash that is long enough to drape over your neck, this way your hands are free to reward, being by your side. Take the show on the road and go on an adventure,  around the Lansing or the Grand Rapids area,with your two new friends, your leash and your dog!