Loose Leash Walking
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Loose leash walking is a complex set of behaviors & conditions. No harness or collar is going to magically have your dog walk nicely on a leash. We have to teach this behavior! Here are some of my tips to make walks less of a struggle.
Try a longer leash! Try a 10 ft line to start! Flexi leashes keep tension on the line, so go for a fixed length leash.
A long leash allows exploration while keeping the line slack. When our dogs pull and we move forward, that movement reinforces the pulling. This is why pulling can be such a strong behavior- it has a long history of working! Pull a bit and you get to the smell you are dying to smell. By lengthening the leash, there is less of a need to pull. Try to keep the leash slack so your dog is not unintentionally reinforced for pulling.
Adjust your expectations. "Heel" is a completely unnatural way for a dog to walk!
Dogs are explorers! Let them use their super-powered noses. The walk is for your dog. Let them meet their needs! That means allowing zigging and zagging, pausing for extra good sniffs, and rushing to the next spot of pee mail. This kind of free exploration allows your dog to meet their needs, which will lead to a calmer dog! Satiating those needs makes your dog less desperate to do what they want and less likely to pull.
Reinforce offered attention, repeatedly! Your dog cannot pull the leash while looking back at you.
When your dog checks in and remembers you're back there, mark and reinforce. Use your marker the moment your dog orients towards you and then give them the good stuff. What gets reinforced gets repeated, so by routinely reinforcing offered attention, your dog will offer you it more! A dog who is frequently looking back and checking in with you for treats is a dog who is sticking close.
Play some games! Practice these in a familiar environment before taking them on the road.
Having well known cues to use on a walk is valuable. Being on a walk is an exciting and distracting time for your dog. Commonly used stationary cues like "sit" are going to be difficult! My favorite games and cues to use on walks are:
the two step game
the 1-2-3 game
the name game
a nose touch cue
Just don't use these cues outside until your dog knows them well inside.
Choose your location wisely. Choosing quieter spots can make your walk a lot more decompressing.
Formal training has a time & place, but I want most of my walks to be relaxing. If you are able, consider driving to a spot better suited for your dog if you are struggling on walks around your home. Or, try walking at an off peak time if you have that option. If your dog has a hard time with all the distractions out & about, choose a place with less distractions or more distance between you & the distractions, like a giant park or a cemetery.
Wait to train until after you've met your dog's needs. This will make training easier!
Give your dog at least the first 10 minutes for free exploration. If you want to train during your walk, that's perfectly fine! Just wait a bit to start so your dog has had time to settle in to the environment and meet some of their needs. This should make it a lot easier to get your dog's attention, because you will be competing with the environment less.
Finally, pulling is only a problem if you decide it is.
My dogs still pull me sometimes and I just don't care! The vast majority of the time they walk nicely, so I really don't mind if they pull me when they see their grammy up ahead. You are allowed to decide you don't care! Obviously, if you have a super strong dog who can pull you around like a ragdoll, we want to take steps to make sure everyone is safe. But, if they aren't strong pullers or only pull once in a while, you can decide you don't mind.
