How to Walk Your Dog
Tips for Walking Fido
Walking your dog should be one of the joys of being an owner. But unfortunately, too many dogs take their owners for walks rather than being walked.
Getting Ready for a Walk
Most dogs get overexcited when it’s time for a walk. It may appear cute to an owner to see Fido jump hysterically, barking for a walk, but he (or she) needs to make sure his dog is calm before leaving. Don’t let your dog bolt out the door before you. Make him sit and then attach his leash. When you give the direction to get up, open the door and wait until he calmly lets you go first out the door.
Don’t Let Your Dog Walk You
A dog should either walk beside or behind you, but never in front of you. When he goes in front, he pulls, taking you on a walk. Even worse than pulling you, is the fact that you give your dog the wrong idea that he’s the leader and not you. Because dogs are pack animals, they look either to humans or other dogs to see who’s in charge.
Good Walking Leashes
Although many dogs can get away with just a standard leash, more stubborn breeds need special leashes so their owners can control them better.
Choke collars –This type of collar/leash (also known as a slip collar) is good because not only does it give the owner more control over the dog, but it’s also harder for a frightened dog to escape out of his collar. However, get professional instructions from either a dog trainer or veterinarian before using one. Most importantly, never leave the choke collar on when your dog is unsupervised.
Gentle leader – The Gentle Leader is favored by most owners because it’s made to turn the body of a dog around when he tries to lunge ahead of the owner. Designed with the same principle as a horse harness, it’s ideal for correcting bad habits such as jumping, pulling and even excessive barking.
How to Correct Pulling
Learning to heel seems simple, but can be frustrating. Whenever your dog starts to pull ahead of you, turn and walk in the opposite direction. Then take a few steps forward (with the leash raised to shoulder height). Keep turning the dog around each time he pulls. You may not get far, but you’ll be correcting a bad habit. When you do see him walking correctly beside (or behind you), award with a small treat and lavish him with praise.
Giving Your Dog Freedom
Besides waiting until your dog is older than six months old, don’t let him off the leash until he knows to come to you. Also, use common sense regarding the safety of an area, as well as noting anything that would promote your dog to run off and not come back
Knowing When Fido Had an Adequate Walk
Notice how your dog reacts when you home from a walk. If he falls asleep, he had a long enough walk. However, if he still is running circles in the house, chances are he didn’t get enough exercise and will need another outing. The larger the dog, the more exercise is needed.
Besides exercise, dogs need to socialize with other dogs. If a puppy doesn’t get socialized after four months old, he could become anxious when meeting other dogs. To make sure your dog interacts with other dogs, choose walks in parks and other areas where you’re likely to see owners walking dogs.
Make Your Dog Walk Beside You
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