Dog Walking: A piece of tranquility or an anxiety filled chore?

To go for a walk with your dog can be one of life’s simple pleasures.  Whether walking on a city path or a hiking path in the mountains, a calm, relaxing walk can be exactly what you need to drive away your stress.  Unfortunately, the tranquillity of a walk is out of reach for many dog owners.  Instead, the walk is a frustrating mess of pulling,  lunging, and barking, or an anxiety filled chore of hoping not to encounter anything that might trigger over-arousal or fear.

Breaking Down Loose Leash Walking into Achievable Goals

A peaceful walk is a hard-earned reward; training a dog to walk with a loose leash can be one of the most difficult skills to teach.

• We expect our dogs to walk in a way that is not natural to them.
• We require our dogs to walk in a straight line, stay close to us, and maintain a pace that matches our own.
• We prefer that our dogs ignore all the enticing smells around them and not pause to examine anything with their powerful nose.
• We want our dogs to remain calm and neutral throughout the entire walk, regardless of what they see or encounter.

Honestly, every single walk has the potential to throw an unwelcome situation at us and our dogs.

For example, the regular occurrence of encountering another dog and a human can be particularly frustrating—especially if the other dog starts straining at the end of their leash, barking excitedly.  This is a tenuous scenario for several reasons.  Is the dog wanting to meet and play or is the dog uncomfortable and nervous?  If the former, there can be social pressure to let the dogs meet, which is not advisable. 

Most dogs do not want to be friends or prefer to have a select few dog friends.  Allowing two unfamiliar dogs to meet on leash, especially if one is overexcited, is abnormal for them.  Dogs often feel trapped by the leash because they cannot get away from the situation forcing the dogs into each other’s space.  If the dog starts to feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed, they might try to run away or lash out in an attempt to get the other dog to respect their space. If this kind of encounter occurs regularly, a dog will likely start to associate those negative feelings with any dog they see while out walking, and all sorts of unwanted, problematic behaviours will result.

On the other hand, if a dog loves to meet and play with most dogs, allowing them to greet every dog they see could result in overexcited barking and lunging because of the anticipation of greeting the other dog—more unwanted behaviour. Now we have a dog always on alert for other dogs and instantly having a response when seeing another dog.  The calm walk suddenly no longer exists, and this is only one scenario out of countless possible encounters that could interrupt a walk.

How then, can the aggravating routine of unwanted behaviour be transformed into the desired calm walk?  Unfortunately, there isn’t an instant solution.  Walking in a straight line, staying close to us, maintaining a regular pace, ignoring enticing smells, and remaining calm in an ever-changing environment is a lot to ask.  It is like expecting someone new to running to be able to finish a marathon!  There may be a few people who would be able to complete the race, for many it would be a challenge or downright impossible. So how do we tackle this challenging, if not hopeless task?  We break it down into manageable goals, training each skill required individually!

Goal 1: Define Loose Leash Walking

This may seem a bit silly, but taking the time to clearly define your expectations of your dog while walking is quite valuable. Doing so allows you to communicate consistently with your dog. If during a walk the dog is allowed to pull and then the next walk it is not allowed to pull, the dog is not going to understand what it is supposed to do.

The phrase “loose leash walking” implies that the dog will not pull. Does this mean there should always be slack in the leash? Does this mean the dog’s position should always be at our side or can the dog walk out in front as long as the leash is loose? Does this mean the dog can sniff things or should the dog never sniff? Decide what will work best for you and your dog and apply your expectations consistently during every walk.

Goal 2: Bolster Your Value to Your Dog

The outside world is an exciting place for our dogs. To ensure your dog will listen and engage with you, you must be more valuable to them than all of the new exciting things they see or smell outside. To build value for yourself, try playing simple games or doing simple tricks regularly with your dog in your home. When you feel your dog is fully engaged while working with you in your home, try doing the same thing in quiet, low-distraction areas outside (like your backyard or an empty parking lot).  While playing these games, use high value treats or toys as a reward.

Another thing to help increase your value is to play and work with your dog before walking. Play fetch, simple games, or do simple tricks, anything that helps get some energy out of your dog. Yes, we want the walk to be a form of exercise for us and our dogs, but trying to ask our dogs to focus on you when they are full of energy is like asking us to ignore a buffet of our favourite food and drink.

Note…While working with your dog, you find your dog is not interested in you, this generally indicates the treats or toys are not appealing enough, or your dog is too overwhelmed; there are too many distractions for your dog at that moment.

Goal 3: Teach Your Dog to Recognize a Tight Leash

No dog is born understanding how to walk on a leash, let alone a loose leash, so we must teach it just as we teach our dogs to sit or lie down. There are numerous methods on how to achieve this, but it comes down to the main concept of establishing the rule: if the dog pulls, they are not allowed to go in the direction they are pulling.

To start showing your dog that pulling results in them not getting to go where they want, try calling your dog to encourage them to follow you, then turn around and walk in the opposite direction when they pull. Repeat every time they pull. Doing this exercise will not get you far from your starting point, so it is recommended to practice in an area where the intention is not to walk far.  If it takes 15 minutes or more to get to the end of your driveway, that’s okay! It is well worth making the effort to show your dog that every time they pull, they get redirected from their desired destination. Short, frequent 15 minute practices will gain more success than hour-long sessions of training.

Be sure to have the proper equipment.  A 4 to 6 ft leash, with a properly fitted collar or harness, is recommended. Long lines and retractable leashes are great for hikes, but when teaching loose leash walking, they are a hindrance. Having a short leash will help you keep your balance and give you more control when your dog does pull.

Goal 4: Teach Your Dog When and Where to Sniff

Sniffing is one of the major causes of pulling; sniffing is a natural part of being a dog and dogs want to pull their owners to enticing odours. There is no standard rule on whether a dog should or should not be allowed to sniff, so you need to decide for yourself what you would like your dog to do on your walk.  Remember Goal 1, you define what your expectations are.

It can be easy to accidentally allow your dog to drag you to a spot to smell. Be consistent and practice walking with a short leash to limit your dog’s access to smells and in areas with fewer distractions.

If you don’t want to allow constant sniffing, establish when and where your dog is allowed to sniff. Ultimately, we want to show them they will eventually get to where they want to sniff, as long as they do not pull. There are several ways to accomplish this, but one way to start is if your dog starts to pull you towards a smell, stop walking entirely. Pause and wait to see what your dog does. If you notice the leash gets less taut or your dog looks at you, celebrate and rush forward and let your dog sniff as a reward. Let them smell for a moment and then continue walking. 

Sniffing can be a fantastic tool for helping a dog decompress on a walk, so unless you have a terribly stubborn sniffer where stricter expectations may be needed to break a habit, allowing your dog to sniff within the boundaries of your expectations can help your dog relax.

Goal 5: Be Intentional on Selecting Where You Walk

What you encounter around you is what makes walking dogs potentially volatile. People, dogs, rabbits, bikes, cars, butterflies…anything and everything has the potential to distract your dog. Each encounter can compound on one another, building anxiety and excitement, until it bursts out. It may be impossible for your dog to focus on you and what you are trying to teach when there is so much going on around them. If you are really struggling, being intentional in selecting quiet places to train is integral to your success.

These quiet places may include your house, your yard, your driveway, walking paths when they are not busy, or parking lots. Parking lots are recommended by many trainers because it limits the proximity of smells, wildlife, and people. This makes it easier for your dog to see and focus on you, treats, and toys. As you and your dog become more confident and comfortable, start to practice in areas with more distractions. If you go to a place and your dog cannot focus, you may have tried to progress too fast. That’s okay! Just take a step back and continue to work on the foundations before trying again.

Goal 6: Trust the Journey

It takes a significant amount of training for both you and your dog to meet all your expectations. Have patience, not only with your dog but with yourself; it is well worth the effort to build a solid foundation of the skills you need to walk your dog with confidence. Remember, you are training for that marathon, and everyone progresses differently and in their own time.  If you are struggling, don’t be afraid to reach out to your local trainers, they are there to help you!

Lastly, remember, it’s okay to advocate for yourself and your dog! If you come across another dog and do not want your dog to meet, it’s OK to politely refuse the greeting. If you do want the dogs to meet, ask if it is okay. If the other person does not want them to meet, respect that. We are all working hard with our dogs to train and create a peaceful walking routine.