So many owners come to us because they desperately need help teaching their dog to walk calmly on leash (or how to walk in a “heel” command). Perhaps you can relate with some owners that come to us in tears of frustration as they tell us:
- “He marks on something every ten feet. We can’t get anywhere on our walks!”
- “She lunges and barks at every dog she sees. She sounds so mean.”
- “My dog pulled me to the ground chasing a rabbit… and I broke my arm.”
We even had a woman join us for a consultation with a black eye from hanging onto the leash as her dog pulled her through the woods and straight into a tree. It doesn’t have to be this way!
My Dog Already Has a Solid Heel Command
But let’s say you already know that it doesn’t have to be this way. And let’s say you have already worked really hard on your dog’s leash skills and are starting to really enjoy calm walks together.
First of all: congratulations! We know just how hard you must have worked to teach your dog a new way to walk on leash, and you should absolutely celebrate that win. Poor leash skills can create so much tension and frustration between you and your dog, so you should be very proud of your progress.
Second of all, you’re probably asking yourself: “Now that my dog knows how to walk nicely on leash, does she always have to walk in a heel?” The short answer: no. The longer answer: no, but…
So how will you know when it’s time to release your dog from her heel command and let her enjoy some free time?
Take Mental Notes
Here’s the thing: your dog is going to have good days, and she’s going to have bad days. You’re going to have days when you’re really in sync with each other, and you’re going to have days when you feel like you’re not communicating together at all. And that’s OK! It’s part of the process.
We’re going to take all of that information that we gather from every leash walk, and we’re going to start looking for patterns. Ask yourself, “What went well on today’s walk?” or “What about that situation made it feel really sloppy?” or “What happened right before she exploded with barking and pulling at that guy?”
As you gather this really important information, you’re going to start seeing trends. Maybe she loses all focus when she sees another dog. Maybe there is one neighbor that always offers her treats and she will do anything within her power to get to him. Maybe she does really well when your attention is fully on her with treats in hand and earbuds put away. Maybe she is more relaxed when you hold the leash relaxed by your side without tension (hint: this one works!).
Start to take mental notes of these moments. Pay attention when you know that she’s going to need more help, and reward her when she’s doing really well (walking calmly on a loose leash by your side). And when she’s doing really well, one of those rewards can be free time!
Intentional Free Time on Walks
We don’t want to take away the things that your dog enjoys on walks like sniffing, potty breaks, playtime, saying “hello” to a friend. But we do want to be very intentional about when we allow her to enjoy these activities. If your timing is on point, your dog will start to learn that calm behavior earns her more freedom. And she’ll also realize that pulling does not get her the free time that she so desperately would like to enjoy.
So when your dog is calm and relaxed on leash, you’re going to do a couple of things:
- First, tell her she’s doing a good job! A simple “Good girl!” can go a long way for a dog that is trying really hard to relax around all of the tempting sights and smells she comes across outside.
- Stop walking and ask her for a “sit”. That means butt on the ground, patiently waiting for you to tell her what’s next.
- Wait for her to give you eye contact. This one is really important, so don’t miss this step. Where your dog’s attention is tells you a lot about her motives. If she’s staring intensely at a bunny, she’s thinking about chasing that bunny. If she looks at you, she’s thinking, “Hey mom, why are we stopped? What’s next?” And that is a great mindset for a dog to have, because it shows that she’s focused on you and will be much more prepared to listen if you need her to.
- After you get eye contact, release her from her sit and allow her to explore. She earned it! Let her sniff, explore, and get all of her cute little wiggles out.
What if My Dog Starts Pulling During Free Time?
Now remember, this free time has been earned by good behavior. And your dog can continue enjoying it as long as she continues to have good manners. This means no jumping, no pulling, no barking, etc. You want to keep your shoulder in its socket!
If she starts getting rowdy and pushy on her leash, we need to change things up for her. You can of course tell her “No,” and if that stops the unwanted behavior, great! But if she chooses to ignore you, it’s time to get her back into that heel command and continue on your walk. This will tell her “I don’t like that behavior. It seems like you aren’t ready for that much freedom and excitement, so I’m going to help you do something that I know you can be successful with (aka walking in a heel command, calmly by my side)”.
This sends a clear message to your dog that her unwanted behaviors have consequences. And losing that time to explore is a pretty big consequence for a dog, so it will hold a lot of meaning for her.
Test and Measure
So giving her too much freedom didn’t work that time… When can we try again?
Anytime you want! But remember, we’re taking mental notes on every walk to figure out what worked and what didn’t. So don’t forget to ask yourself what about the walk, or what about that spot, made it too difficult for her to control her energy?
And now we test and measure. We say, “I’m going to try offering her free time at that tree. Let’s see what she gives me”. If she’s calm, take note. If she’s crazy, take note. And then we try again and we say “I’m going to offer her free time ten minutes into our walk today”. Take note. “I’m going to wait until we get home and then let her play in the yard today.” Take note.
You will start to piece together a puzzle and figure out what works for your dog and what doesn’t. And in the meantime, you’re getting lots of practice with those beautiful new leash skills. So it’s a win-win!
This Seems Like a Lot of Work
That’s because it is! Nobody said that training your dog would be easy. And if they did, they were lying to you. Training a new behavior or a new mindset takes time. Think about the last time you tried to change one of your own behaviors: a new eating habit, a new morning routine, meditating. Did it come easy to you? Did you stick with it flawlessly after the first try? My guess is no, because old habits are hard to break, and new habits take time to form.
So be patient with your dog and with yourself. It is a lot of work, we are in complete agreement with you. But we also know what happens at the other end of this journey when you finally see success. Because we’ve seen it with our clients over and over again.
There’s a huge sense of pride when you figure it out together. You’ll have a stronger relationship with your dog. You’ll become better at communicating with each other. Both your and your dog’s confidence will grow. And you’ll be able to take on new challenges together.
So don’t let the hard work stop you from focusing on your goal of calmer, happier walks with your dog. Walks where you can trust that she won’t react to everything in sight, and where your shoulder doesn’t get a workout from trying to hold her back. And walks where she can happily sniff and explore all the weird smells she comes across.
Where Can I Learn More?
Want to learn more? Check out our video below! We break down a lot of these behaviors and how to know when, how, and where to offer your dog freedom on leash.
Still want to learn more? Reach out to schedule your free consultation. We’ll talk over your training goals and dig deep to find out how your dog walks on leash, what you want life to look like together, and how we can help you get there.