Loose Leash Walking Tips

Loose leash walking is great for your dog; well nearly as good as being off the leash altogether but how do the other people on the pavement or in the park feel about your dog being so loosely held. Here are some loose leash walking tips to make your walk with your dog a pleasure for him, for you and for those around you.

Tip #1. If you have a small dog then one of those extending leashes will work well. Release it sufficiently so that your dog can still run ahead a little, sniff the bushes and do all the things that dogs like to do on a walk but when you see another dog or a person approaching or some other sort of hazard, retract the lead gently while walking towards your dog. Don't try and pull him backwards towards you using an extending leash as this may hurt the dog and damage the lead.

Unfortunately using this type of leash doesn't work too well with large dogs unless they are extremely well trained. Be very careful when using an extending leash near a road; it may seem deserted but a vehicle can appear in an instant and if your dog is in the middle of the road, the consequences don't bear thinking about.

Tip #2. If you are going to take a large dog out loose leash walking in public then he has to be extremely well trained, particularly if you are a small or not very strong person. You often see people struggling to control huge dogs by heaving on the leash and shouting and this will only unsettle an excitable dog even more.

Tip #3. If your dog is walking ahead of you his attention is on more interesting sights and smells and isn't on you. To get him to do what you want immediately you need to train him to give you his attention. You can do this in a number of ways but using a clicker has been found to be successful. Use a single command to get his attention and when you get it click and reward him with treats and petting.

Tip #4. The most important command for keeping control of a dog when loose leash walking is "heel". A well trained dog will come to heel immediately and stay there until you say otherwise. While he is at heel, he isn't attacking other dogs or irritating fellow walkers. "Sit" and "stay" are also useful, but hopefully, you will have taught your dog those commands anyway.

Tip #5. If you have a young dog, a walk at your pace won't be enough to use up his energy and no matter what you do, he's bound to misbehave so take him somewhere as secure and remote from others as possible first where he can roam and run to his heart's content. Then take him out loose leash walking on a public road and you will get a much better response to your training efforts.

A well trained dog can make loose leash walking an absolute pleasure but a badly trained dog not only takes away your pleasure in a walk but could be a nuisance to others.

Ella McGinley is a dog lover who offers help with dog training. Her website offers more tips on loose leash walking and training for many other dog behaviours.