Puppy Raising - Loose leash walking
Loose leash walking is not my highest priority skill for puppies, but it is a great way to work on building engagement and with the right puppies, itâs great to start working on it early.
Smooch and his person are nailing it in this video. Smooch has worked with me in my puppy raising program and him and his person have been learning how to grow together, bond and better understand each other. I love working 1 on 1 with clients in my puppy raising program because I get to see that bond develop.
I also get to support them through the âchallenge of the weekâ that often creeps up with puppies, socialization, and help build a foundation for recall nice and early so we are setting up for long-term success.
If youâve got a new puppy or youâre about to bring one home, check out the program. Itâs in-person or virtual and offers that critical support to get you through the hardest days of puppy raising while helping you build the foundation for a wonderful partnership with your pup for life.
CC: âLetâs go Smooch. Yes Smoochieâ
VD: Black and Tan miniature dachshund puppy walking with a blue harness on a black leash next to a person with brown boots and black leggings, getting treats as he walks on a loose leash.
I wanted to share this video of a recent recall I did with my dogs. This is what I would call a tougher recall for Cody (I fully expected for Buffy to nail it and she did). In this video, you can just make out the dogs in the distance. They were basically chasing geese down the muddy flats. It started close by and then as the geese would fly a bit then, land, they kept chasing them further and further. I decided that was enough wildlife harassment (my dogs would obviously love to do this all day), so I set myself up for a tougher recall. How does that look? First, I whistled loudly to get their attention. You can see in the video that Buffy immediately runs back at this whistle, I figured she would. Then I recalled Cody. He turned at this point and started to run back, but he had a ways to go. So what did I do? I used cheerleading to get him motivated to keep coming. For some dogs, certain distractions are harder than others. Geese are tough one for Cody, he finds it INCREDIBLY reinforcing to chase them.
What I didnât do was repeat my recall cue. Using the language that I did âhustle!â Is language that has come with big rewards in the past so Cody is reminded why he is hauling ass back to me.
Every aspect of this recall was taught force free.
*GPS only collars*
CC: whistle, Cody come! Good job buddy. Hustle! Good boy! Nice job bud! Good boy.
VD: Muddy flats with mountains in the background and dogs running back. Husky mix dog comes back first, followed by a shepherd mix wearing a muzzle.
Stoked Dogs is currently fully booked until September.
For current clients, you can continue to book services and for those who had free phone consults or reached out by email, there is time set aside to accommodate you as well.
Thank you all for your support. It means a lot to me that so many of you trust me to help you with your dogs.
I look forward to opening up my new client intake in the fall. If you are eager to get started, you can sign up for the waitlist (link in comments) to be notified first.
For now, remember to have fun with your dog and stay safe!
