04/02/2021
Dogs behaving well on walks is generally not because the dog has always been good, the owners have put in a lot of training to get them where they are. It doesnât come easy and you have to work for it but it is completely possible for any dog to be well behaved on a walk!
Sometimes it seems like all you ever see is other people âhaving it easyâ, while youâre trying to lose weight, get fit or whatever your goals are. The same goes for dog training. When your dog is dragging you down the footpath or you are chasing them around the park trying to get them to come back to you, it seems like every other dog owner has a well-behaved dog. They donât, I promise you. Everyone has their challenges and the reality is that in addition to my attempt at pie-chart comedy, the people who are really struggling with their dogs arenât walking where youâd see them. Theyâre waiting until there are no people or dogs around, theyâre going to quiet locations away from people or dogs, or theyâre staying home, because theyâre still working on their training or they know their dogâs limits. Any dog trainer will tell you that walking nicely on leash at all times and bulletproof recall can be some of the hardest things to train. Iâd be the first to put my hand up and say itâs a work in progress with my girl some days too! So my advice is to make a plan based on small achievable steps, go and practice where you know your dog can succeed and reward the heck out of any progress â no matter how big or small! Or get in touch with any positive reinforcement trainer whoâll show you how to help your dog walk nicely on leash and come back to you, all while thinking theyâre having the best time ever!
