16/06/2026
First lead walks for Bee !
I’ve deliberately avoided taking Bee out on a lead for walks until now. Instead, I’ve made the effort to drive to places where she could be off lead while we concentrated on building strong heelwork foundations first.
From the beginning, I never wanted her to learn that pulling on the lead was an acceptable way to move around. Dogs quickly develop habits, and if every walk involves pulling to get where they want to go, that behaviour can become very well rehearsed.
Obviously Bee has been on a lead during her socialisation outings but we haven’t really used it for walking.
Going forward, we’ll continue to practise in different locations, around other dogs, wildlife, people, and all the things that make the world interesting to a young dog, we will now also start to incorporate training exercises to solidify this behaviour The goal isn’t just for her to heel when conditions are easy, but for her to understand that the same rules apply no matter what is happening around her.
When Bee first came to me at 8 weeks old , expecting her to walk calmly beside me on a lead for any length of time would have been unrealistic. She’s a puppy, full of curiosity and enthusiasm, and the world is very distracting.
Rather than putting her in a situation where she was likely to get it wrong, I focused on teaching her what I wanted first.
Over the last few months, we’ve spent a lot of time developing her off-lead heelwork. She now understands where I want her to be, is comfortable moving with me, and can maintain her position without needing physical restraint from the lead.
Now that those foundations are in place, I’ve started introducing the lead into the behaviour she already knows. Rather than teaching lead walking as a completely new skill, the lead is simply becoming part of an exercise she already understands. As a result, her first lead walks have been calm, relaxed, and exactly what I had hoped for.
This doesn’t mean the heelwork is finished. In many ways, this is just the beginning. Bee is walking nicely when the environment is relatively straightforward, but the real test comes when there are bigger distractions, more excitement, and more reasons for her to want to leave my side.
Like all training, heelwork is something that needs maintaining and strengthening over time. Each new environment brings a new challenge, and every successful experience helps build a dog that can stay connected and responsive even when excitement levels are high 😊🐶
