Barriers such as fences and leashes can frustrate our canine companions and their humans (see below for a short video that may surprise you).
We were recently in a small town in Colorado where most of the dogs we saw were unleashed on trails and even in town. At first glance, this felt strange and concerning but we soon realized that the interactions among the dogs we saw were brief and appropriate. For the short time we were there, the only dogs with any issues were the dogs attached to leashes. Please make no mistake, we are sure that there are off-leash dogs that do not behave well but we only saw brief appropriate interactions between the dogs off-leash. Also, not all dogs are safe being off-leash so we are not advocating for all dogs to be off-leash. We are just reporting what we saw and experienced in that short time. An interesting side note, most of the dogs of the world are free-roaming and are not leashed.
This experience made us think again about how important it is to teach dogs to walk on a loose leash and tolerate physical barriers. These issues are a big concern we hear from pet parents; their dog pulls or is barking and lunging, being leash reactive.
Why do we use leashes? Mainly, they are for safety and are required by law in most places. However, most people believe the leash is primarily used for control. Instead, we like to think of the leash as more like a seat belt, used for safety and not for control. You hope you won’t need it but it is there to protect you and your dog if you do. Loose leash walking, to us, isn’t about control but is about cooperation and teamwork. If we teach our canine companions how to walk on a loose leash and to respond to our voice, rather than a tug on the leash, then the leash becomes just a safety device.
As we all must use leashes, it is important to use the right gear for walking; the tools matter. Don’t use tools that will cause pain such as a prong, shock, or choke collar as the fallout may increase the behaviors you are trying to extinguish. A leash with some length and a good harness are ideal tools for good, loose-leash walking.
If you need more assistance in this area, we have an on-demand webinar on leash reactivity and are available for private sessions to help you and your dog get on the right track.
Comments