Espresso Dog Training

In my previous post talking about loose leash walking, I described my usual go-to for teaching a dog to walk on a loose leash. If you haven’t read it already, check it out here: My Dog is Dragging Me Everywhere!

Teaching your dog where to walk – right next to you – is going to be the most important part. However, it is also a good idea to teach your dog what to do when they do feel leash pressure. This also allows you to use the leash for communication, such as letting your dog know when you’re turning around. Of course, working on eye contact and engagement are very important, but sometimes – just like us – our dogs get side-tracked. Using the leash to direct your dog in a different direction can be a great back-up plan while you’re still working on keeping your pooch engaged!

STEP ONE: LIGHT PRESSURE, RELEASE, REWARD

The first step is to let your dog reach the end of their leash. Don’t pop the leash, don’t reel your dog in, don’t do anything but stand there quietly. The second your dog turns to look at you, mark and reward! It’s important to reward at your side. Dogs understand quickly where a reward will come from, and this means your dog will actually want to stick closer to you because they’ll want to be closer to that reward! Yay!

Remember, you want to start in a location where your dog can actually focus and pay attention to what you’re trying to teach. For some dogs, this will mean you’ll need to start indoors with no (or at least limited) distractions. This also gives your dog a greater chance for success when working on this because they won’t actually be trying to go anywhere. (Except maybe the door if the leash has only ever meant outdoors/walks! In that case, you’ll want to work on calmness around the leash/with the leash on, otherwise you’ll just end up with a frustrated, confused dog.)

STEP TWO: UP THE DIFFICULTY

Once your dog starts to understand that leash pressure means they need to turn around and look to you, you can start adding in more distractions and make it more difficult! Usually, this means going into the backyard or the front yard. If you don’t think your dog will experience very many distractions, you can employ a friend to help you out. At first, your friend should be boring – depending on your dog, your friend can walk around quietly, or they may need to stand completely still. The point here is not to let your dog meet or interact with the distraction. They’re just learning what the leash pressure means – which is to turn around and look at you. After a few minutes of working on this, then you can release your dog to play. Just remember – do not allow Fido to pull you!

STEP THREE: ADD TURNS AND COMMUNICATION

Your dog is getting it. They feel the pressure, and they immediately turn to look at you. Now it’s time to start using that pressure for real communication – such as turning. This step is super simple. Just apply a tiny bit of pressure, and when your dog turns to look at you, mark and reward as you’re turning around. This gives your dog the chance to actually follow you. I also mark and reward after 1-3 steps moving in the opposite direction. This again reinforces the idea that turning with you is what the dog needs to be doing. Once your dog understands that, you can take these lessons on the road! Anytime your dog sees something and they aren’t able to really focus on you, you can use that leash pressure to guide them away.

REMEMBER: This is not a solution to leash pulling, nor is it a solution for reactivity. This is just a way for you manage a situation while you’re still working on the larger issues. Ultimately, your end goal should be to teach your dog what to do in any situation, and not have to use the leash in order to do that. If your dog is reactive, aggressive, hyperactive, and/or lacks the ability to focus, those are the issues you really need to put most of your focus towards.

And remember, if you ever need help, contact me! I am here to help you.