Get to know our Loose lead walking package
Asking our dogs to walk on a loose lead is not only tricky for us but incredibly difficult for them to do too. It’s probably one of the hardest skills for them to learn!
What are the main 3 reasons why our dogs struggle to walk on a loose lead?
-Their natural pace is much faster than ours, even the smaller breeds are much faster than us humans. I remember when I was younger, me and my Nan loved a carboot. However I’d often find myself having to stop and wait for her to catch up, my walking pace was naturally quicker than hers. Even when I tried to slow my pace down, it would take focus and more often than not I would be up ahead again. Because physically slowing our normal walking down is hard. And that’s exactly how our dogs are feeling.
-The world is an exciting place for our dogs. Lots of things to smell, visual triggers, noises, other animals and more. It’s hard to concentrate when there’s so much going on and even harder to concentrate when the task at hand is really difficult.
-Us! We are one of the biggest reasons why our dogs find it challenging, as we very rarely give easy to follow cues. One minute we may be focusing on doing our loose lead training…the next minute our mind has wandered and our dog is up ahead of us. It’s confusing for them to understand when they should loose lead walk and when they can get a bit of freedom to go sniff and explore.
Our expectations and how they can hinder our LLW training:
It’s not feesable or fair to expect our dogs to walk by our heel all the time. It’s no fun for them and our dog walks should be for our dogs to enjoy. Of course, there are many occasions where we want them closer to us for example by the roads or when we are passing people and other dogs.
Instead of asking unrealistic expectations of our dogs. We aim to teach dogs when they need to walk close by and when they can go off ahead to sniff and explore - after all, our dogs should be allowed to be dogs!
What’s included?
Our loose lead walking package includes everything you need to be well on your way with your dogs training. If your aim is to not have a sore arm by the end of the walk then this package is for you.
With 3 x 1 hour sessions, we will work through all the knowledge you need, all the training games and principles for you and your dog to learn as well as any other questions or struggles you may need help with. Each session will include a practical element where we put that training in place and start to build its foundations so you can leave the session knowing how to implement it yourself.
The package will also come with access to a Google drive folder so all the information discussed, recommendations and training game sheets will be at your disposal anytime you need a quick reminder or top up.
Not to mention, I’ll be on the other end of the phone ready to tackle any issues that may arise and to cheer you both on!
Get in touch today and take a look at our Loose Lead Walking training package under our service list.
Casey 💚