Teach Your Dog Leash Manners Around Dogs

Do you have a dog who loses their mind around other dogs? Does your dog turn into a champion weight puller the second they see another dog? Well, if you’re ready to put in some work, here’s how to turn Fido into a polite and enjoyable partner to walk with, regardless of the distractions.

Teach It

This is the key to all success in dog training. Don’t just HOPE for a dog with better manners — make it happen! A little time and the right information will go a long way towards your success.

First, take some time away from the distraction of other dogs, squirrels and fence posts to sniff and …. well, you know. When teaching anything new, it’s crucial that the environment is conducive to learning. That means starting with as little distraction as possible. Expecting dogs to learn leash manners in the face of distraction is equivalent to trying to learn math while riding a roller coaster — It’s not likely to happen as there is far too much excitement to learn anything successfully. Set your dog up for success by controlling your environment during the teaching phase. Once they have a solid understanding of the skills you’re teaching, start to add distractions slowly, but keep the reinforcement level high. Create your own distractions so that you have complete control over what your dog is facing and when. Bowls of food or toys on the ground are usually tempting for most dogs. Always start small and build on your dog’s success. When they can handle stationary distractions, start to add in some moving ones, like people or kids.

Don’t take the power of repetition for granted. The more you work on it, the better your dog’s understanding will be. If you expect to have a dog who can politely pass other dogs and distractions on the street, you need to put in the time and effort to teach them how.

Rehearse What You Want

This is a big one. There’s a saying that goes, “practice makes perfect,” but we know better! Only “perfect practice makes perfect!” Rehearsal is a huge factor in any dog’s behavior. If you head out for a walk and allow your dog to pull towards every dog they see, that will become their default behavior. In addition, they’ll start to feel frustration build over wanting to get there, but being restrained. You…