CLEVELAND — Do you walk your dog or does your dog walk you?
Walking your dog is essential to your pup's health, but it can be infuriating if they continue to pull and lunge the entire walk.
I am a little biased in saying that my dog Benson is a very good boy. The one gripe we have: he is a puller on the leash. So we took him to visit David Tirpak at Miracle K9 Training in Cleveland for help.
"Your dog does not necessarily want to be pulling on a leash," said Tirpak. "They just simply don't understand what is expected of them."
His first tip: have a clear expectation of what you want your dog to do.
"When they feel that leash pressure they need to know to look to us."
Next, a walk can be ruined before it's even over. Make sure you are not hyping your dog up before you leave the house.
"It's important to not create too much arousal beforehand," said Tirpak.
To make sure your dog isn't walking you, Dave showed us a simple drill. Leash up your pup, grab a pocket full of training treats and start walking in a distration-free area. He suggests your living room, basement or even backyard.
Walk back and forth with your dog and once they get distracted, give a little pull on the leash and change directions. The goal? Have your dog walk by your side with their attention on you. Remember to reward your dog frequently with treats and positive words when they are doing a good job.
Once they have gotten a good grasp on doing this with minimal distractions, start to add more in by going outside.
Things to remember:
- Communicate through the leash
- Reward them for what they are doing
- Continue to be consistent
- And have fun!
For more information on Miracle K9 Training head to their website: https://miraclek9training.com/