Most dog owners think leash walking is all about draining physical energy—wrong! Sure, it’s great exercise, but if your dog’s mind is running on overdrive during the walk, all you’re doing is stimulating that hyperactive brain. So, what’s the key to a peaceful leash walk? It’s mental energy management, my friend.
Dogs have three types of energy—mental, physical, and emotional. The trick is to keep that mental energy calm and under control. A walk that focuses only on physical energy—without addressing mental and emotional states—can actually create more problems down the line.
When you walk your dog, think mental calmness first, physical energy second. Imagine your dog in two states: hyper and calm. Which state do you think causes more issues on a walk? If you’re trying to walk an excited, stimulated dog, you’re asking for trouble. The calmer your dog’s mental state, the smoother the walk will be.
When you put a leash on your dog, you’re giving them a job: to follow you, listen to you, and stay attentive to you. It’s not to decide where we go, what we smell, or what we react to. Those things are your job. You have to be a good leader and a good manager.
Let’s break down those tricky training terms: positive and negative reinforcement. Spoiler alert—positive doesn’t always mean good, and negative doesn’t always mean bad. Positive reinforcement adds something (like a treat), while negative reinforcement takes something away (like freedom with a leash). I’ve never known a dog trainer who doesn’t use a leash. Both have their place in training.
Let’s address the elephant in the room—enforcement. Yes, physical force is sometimes necessary. Just like in any physical interaction (sports, nature, and even lovemaking), physical communication pre-dominantly dictates the outcomes. This is not about ego or being dominant, or forcing your dog to do something that isn’t looking out for their overall well-being—this is about guidance, and love.
When we force our pet to stay inside, and not run out our front door into the street, it’s not because we want to dominate them, it’s to keep them from getting run over by a car or something else that can harm them. If a small uncomfortable to watch and uncomfortable to perform correction from a prong collar, or a slight muscle contraction from an e-collar conveys this rule to my dog and protects them, I will much prefer it over; my dog laying dead in the street with only my emotions of “I’ve never made my dog feel any pain and I hired a positive only trainer to comfort me”. All the naysayers and Nancie’s can criticize me all they want all while holding on to their highly volatile, reactive, unstable, overly entitled dogs who can’t be taken out in public or introduced to any other animal or person.
You haven’t set the proper expectations and enforcement allowing your dog to become overstimulated by their surroundings. Pulling is a symptom of too much excitement and a lack of focus on you.
Start by setting expectations before you even leave the house. Focus on calm mental energy, and use reinforcement strategies during the walk.
Abuse is not parenting your dog in a way that gives them the abilities they need to properly navigate the world they live in. Abuse is not acknowledging and confronting bad behavior because you’ve prioritized your dogs emotional or physical comfort over their character, causing yourself to in-turn become frustrated taking it out on your dog some other way in the confines of the relationship. Negative enforcement is utilizing physical force to properly teach your dog rules and boundaries that enrich your relationship with them, and that keeps them safe. Negative enforcement is never about getting angry or relieving frustration on your dog. Negative enforcement is never about causing pain or punishing your dog.
Pulling on the leash is often a result of a dog being overstimulated and unfocused on the owner. To address this, it’s essential to set clear expectations and reinforce them with training techniques such as positive reinforcement (rewards for calm walking) and, when necessary, proper use of corrections to guide them back to focus.
A 6-foot, 3/8″ slip lead or a prong collar is recommended for strong, confident pullers. Harnesses are great if your dog is pulling a sled, and gentle leaders are ideal if your goal is to put undue pressure on your dog’s cervical spine. Hope you catch the sarcasm!
Start training in a quiet, controlled environment, and encourage your dog to follow you around while being focused on you. Reward good behavior immediately with treats and praise to build a positive association, and redirect their attention anytime they become distracted with the least amount of leash pressure, and initiate a come command. Gradually introduce distractions to strengthen their focus. Rinse, and Repeat.
You first have to start off with the right foundation and only expand the walk when the performance and success are present. Do not walk down the street if you’re not able to walk into the front yard properly. You simply expand the foundation and make it more challenging. If your dog does become fixated on something, your goal, your job, is to regain their focus on your utilizing all the tools in your toolbox.
The goal is always the same. Your dog’s job is always the same. Your job is always the same. Whether your’e wanting to take your dog to an outdoor restaurant, or you need to go through an airport, its always the same. Master that, then change the situation.
Walking your dog is more than just physical exercise—it’s a mental game. The more you focus on your dog’s mental state, the better your walks will be. Remember, calmness is key, and a balanced approach between reinforcement tools (both positive and negative) will set you and your dog up for leash-walking success.