Does your dog forge ahead when you’re walking him? Here’s two ways to fix that.
Here are two different ways you can use to get your dog to walk calmly by your side.
One way is to train your dog to heel. Heeling is a fundamental exercise taught in obedience training classes. Your dog sits by your left side parallel to your left leg when you’re not walking. When you are walking, your dog walks at the same speed as you, with his head even with your left leg.
One technique you can use to accomplish this is to first teach your dog to sit on command. Once you’re dog can do this, with your dog sitting by your left side, start walking by stepping out with your left leg first and give the command “Fido Heel”. Give the leash a light jerk (appropriate for the size and temperament of the dog) to get your dog into the correct position, giving a command to heel with every correction. Give your dog lots of praise every time your dog gets into the correct position. After a five or ten steps, with as many corrections as it takes, stop and tell your dog to sit. Physically put him in the correct sitting position if you have to. Give him lots of praise when he’s there.
Continue doing this with walking further before stops, and do left, right, and about turns while you’re walking. Correct your dog as soon as he deviates from the correct position. Just remember to give your dog lots of praise when he does it right. Do this for 10 to 20 minutes per session (5 to 10 minutes for young puppies) and at least one session each day.
Your first goal is to have your dog sit when you stop walking, without having to give him a command to sit. Your next goal is to only have to give one heeling command between stops, no matter how long you walk.
Please remember the two most fundamental rules in dog training.
1. Anytime you give your dog a command, your dog must obey that command. Use whatever it takes to make that happen.
2. You are training your dog whenever he is with you. His training really never stops.
Another, less formal way, to get your dog to walk calmly by your side doesn’t use any commands. It’s done this way:
With your dog by your side, take one small step forward. If your dog doesn’t take a small step forward, give him a correction to get him into the correct position. Give him lots of praise when he gets there.
Now take another small step forward. Again, correct you dog to get him into the correct position with lots of praise when he gets there. Continue doing this for about 50 steps or until your dog stays parallel to you. You’ll see that your dog will begin to make eye contact with you and start to stay parallel with you. Give him lots of praise every time he is in the correct position, whether you had to correct him or not.
Now take two small steps forward, and stop. Continue doing that for about 50 steps or until your dog stays parallel to you. And remember to give him lots of praise when he does it right.
Now take three steps forward, doing the same thing. Then go back to one step. Remember to give him lots of praise when he does it right.
Continue to practice this and your dog will finally understand what he is supposed to do. Once that happens, you will have no problem walking with your dog at your side.
Let me repeat, again, the two most fundamental rules in dog training.
1. Anytime you give your dog a command, your dog must obey that command. Use whatever it takes to make that happen.
2. You are training your dog whenever he is with you. His training really never stops.