Dog Walking Tips

Holt Harness

If your dog is reactive on walks, lunges at bikes, dogs, barks at squirrels and generally makes you want to hang up the leash and never walk your pooch again--here are tips I give my clients to help them instantly improve their walks:

• Change your gear: The only domesticated animal we don't lead around by the head is the dog.
• Keep the leash VERY short, arm down, loose, relaxed at your side. Your dog is now beside you constantly. No yo-yo on the leash and he's not out in front of you.
• Project the energy you want your dog to mirror: calm, cool, happy, confident, positive. Fonzie--Ayyyy!
• Don’t “hunt” for people with their dogs or whatever it is that triggers your dog to escalate. Your dog is copying your behavior.
• Signs of your dog escalating: tension in body, maybe a slight crouch, ears forward and up, eyes locked, neck locked, nose pointed at “target”*
• Say "hello" in happy, upbeat voice to your dog's trigger when they're walking towards you.
• If you have to pop the leash, tug and pull and say, “Eh eh,” over and over—you’ve already lost the battle. Aggression begets aggression.
• When your dog pulls or refuses to go—hold onto the tension. Wait him out until he comes or returns to you. Train him to be near you—don’t let him train you to go where he wants.
• Catch your dog before he barks and lunges and loses his marbles. When he first tenses and starts escalating, or eyeballs his target, THAT is your teachable moment to correct, "Eh-eh!" 
• When your dog encounters his target and doesn't react negatively, he doesn't escalate in excitement PRAISE him!
• Your dog flips out and is barking and lunging--but hasn't hurt anyone. People ARE LOOKING. Use humor to defuse the situation: “Wow, whose dog is that? Oh--It's mine!" or "Is that a dog bird I hear? Such a beautiful tune.” You are no longer joining your dog in freaking out.
• If someone approaches and you know it's unwise for them to pet your dog, put your hand out and merely state, “My dog is in training right now. Just standing where you are and saying hello is helping.” If you say, “My dog bites,” or “My dog is aggressive,” then you're continually projecting that onto your dog and in your mind. Make sure everyone is safe, however, your dog IS learning and changing.
• Lead your dog through situations where he might be frightened. On the walk, navigate your dog confidently through the scary event without saying, “It’s okay, it’s okay!”

If you have a dog that bites, has attacked before or that you're afraid to walk--seek professional help. It is amazing how pairing the right tools (information) with the right energy can change the walk. 


*Target in this instance is whatever causes your dog to escalate in excitement, whether that be a person, other dogs, prey (rabbits, squirrels, birds), bikes, skateboarders, or children. The closer dogs are to their target the stronger their reaction. 

Dog Aggression--A Dream Comes True!

Almost a year ago I met with Adam, his mother and their dog Malachi. This beautiful Yellow Lab's world had gotten smaller and smaller as the years ticked away.

He attacked a small dog in his home requiring the dog be reassembled at the vet. His aggression didn't stop at dogs when a repairman was bitten. That's when I was called.

To assess Malachi's reactivity to dogs, I had my husband walk one of our dogs 50 yards in front of Malachi and I could barely hold onto him. He not only whined, whimpered and made noises like I was torturing him, he lunged and spun like I was reeling in a 200lb deep sea trophy fish.

The next day I brought in my champ, Archie who I've used with dogs like Malachi. I walked with Malachi and had my husband quickly hand off Archie to my other side. Before Malachi knew what hit him he was walking next to another dog, the first time in years. Archie did what he does best, ignores "bad energy." And Malachi was that. After walking with Malachi pulling and whining a little, finally I let Malachi sniff Archie. Malachi was sooooo relieved. You could feel the relief wash over him--finally he was meeting another dog.

Dogs are meant to be social. When they're cooped up behind a fence or in a home for years they become anxious and want to meet other dogs, but it's expressed in nervous, reactive energy. At one point Malachi was a loving, sweet Lab who played with other dogs. That social muscle had atrophied.

Showing Adam and his mother that Malachi wasn't "broken" was the first step. Inside their home with my dog Archie, I was answering their questions as they pet Malachi. I watched as suddenly Malachi turned to eye Archie for an attack. I simply gave Malachi a verbal, "Eh-eh!" and he stopped.

They continued to pet him as I explained what had just happened. Then explained that they should not continue petting him. This is where proper praise comes into place. If you praise your dog when he misbehaves or is nervous--you send the message, "I agree with that behavior." In other words, "Malachi, we agree with your guarding behavior in our home." This gave me insight into what might have happened to the little dog Malachi attacked and even the repairman. Malachi was easy to verbally correct, he just needed proper communication from his humans.

I showed Adam how to properly walk Malachi and told him to walk Malachi daily, starting slowly and short walks due to a torn ligament he was recovering from and to make Malachi's walks successful.

I asked Adam what his goal for Malachi was, no matter how unlikely or huge. He said he wanted be able to take Malachi to dog parks. I told him we'd achieve that goal if he stuck to the training program.

Adam is in my neighborhood and I would see him out there with Malachi walking even when the weather was snowy, raining, early morning, or getting hot. The dedication of that 14 year old was amazing.

Months later I ran into Adam while on a run with my Golden. Malachi met my Golden with no reaction whatsoever. Adam was calm, relaxed and cool, Malachi mirrored his energy. I was so excited to see their progress. Over the months I kept running into Adam and Malachi, often with all 3 of my dogs, and Malachi had no problem meeting my dogs.

It's been almost a year since my first meeting with Malachi and I told Adam months ago that Malachi's ready for the dog park whenever Adam was ready. Last weekend we finally made Adam's dream come true as we went to the dog park with Malachi and my dogs. Adam was a little nervous, but I gave him the dog park drill on the walk there.

It was amazing. Malachi behaved like a pro. The park was filled to the brim with dogs large and small and Malachi went from dog-to-dog. Oftentimes he was surrounded by dogs and stood comfortably while they sniffed. He was confident and relaxed. We didn't spend much time there as I wanted to make sure our first visit was positive.

Adam's looking forward to going back again and again. It's really great to see a dream finally come true.