Is Your Dog Smarter Than You Are?

March 26, 2009 on 12:35 am | In Dog Behavior, Dog Training | No Comments

Dear Dog Lover,

Dog walking weather is coming! My dog can’t wait to get back to taking long walks. We walk nearly every day of the year - snow and ice, nice weather, stifling hot and humid, even rain. We live in a town with lots of residential side streets with sidewalks and a railroad right of way turned walking/running trail. In nice weather we walk five or more miles a day on the rail trail. It is there that we pass lots of people of all ages (including small children) and hundreds of dogs. Because the trail is only six feet wide, the dogs all have to be fairly well-behaved.

Recently I have fielded several questions along the lines of “how do I make my dog walk beside me without lunging at or barking at people/dogs we pass?” Good walking manners are important to teach our canine companions and this is a great starting place. It also serves the purpose of socializing our dogs and getting them used to a variety of people and dogs.

The “leave it” command is very useful on walks because your dog may want to pick up items he thinks are food or discarded food or containers. It is also important to keep him walking when he wants to go see a cat or a squirrel. And it is helpful if he wants to greet a person or dog or if he lunges for other people and dogs.

Teach your dog the “leave it” command by putting your dog on a leash in the house. Hold onto the leash and throw 3-4 treats on the floor. When your dog goes to get or eat a treat, say firmly “leave it” and jerk the dog back. Repeat as necessary over several minutes. After doing this several times, tell your dog “free” and pick up the treats and allow him to eat the treats. Once he leaves treats on command, use toys and small bites of bacon or chicken as practice objects.

When you are walking and you approach another dog or person, start saying leave it and give warning jerks on her leash when they are about 10 feet (3 meters) away. As they get closer, use the “walk on” command and a jerk and the “heel” command along with “leave it.”

Always keep her right next to your left leg and make her heel when you are anywhere near other people or dogs. There is good help for this on the videos and in the articles on heeling on the web site. (For dogs that are really bad, especially if they growl or snap, the use of a Gentle Leader is recommended.)

Always watch your dog carefully in new situations. If he shows fear, do not pet him or say “good boy.” Instead, cheerfully say “don’t be silly. That’s just a cat.” Let your dog approach new experiences on his own terms and don’t force him. You want these to be positive experiences.

When you take your puppy out of your home and yard, people will want to pet it and make over it. Unfortunately, all puppies seem to be cute. You do want people to approach your dog and you want your dog to get used to a variety of people. However, you need to be the judge of who does what to your dog, so do not be afraid to say “I’m sorry but he has already had a lot of handling today, so he does not need another hug.” Or you can say “You may say hello to the puppy, but we are doing some work right now.”

When you allow someone to approach your dog, have them put a hand out with either the palm up or with the palm down but with the fingers pointed down. That way your dog can smell their fingers and palm or the back of their hand. Usually he will not be afraid in either of those positions as they cannot pat his head directly without his meeting them first. Do not allow your dog to jump on or lunge at people. By holding the leash firmly, you will feel the tensing of your dog’s front legs and chest and can react by jerking the leash and throwing him off balance as you say firmly, “floor.”

If your dog has good walking manners, you and he will make many new friends and enjoy your walks together. Both of you will benefit from the exercise, the fresh air, and the relationships.

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