Wanna Go for a Walk?

Walking is one of the most important & regular activities you can share with your dog. It’s a great time for both of you to bond, and for you to practice leadership.  As you can tell from the picture below, my leadership skills on a walk are lacking.  Tatum is the leader, always has been, and no matter how I train, most likely always will be.  She has a knack for pulling as hard as she can, making sure she’s the first to check out every tree for squirrels, the first to arrive at every street corner to mark her territory.

Although we may not be a shining example of how to walk with your dog, we have tried just about every training tip out there when it comes to on-leash activities.  We’ve managed to stick to the most of the tips on our list below…

Stay calm – Don’t panic
Don’t let your dogs approach others without asking
Don’t use a variable length lead
Don’t escalate the situation
Don’t space out

…with the exception of this one, the big “don’t”!

Don’t let your dog be the Pack Leader.

Can you teach a 10 year old dog new tricks, like how to walk with manners?  I haven’t figured that one out yet.  If you have a dog who may be a little more open to learning such a trait, check out Cesar Milan’s advice on walking the dog; http://www.cesarsway.com/training/thewalk/6-Tips-for-Mastering-the-Dog-Walk.  Tatum’s favorite part of this article and all of our training sessions is the reward at the end of a good walk.  Reward = Treats!  What better reward than Trail Dog Treats?  And, while you’re walking, try our training treats, Tatum’s Trail Mix!