Loose leash walking tips

I can proudly say that Capri is absolutely phenomenal at loose-leash walking, and we always get asked when we’re out and about how we got her there…so sharing some tips that worked really great for us when we first started practicing leash manners with Capri below. Hope these help!

1. Choose the right equipment: Use a standard 4-6 foot leash to maintain control and communication with your pup. Retractable leashes often encourage pulling and reduce control. We actually like using a hands-free leash because it frees up the hands and makes rewarding with treats a lot easier.

2. Start indoors in a low-distraction area: Begin training in a quiet, familiar environment where your pup is less likely to be distracted. This helps them focus on learning the new behavior without being overwhelmed by new sights, sounds and smells.

3. Use high-value treats: Choose treats that your pup finds particularly motivating, especially as you move to more distracting environments. High-value treats help keep you dog’s attention and make learning more rewarding. (We actually have always just used Capri’s kibble for training and it’s worked out extremely well for us since she’s highly food-motivated…but for the less food-motivated pups out there, high-value treats will be your best friend).

4. Reward FREQUENTLY: Initially, reward your pup as often as you can for walking beside you with a loose leash. Over time, gradually increase the interval between rewards.

5. Stop and go technique: When your pup pulls, stop walking immediately. Wait for the leash to become loose, indicating your pup has stopped pulling or turned back towards you. Mark and reward the loose leash and resume walking. This teaches your pup that pulling leads to a stop and loose leash allows movement (this might take awhile and you might find yourself moving a total of 3-4 steps in the entire training session, but be consistent and you will see results).

6. Consistency is key: Use the same cues, techniques and rewarding pattern consistently when you’re just starting out. Inconsistency can confuse your dog and slow the training process.

7. Practice daily: Regular, consistent practice reinforces the behavior and helps your dog learn more quickly. Keep training sessions fun and short!

Something that I like to tell people is to ALWAYS have some type of reward on you when you take your pup out and about. I reward Capri for staying close when I don’t ask her to, sitting when I don’t ask her to, etc. to build up a really, really rock solid reinforcement history. After almost 2 years of being consistent with this, Capri CHOOSES to heel and CHOOSES to stay close because we’ve built that behavior up throughout training/reinforcement history.

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