Do you ever feel like your dog is walking you, not the other way around?
If so, you are not alone. Ninety-two percent of people that come to our dog training facility in Carrollton, Texas come in for this reason. That is a whole lot of people being walked BY their dog!
Face it, being dragged down the sidewalk by your dog is not fun and its mildly painful to constantly having to hold on to the leash so tight. Plus, it is embarrassing. Everyone wants the dog they can walk on a leash with just a finger or better yet, walk in a heel with No Leash.
Dogs pulling on their leash is also dangerous. For you and your dog. It applies a lot of pressure to their esophagus and if you are not vigilant about having solid footing, your dog can pull you off balance causing you to take a tumble.
We have had several clients in the Dallas Metro Area that were injured by their dog when they were pulled off balance unexpectedly.
Not only is it aggravating, it is a bit embarrassing when you walk by all those other people with their dogs walking politely on a leash without a care in the world. Admit it, you wish your dog walked that good on a leash. They can!
Any dog can walk good on a leash. They just need to be taught how to do it. Contrary to what some dog owners and trainers think, teaching a dog to have great leash manners is all about communication and nothing to do with force or correction. It is simply a skill and like any skill, once they learn it they can do it.
But it does take patience. If patience in dog training is not your cup of tea, join the majority of dog owners. Most people tend to get frustrated when their dog does not grasp or worse, refuses to do what they are taught.
It is human nature to take it personally when it is your dog that is misbehaving. The beauty of being a professional dog trainer is we do not take it personal. We just do it again, and again, and again. You get the point.
Real dog training is a lot of boing mundane tasks broken down into simple bite sized nuggets the dog can grasp and understand and then repeated hundreds of times until muscle memory kicks in. The hard part of dog training is making it FUN for the dog while we do those hundreds of repetitions, for dogs do not like drudgery any more than you do.
If you are ready to enjoy strolls, hikes or just walks with your dog, on a leash or off leash, speak with one of K9 Culture’s professional trainers. We have helped people just like you and dogs that pull on the leash just like yours is every day. The most enjoyable part to leash training with dogs, it is one of the fastest improvements our clients see in their dogs that train with us!
If you live in the DFW area, we can help you have “A Dog That Is A JOY To Live With!”
The K-9 Culture Family