Last update July 17th, 2017.
I meet with a lot of new clients every month to work on a lot of reoccurring issues. Some of these issues include walking nicely on leash, potty training, puppy training, jumping on guests and just plain old bratty behavior. What a lot of these clients don’t realize is that one training tool can really help curb this behavior and help them communicate with their dogs…THE LEASH!
Most people (and dogs) view the leash as just a restraint to be used while walking, but it can be so much more powerful than that. We can use it to limit a dog’s freedom if they are having accidents in the house, we can use it to stop them from jumping on guests or furniture, we can use it to mold, reinforce and shape better behavior! Once I show clients the uses of the leash and how to implement its use in all of these situations the animosity they are sharing with their dog quickly begins to subside.
Remember, dogs do not speak English, and we do not speak dog. Therefore we need a tool to help us translate what we are asking of our dogs to help us better communicate with them. Yelling, holding conversations, pushing or manipulating our dogs with our hands can all be communicating the wrong things to our dogs. Our body language and tone of voice can say so much more than all of these other things put together. Then, if we incorporate the leash into the training protocol to help mold our dog’s behavior we will complete the perfect training trifecta.
Training can be a lot easier on you and your dog if you have a good communication method, if you mean what you say and always have a way to follow through. This follow through is extremely important.
In training, we do not want our dogs to struggle too much for too long. This is where the leash comes into play. Yes, your dog will be wearing a leash around your St. Pete house. Yes, it is your job to supervise them so that they don’t get tangled or chew on it. Yes, this leash will be a part of their life until they are consistently following through with good decisions. I find these are the toughest things for people to get over. Don’t worry, wearing a leash is not cruel and unusual punishment for your dog. All training is a means to an end. Teach them good behaviors now so that you do not need to micromanage them later.
A wise trainer once told me a story…and I’m sure I will mess it up a little. One day a father and son were sharing a beer on the back porch. The son asked the father “dad, why were you so tough on me when I was younger”? The father replied “son, I needed to show you what was right and what was wrong when you were very little.
Eventually as you grew I eased off and let you begin to make your own decisions where consequences were not so extreme. As you made good choice after good choice I knew I could trust you with more freedom and responsibilities. You earned your freedom to choose. When you were younger I needed to be a leader. Now, as you are all grown and have proven yourself, I can sit back and we can be friends.”
