If you live in an urban area, taking your dog for a walk is probably part of your regular routine. But walking nicely along with you is not necessarily something that comes naturally to dogs; they tend to have their own agendas involving pulling, lurching, chasing. Walking on leash is something that can be trained so that both you and your dog enjoy the experience. Ideally, as you walk, the leash will stay loose in your hand, meaning that you’re not actively having to restrain your dog.
After we got our dog Pippa we took several obedience classes from various trainers, and walking well was a very big part of the classes. Loose leash walking is when your pet is walking beside you, stopping when you stop, and going when you go. You’re setting the pace. They aren’t charging ahead and they aren’t lagging behind. You’re completely in synch and walking together, and because you’re so in synch, you barely notice the leash in your hand as it falls to your dog’s collar in a beautiful ‘J’ formation. It’s breathtaking. (tear)
Why is loose leash walking important?
Walking in this way is important for a few reasons:
- You’re in control of your pet. This is important in public spaces to keep both your dog and their environment safe. The control isn’t domination; rather it’s knowing that your pet is looking to you for guidance, and being able to anticipate how they’ll behave. It’s like holding a toddler’s hand rather than letting them race ahead. If your dog is walking right beside you, they are less likely to startle passersby, eat something from the ground, or catch you off guard as they get into mischief or danger.
- You’re both benefiting from the exercise. Walking with a distracted dog who isn’t listening to you can be extremely frustrating. If you can rely on your dog to walk consistently with you, your walk experience will be much more pleasant. Instead of managing behavioural issues, you can cover more territory, so both you and your dog will benefit from the exercise of the walk, instead of cutting the walk short out of exasperation.
- You’re enjoying each other’s company, ie you’re in The Zone. When walks go right, they can create a layer of connection between you and your dog, building a positive relationship. The more your dog listens to you on the walk, the more likely they are to continue listening in other areas. This builds a great foundation for continued training with your dog.
Of course you may not need your dog to be walking perfectly by your side all the time – it’s nice to give them some room to sniff and investigate now and then. Loose leash walking just means that you don’t have to actively restrain your dog when it’s time to walk by your side. For urban dogs, it’s a great skill to have, especially in crowded areas. It’s good to know, however, that this doesn’t necessarily come naturally to dogs and could take a lot of training and practice.