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How your dog learns not to pull you around
Do you know that? You just want to go for a walk, snap a little fresh air and spend time with your four -legged best friend. Well, happy too early, instead of relaxed togetherness, you almost spoke your shoulder. Your dog freaks out with every bike passing by, picks up other dogs and pulls on the leash. It's best not to start encounters with cats or children.
The bad news: Your walk is currently more like high-performance sports than a relaxed me-time. The good news: there is another way. With the right structure, your dog can learn to run next to you in a relaxed manner – without constant commands on your side.
Footwork on autopilot:
The gameclanger in everyday walking everyday life
The magic word here is structured footwork. And no, that doesn't mean that your dog runs like a robot next to you and stares at you as hypnotized. Rather, it is about security and orientation. Your dog should understand that he is doing well when he is traveling with you. During the walk you can not only relax, but also to relax. No matter who or what else out there or screams around there. In such situations you simply bring him into the autopilot so that he can drive down and relax again. Then when everything runs normally again, you free it and he can sniff.
That sounds great now, but who has time for so much extra training? Nobody, and that's the best thing about it: you don't have to shovel an extra training time for it, but you can easily install the footwork into your walk.
But what does it change exactly if your dog and you master footwork?
- Relaxation for you
If your dog has learned to orientate yourself, you can stop scanning everything in 200 meters. You are no longer on constant willingness to alert, but relaxed – and this relaxation is transferred to your dog. - Security for your dog
Uncertain dogs in particular benefit from foot work: your dog knows: “I am sure here”. You lead and he follows you calmly. - Boundaries
Dogs with pepper in particular need to know what they are allowed to do and what not. Training à la “Well, maybe if you want” doesn't work. Your dog needs clear rules and clear signals. - A single command
You don't need a constant “Foot! Here! Link! Not there! No! Foot now!”. With clear announcements and always constant commands you create a system that your dog understands. This is how the behavior becomes predictable for you and your dog, and then it works – in the truest sense.
Well, do you also want a dog that can go to the autopilot footwork? No problem, because you don't need much for that:
You need that to train footwork
- your dog (Surprise),
- A certain leash that you only use for footwork and that signals to your dog that the footwork starts now,
- a few concentrated minutes while your walk,
- A well thought-out step-by-step system so that you don't have to think of everything at the same time.
As I said, this type of training does not require any special terrain, fixed training dates or special equipment. As soon as you have chosen a special line for training, you can get started. If you still think that foot work is actually something for Labradore or dog sports, and it would actually be enough if your dog could “only” “only” the linen guide, then dog expert Susanne Reinke shows you in part 2 of this series, why foot work is easier to train for you and your dog than linen guidance. See you soon!
The author
Susanne Reinke is a graduate environment scientist and founder of the online dog school 'hunting fever', who specializes in dummy training and footwork. In 2014 they founded 'hunting fever' in Lüneburg before moving to Canada with her family and her two great people in 2018 and successfully digitized the concept from then on. Today you and her team accompany dog owners in the entire roof room with a uniquely structured training approach-practical, individually and everyday-oriented. Her motto: “Everyone can do dummy training.”
Tip: Susanne Reinke's podcast on the leash.
The amount ended with tug on the dog leash provided by dog news.