Working on Your Dog's Walk

BY KATHY SANTO

ACK Family Dog March/April 2006

Happy spring—well, almost. This is the time of year when those of you who shortened your daily walks •with your dog because of wintry weather are looking to bring them back to full distance. Maybe some of you have a new puppy or adult dog and are trying to teach him how to walk politely on a leash. You've come to the right place—put yourself in a "sit-stay" and read up on how to teach your dog the mechanics of a walk that will be fun for both of you.
THE COMMAND
I use the command Let's go! as opposed to the ever-popular heel command. But first, let's agree what the command Let's go! means. Before you teach it you have to know exactly what you're asking of your dog. It can't mean one thing today and a different thing tomorrow—that's how dogs get confused. Think about what a bummer it would be if you were praised for doing something at work one day and then got reprimanded at for doing the same exact thing the next day. You'd be stressed out and more than a little unhappy. Being consistent with your expectations makes it easier for your dog to do what you want him to do.
We still need a definition for the command, so I'll give you the one that my dogs know: If they could speak (in human terms) they would tell you that Let's go! means they have to walk at my left side, their front legs even with my legs, keep reasonable eye contact with me so that when I change direction they aren't ahead of or behind me; they can't sniff the ground, nor are they allowed to randomly stop, bark, lunge, or cut in front of me. They can't relieve themselves and mark every tree or grass blade in sight, and when I give them the "side" command they have to switch to my right side.
And last but not least, they have to automatically sit when I stop. No fun, you say? Well, yes and no. The Let's go! is a controlled walk and I use it when I'm passing something I don't want the dog to go near (such as other dogs, people who look frightened that a dog is coming near them, or glass on the sidewalk).
This is my idea of a good time because I'm not allowing chaos to ensue during my walk. However, since this walk doesn't allow the dog to sniff, explore, or just be a dog, I release the dog from it by saying OK, go play!
At that point, my dogs understand that they can stretch out to the end of the leash and be a doe—within reason. If at any point they engage in behavior that I feel is inappropriate—lunging, refusing to walk, or trying to drag me behind them like the winning entry in a cart-pulling contest, I'll use the Let's go! command and restore order.
TEACH IT AND THEY WILL WALK
A successfully taught Let's go! command starts by luring your dog into motion; use your (hungry) dog's favorite treat or his haven't-seen-it-in-a-while favorite toy to entice him to play the walking game with you. Your dog should be wearing his collar and a short leash—my preferences are a buckle collar and a four-foot leash. He should be at your left side in an uncommanded sit or stand in a quiet, distraction-free environment.
Put the lure and the leash (held taut but not tight) in your left hand, a few inches above eye level for your dog, against the seam (along the side) of your pants. (If you're having trouble holding both Ain your left hand, you may hold the lure in your right, but you'll also have to twist your body to the left so that your right hand is against your left leg. (If you can do this easily, please call Cirque du Soleil as soon as possible as I understand they have openings for contortionists!) Say your dog's name plus Let's go! and take a step or two forward, luring the dog along. Do not move your hand away from your leg, or your dog—following the lure—will be ahead of you, behind you, or too far away from you, depending on where your hand has strayed to.
After a few successful steps, release with the go play command, praise, and reward your dog (with the lure). Some dogs will be up and walking next to you willingly the first time. Some dogs will be hesitant or even fearful and will have to be taken along slowly, maybe even releasing after one step forward.
For those who've encountered severe resistance, try this sneaky way to get your dog walking next to you: Instead of starting with your dog at your left side, stand in front of him. Hold the lure level with his nose, and let him nibble (in the case of food) or reach (in the case of a toy) for it. When he's extremely interested, take a step or two backwards. Release, praise, and reward. When he is comfortable moving toward you, turn to your left (don't stop moving!) and—ta-dah!—he's now walking at your side. Switch in and out of heel position until your dog's happily walking at your side. Then move ahead to Step Two.
STEP TWO
Add distance, and wean your dog off the lure. The lure is moved from eye level to waist level to gone! You can stow a toy and treats in a fanny pouch or treat bag, but keep it out of your dog's line of sight.
During Step Two, you will most likely meet the "No cookie, no walkie" part of your dog's personality. Simply put, if there's no paycheck being waved in front of his eyes, he may choose the fun of lunging over the suggestion of mannerly walking. Your solutions to correct this problem range from becoming a tree (stopping the walk teaches the dog that lunging kills the fun of walking), a gentle flick of your wrist as you hold the leash (reminding him that you are still attached), or re-evaluating your prodigy to see if you've progressed him through the steps too quickly and the cause for his digressions is a lack of comprehension. If so, back up to Step One.
STEP THREE
Since I know you were aiming higher than having a dog who walked nicely next to you when you were alone on a desert island, it's time to take your show on the road and teach your dog to Let's go! even when distractions abound. Start with small distractions, then work up to bigger ones—parks, soccer games, mall parking lots during the holidays—the sky's the limit!

Kathy Santo, author of Dog, Sense has trained dogs for both home and competition. She sees more than 100 dogs each week at her obedience school.