Going back to basics

We are in the midst of adolescence, and my girl’s already shaky leash manners have taken a turn for the worst. Walking her is my latest nightmare and I swear my arm is growing longer in response to all the pulling she does.

Today I took her on a walk with a friend and her dog, and my girl pulled 85% of the time and barely listened to a word I said. I was at her mercy as she tugged me down the path sniffing at every little thing. I came home extremely frustrated and feeling hopeless. I felt like I was a bad owner and that she would never learn how to walk nicely in public.

After wallowing in self pity for an hour, I decided we need to go back to basics. I took her outside and we started right back at the start of learning loose leash walking. I had treats in hand and led her around in circles until I ran out of treats. And guys, it worked. I couldn’t believe this was the same dog who almost dislocated my arm earlier. Now she was happily walking by my side and paying attention to me. She wasn’t perfect by any means, she did get a bit distracted but I was able to quickly refocus her attention on me. I couldn’t believe the difference in behaviour from just a few hours earlier. I finished that training session feeling a lot more optimistic than I was before. We will continue to practice the basics going forward and hopefully soon I will have my lovely walking companion back.