May 08, 2003
I have no idea why she was sitting this way - too cute!
2:30 p.m.
Wow! Dusty and I just had the best walk! Seriously, it was the most relaxed walk we've ever taken together. She only tugged on the leash a few times, and even then it wasn't much more than an experimental are-you-still-with-me tug.
I've made a few changes on our walks. For a start, I stopped using the Flexilead altogether (For my non-dog-owning readers: a Flexilead is a retractable leash). I had been walking with the Flexilead locked at about 2 metres, but it bothered me because when Dusty is out in the front yard, I let her pull out to whatever length she needs.
Let me repeat: I let her *pull*. The key to training is consistancy and there was a genuine lack of it there. I've been really frustrated with the standard advice out there regarding leash training. For example, Ian Dunbar advices that it's not a good idea to make a puppy 'heel' for the duration of a walk. For awhile, I was letting Dusty 'go play' after she walked nicely for awhile, but found that her behaviour on the leash was actually getting worse.
Anyways, here's the new plan: I'm using my plain old 2 metre lead and (this is the key, in my opinion), I'm not holding onto it. Instead, I attach it to my waist (either by buttons or a belt or some other method), so my hands are free. I've also (and I started this last week) stopped letting Dusty 'go play' at all on our walks. No more wandering in and out of yards, for example, or ranging ahead.
Because I'm attached to her, I'm much more sensitive to the pressure on the leash, so if she really needs to stop and sniff, I feel her stop and can respond appropriately. One of my email lists has been discussing this very topic and one point that was brought up really hit home for me: if I don't want Dusty to pull on the leash, then I shouldn't pull on the leash either. And I did. I pulled when I wanted her to hurry, or she was sniffing a telephone pole for too long.
Ultimately, my goal for loose leash walking is to make the leash irrelevant. We're required to use one because we live in a city, but I would like our walks to be so relaxed and connected that the leash serves no purpose at all. When Dusty is walking with me because she wants to and we move comfortably in tandem, that's when I'll know that we've arrived at that goal.