C.A.R.E Focused Education for Dogs & Their People
Inspiring Curiosity, Agency, Reflection, & Empathy
You probably want to enjoy taking your dog for a walk and yes, it's possible! In this post, I want to share the skills and building blocks to creating a nice low-stress enriching walk with your dog. As the wind practically blows my house down when I'm writing this and I'm expecting a power outage at any minute, I'll be honest. Going for a walk is not on my priority list today, but that doesn't mean I can't still build the skills my dog needs. I'll just be going it in the living room, in my pajamas, with my slippers on instead! Let's get into it. I have broken the skill into three main stages  Stage 1:Leash Pressure: Teaching your dog that when they feel pressure on their harness or collar, they should come into the pressure instead of naturally trying to escape it by moving away from it (called the opposition reflex) Follow Along With Me: Teaching your dog to follow your movement when asked, whether on leash or off Living Room Walking: Navigating around household pieces of furniture while staying with you. Because, nature has all kinds of obstacles out there. Let's start where the distraction level is low! Hand Targeting: Teaching your dog to touch his nose to your hand is a great way to encourage him to stay by your side with a very specific task Check-In With Me: This one is about teaching your dog to automatically check back in with you whenever transitioning from one environment to another, instead of heading straight out into the world and forgetting all about you! Find it: This teaching your dog to engage with the environment near you, which takes the pressure off. It allows him to do what's most natural and use his strongest sense to engage away from any other triggers out there What about Stages 2 and 3?You can learn more about all the stages in this Live Replay! If you need support in teaching the skills, I'm currently running a live challenge during the month of March. If you miss it, you can jump on the waiting list for the next time it runs or purchase it as an on-demand course. Click the image below to check it out!
1 Comment
Jan E Smith
3/3/2021 07:06:46 am
Good morning, Laura, Somewhere I thought you asked us to describe our leash walking challenges with our dog, but I can't seem to find that email. So, here goes. Katy is a beagle which I understand means she has a particularly powerful nose!!! When we walk, which we do daily, we are usually on our road where many other dogs walk. She knows how to stay by my side, but sniffing is her favorite thing to do. She responds to the command "with me" sometimes, but then without much warning is drawn to something on the side of the road she MUST smell and pulls over to the side. I usually let her be there for a bit and then say "let's go". Sometimes she responds and I treat her, but sometimes I have to pull her away. This tug of war is definitely a part of every walk, particularly if we walk in a new area. I think my goal should be to give her time to sniff, but to be the one determining when she goes off to the side. I am just not sure if that is an appropriate goal and, if so, how to achieve it. The walks are for Katy too and I do want both of us to love them. Looking forward to getting started today. Thank you, Love, Jan Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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