1. Too Hot or Too Cold

The weather is probably one of the most frequently used excuses.

• It is raining – I/my dog will get wet.
• It is snowing – I/my dog will be too cold.
• It is too hot – my dog will overheat.
• It is too cold – my dog will freeze.

It may look like nice weather - but it is too hot and the ticks are out!

We can’t walk the dog during Winter because it is snowing, raining, or too cold. We can’t walk the dog during the Summer because it is too hot. Spring is too wet so that leaves us with Autumn.

But wait – that is when the ticks are out so that is no good either. Besides, Autumn is a great time to sleep-in.

Makes me want to curl up and fall asleep too!

2. There are Vicious Dogs in My Neighborhood

I was talking to a dog owner today and she tells me that she doesn’t walk her dog because there are vicious pit-bulls that live a few houses away from her. They are always at the gate and barking at her, so she is protecting her dogs by keeping them in the house all day long.

Beware of those nasty wicked teeth.

I must admit that that is a pretty impressive excuse. No walking involved, and a protector at the same time.

There are also many dogs that charge the gate or bark in my neighborhood. Sometimes, they can be pretty intimidating.

Occasionally, there are also dogs that escape and run loose. These escapees usually avoid contact with people, but there are some who are friendly, and also others who are territorial or aggressive.

Dogs do these things because they are bored and frustrated out of their mind from being protected in the house all day.

A life lived in fear… is a life half lived ~~[Strictly Ballroom]

If we are afraid of neighborhood dogs, we can always drive to a nearby park, or to a more quiet neighborhood and walk our dogs there.

3. My Dog is Reactive or Aggressive with Other Dogs

Enjoying a hike in the hills.

Some dogs are more reactive to other dogs than others. Guard dogs, for example, are bred to be more territorial by nature, and may not like other dogs encroaching upon their space.

My Shiba Inu does not like dominant dogs, or dogs that come in to smell his butt without his permission.

Some dogs are protected in the house all day, every day, so they naturally have a lot of excited and frustrated energy when they finally get to go out.

I have found that the more I walk my dogs, the more confident we all become, and the walks get easier and more enjoyable. I can now anticipate their walk triggers (usually cats and squirrels), so we mostly have a nice and relaxed routine punctured by moments of Cat or Squirrel Pow.

I have found that the more that I walk my dogs, the more confident we all become, and the walks get and easier more enjoyable.

My Sibe used to be afraid of the garbage truck, but she is better with them now because we see them once every week, and we are still here to tell the tale.

The way to deal with reactivity issues is not to totally avoid contact with others, but rather to train our dog and ourselves to better handle external interactions including dog-to-dog interactions.

4. My Dog Pulls

Most dogs, especially young dogs will pull because they are so excited to be outside where there are many interesting smells and sights. My Siberian is a 3-legged dog, but when she really wants to pull, she has mad skillz.

I use a combination of the red-light/green-light technique and the 180-turn-around technique while we are out on walks to control the pulling. Both are helpful, but there will be situations where she loses control and starts to go. Usually a cat or squirrel is involved! 😉

However, we are both improving in small steps, and enjoying ourselves along the way.

Siberian Husky Shania has mad skillz!

5. I am Too Tired

Shiba Sephy is too tired to walk.

Sometimes, we get busy. Issues may arise at home or at work, and we get swallowed up by them.

Life happens. Skipping a few daily walks in a year will not have any adverse effects on our dogs.

However, I find that walking with my dogs actually helps to clear my head, and gives me a much needed break from my problems. When we get home, I am more energized, and end up making more progress on my projects than I would have otherwise.

So …

What are you waiting for?

Time to strap on that iPod, and treat yourself to a nice walk with your dog.

It is a good day to be with dog.

It is a good day to be with dog.

Pulling will get him nowhere.

Instead, walking properly next to us, is the quickest way to get to his destination.

To teach this lesson, it is important NOT to reward our dog for pulling.

Do not let our dog drag us along, and do not pet or give him any affection while he is pulling. Teach him to walk on a loose leash first, before attempting to walk him close to us in a heel position.

Leash Training Your Dog.

Here are some leash training techniques:

1. Red-Light, Green-Light

1. Red-Light, Green-Light.

A simple way to leash train a dog and teach him not to pull, is to …

• Stop walking when the leash is taut, and
• Start moving again when the leash is loose.

We do not even need to say anything to our dog. Through our actions, he will figure out the rules of the game.

When we stop, some dogs may decide to roam around and smell whatever is available in the environment. To stop this, I usually shorten the leash and bring my dog in next to me. This does a better job at limiting his freedom, which makes this technique more effective.

In addition, I only start moving again after my dog does a Sit next to me. I use a shorter lead in the beginning, then slowly lengthen it if my dog walks nicely, and without pulling. By changing the length of the lead, we can control the amount of freedom our dog has, and further motivate him not to pull.

Initially, we may need to stop very frequently, so be ready for really short walks. However, it is important to be patient and absolutely consistent with the stop rule. Otherwise, our dog will learn that if he pulls enough times, we will give-in and let him go wherever he wants. This encourages him to pull more in the future.

2. 180 Degree Turn

Depending on the age and temperament of our dog, frequent hard stops may cause him to get frustrated. Too much pent-up frustration can make a dog act out in other ways, for example, he may resort to leash biting.

If we are training an easily frustrated or excitable dog, it may be more effective to use the 180-turn technique.

As soon as our dog starts to pull, quickly turn around and start walking in the opposite direction. In this way, the dog can release his pent-up energy, because he is still doing something physical – walking. At the same time, he learns that when he pulls, he just gets farther away from his desired destination.

If our dog walks properly on a loose leash for a few seconds, we can mark him for his good behavior (Good), turn back, and resume our walk. If he starts pulling again, it is fine to walk back and forth on the same stretch of ground until he learns not to pull.

Shiba Inu Sephy turning around to wait for me.

3. Hand Targeting

Hand Targeting - Put our hand close to her muzzle and say 'Nose'.

Hand Targeting - As soon as Shania touches my hand with her nose, I mark her (Yes) and treat her.

Start by training the dog to target our hand at home.

First, I put some dog treats in my hand, and make sure my dog knows that it is there. Then, I put my hand close to his muzzle and say Nose. As soon as my dog touches my hand with his nose, I mark him (Yes) and treat him. I repeat this exercise until I am confident that he has learned the command.

Next, I move a few steps away, put my hand out in the same gesture, and say Nose. When he moves toward me and touches my hand, I mark the behavior (Yes) and treat. I keep repeating this inside the house, then continue the exercise in the backyard.

Once we are comfortable doing this in the backyard, we can try using this technique outside.

If the dog pulls, non-mark him (Uh-oh), get him to do a Sit, re-target him on our hand, and continue the leash training session.

In this way, our dog learns that pulling is inappropriate, and walking close to us will get him affection and treats. We can treat less often, and slowly phase out the treats altogether, once our dog learns to walk calmly by our side.

If our dog pulls, non-mark him (Uh-oh), get him to do a Sit, re-target him on our hand, and continue the training session.

4. Collar Correction/ Leash Correction/ Leash Jerk

The most common aversive technique for leash training a dog, is to perform collar corrections (also called leash corrections or leash jerks).

A collar correction must be a quick jerk of the leash. There is only tension for an extremely short amount of time (a quarter-second or less), and then the leash should be loose again. Most people tend to do tugs rather than jerks, which will do little in training the dog.

Tugs may actually exacerbate the situation, because it places continuous tension on the leash. This tension may cause the dog to get tense and frustrated.

We must also be properly positioned for the collar correction, so that the force is always to the side rather than directly back. Jerking to the back may encourage the dog to lunge forward to oppose the force, thus causing him to pull even more.

To work well in leash training, collar corrections must be executed with the proper force, proper timing, and proper redirection. This is necessary so that the dog learns that pulling is wrong, without becoming afraid of his surroundings, or distrustful of his owner.

If not properly implemented, a collar correction may backfire and cause additional behavioral problems including dog aggression.

Only use collar corrections as a last resort. Only use collar corrections under the direction of an experienced professional trainer.

4. Collar corrections did not work well for Shiba Inu Sephy. Collar corrections ultimately caused aggression, motivation, and trust issues.

How to Stop Dog Pulling

Some dogs and some dog breeds will pull more than others. For example, I have two Siberian Huskies, and they both pull more than my Shiba Inu, because Huskies are bred to pull. However, by starting training early and being very consistent, even Huskies can be trained to walk at a measured pace by our side.

In the beginning, I leash train my dog in the backyard, where there are very few distractions. Once my dog is comfortable walking there without pulling, I move on to more quiet areas of the neighborhood. Another alternative is to walk during off-peak hours, where there are fewer people and dogs around.

By carefully choosing our training environments, we can set our dog up for success, and help build his confidence. Once he is comfortable walking in a given area, we can slowly increase the level of distraction.

Before we know it, we will be enjoying a wonderful neighborhood walk with our dog! 😀