Why is Loose Lead/ Heelwork so Important?

How many times have you seen someone being walked by their dog? If your dog is small, it might not be such a big deal that he occasionally pulls on his lead, but when you have a 50kg St. Bernard, its a different story altogether. You need to know that at the very least you can walk your dog without dislocating your shoulder, or that your dog will walk to heel if you decide to enter him Agility Classes or Dog Competitions.

Common Mis-Conceptions

Traditional dog trainers teach loose lead walking and heelwork mainly through luring the dog with food treats. It goes without saying that this method does appear to produce results quickly. Naturally a dog is likely to want to be near you if you are holding his favourite hotdog delight. I don’t know a dog who isn’t tempted by tasty treats. Although what happens when you are out walking your dog and you don’t have any treats? If you have only trained your dog through luring, he is likely to ignore you when faced with a tempting distraction on the street.

Why are Modern and Positive Dog Train Methods more Effective in Teaching a Dog to Walk well on a Lead?

Whilst luring a dog to walk near you is a good way to start training at the beginning, owners must then begin to distance themselves from food rewards. I will teach you how to gradually remove the need for food rewards to get your dog to walk obediently by your side. Your dog will want to be by your side naturally, because once again you will be viewed as his source of reward, regardless of treats. Modern techniques such as Clicker Training could be used for teach loose lead/ heelwork, as they are proven to provide dogs with clear markers for good behaviour, and the repeated rewarding of each tiny step in the right direction makes the sessions very enjoyable. Again this is in keeping with my ethos, that a dog should be consistently rewarded for all good behaviour. This can be helped further by rewarding every step, no matter how small, as it will only lead to a more memorable training sessions for the dog.

N.B. This is just a selection of the training I offer, but I am happy to deal with any enquiries you may have.