Help, my dog shoots on a leash!

Have you ever felt that your dog was walking more than the other way around? He pulls everything he can on the leash and you try to contain his energy as best you can. Why Don't you take over?

First of all, it is important to identify the reasons why a dog shoots on a leash. We must first understand that while leash walking is necessary for us humans, who want to walk without being bullied, it is not natural for the dog, whose thirst for discovery is never quenched. For it is there, the reason why your companion shoots: there is so much to discover outside! So many smells that call it and you wouldn't know how to smell it!

Bearing in mind that the promenade is his time, and that it would therefore be inappropriate to restrain him in his greatest leisure (sniffing!), it is a question of teaching your olfactory gulu that, when you hold it on a leash, it is not to be towed!.

"it's with a relaxed leash that my dog can move forward."

For Chloe Fesch, canine educator and author of the Canidélite blog, there is a golden rule that no one should ignore when learning leash: "it is with a relaxed leash that my dog can move forward."

Thus, two pitfalls must be avoided:

1. Suivre son chien quand il tire : “Si vous permettez à votre chiot d’aller où il veut dès qu’il tire sur sa laisse, il en déduira que c’est en tirant qu’il peut avancer”, explique Chloé Fesch.
2. Tirer en retour de sa traction : cela ne ferait que réveiller chez lui un réflexe de résistance, qui risque de le faire tirer plus fort encore dans l’autre sens.

In other words, the first thing to do to avoid reinforcing your dog's traction behavior is … Not to let him. As soon as he shoots, stop, and Don't start walking again until the leash that separates you from him has relaxed.

"teach your dog to follow you"

Knowing that it is often the outside stimuli that make your dog pull, the ideal way to work leash walking is to find a quiet place where you will have its full attention. "before starting the exercise, let him feel all the smells present in this area and let him do his needs, if necessary," advises Chloe Fesch. When its exploration is complete and it returns to you, start walking in one direction and, without appearing to pay attention to it, change it as soon as it passes you, as many times as necessary. "the goal of leash walking is to teach your dog how to follow you," recalls the dog educator. This means that your dog must be attentive to you. " In this way, he will understand that you are the one who guides the direction of the walk. And as soon as he naturally sits beside you, give him a warm reward to associate his action with something positive.

Attention, toutefois : si, lassé, il venait à s’arrêter, il est essentiel de retrouver son attention et de lui redonner goût à l’activité– qui doit, pour cela, se répéter sur plusieurs séances courtes (10 à 15 minutes). Ne revenez pas à lui, mais “accroupissez-vous et appelez-le gentiment et gaiement. Lorsqu’il se trouve à votre hauteur, sortez un jouet ou une friandise et faites-le jouer très positivement”, poursuit Chloé Fesch. Recommencez ensuite l’exercice, en donnant des indications : “Viens !” pour qu’il vous suive ou vienne à vous, “Stop !” quand il tire ou quand vous souhaitez qu’il s’arrête et, bien sûr, un “Oui !” franc et jovial quand il marche à votre niveau !

"adapt these sessions to your dog's level"

In order for your dog to be motivated to work on a leash, the dog educator recommends having positive reinforcements: "when your dog starts following you naturally, you can congratulate it by rewarding it with a toy or a treat." Rewards should first be frequent and then spread out as the exercise is understood. The next steps may be, for example, to energize the walk by changing speed several times to keep your dog attentive. The main thing is to "always adapt these sessions to your dog's level to put it in a successful situation. It is one of the keys to successful learning, "sums up Chloe Fesch.

The editorial board advises you:-awkward behaviors: the solution is in the walk-5 tips for an ideal walk with your dog