How to Have a Successful Walk. Hint: It starts in the house!
I often hear people say that walking their dog is unenjoyable. Their dog pulls on the leash, barks at other dogs, or is over excited by everything that it sees. They would give anything to have that peaceful, wonderful walk with their dog that they envisioned it would be. There are many reasons why our dog’s may be exhibiting these behaviors, so I always recommend consulting with a professional dog trainer. However, if you have a dog that is overexcited on the walk, I do want to give a few simple tips that may help your walk become more enjoyable.
The overall theme to remember is that the walk starts before you leave the house. If your dog is bursting with energy on the walk, observe how they are IN the house before you leave. Are they bouncing off the walls with excitement? If so, what is causing that excitement? Are you getting them pumped up by asking them if they want to go on a walk and bringing excited energy to your dog? If you answered yes to any of these questions try the below:
Bring calm energy. Instead of having the mindset that you and your dog are going on an exciting walk, pretend that you’re going to the yoga studio or some place relaxing and bring THAT energy to the table.
Slow down. I often see people rushing to get in their walk with their dog. There is only so much time in the day, I get it. However, it’s important to remember that when your dog sees you rushing around to grab the leash and get out the door, they feel that anxious energy. We can’t lie to our dogs. There are studies that show how our dogs pick up on stress and how it actually changes their stress markers as well. So instead of rushing, slow down. Bake in extra time to calmly and slowly go get the leash and take your time with each step.
Put the leash on your dog when they are in their crate. If your dog has a crate, excellent, this tip is for you. First have your dog in their crate. Go and calmly get their leash and put the leash on while they are IN the crate. Why? I often hear people say that their dog is sprinting around the house in excitement and they don’t know how to make the swirling stop. By putting the leash on while your dog is in the crate, you prevent the excitement from spiking and you are able to show your dog what you want them to do by having the leash as a communication tool.
Use the leash to slow things down. Once your dog is on leash, stand there and wait until they are generally calm (no pulling you, no whining, etc. They may be standing or even sitting and they look like they’re just waiting for you to make the next move). Then when you both have found that calmness, take a few steps towards the door. Stop again. Are they still calm? If so, take a few more steps and slowly make your way to the front door. Patience is key here and my motto is that I will always be the calm in the storm for my dogs.
Wait at the doorway. Doorways are so important for safety reasons. We do not want our dogs busting out the front door and ending up in the street or lost. The other reason why doorways are so important is because they are another checkpoint for us to slow down with our dogs before a walk. Typically doorways can equal excitement to a dog because they know when they walk through that door, they get to go on their walk. Therefore, take as much time as you need at the doorway until you and your dog find calmness together. Just stand at the door and wait. Don’t talk to your dog, don’t ask them for anything, just wait until you both are in a place of calm. I will sometimes also do breathwork or even close my eyes while waiting and that helps me to find more calmness and guess what? The dogs feed off of that calm energy in a very positive way.
Aside from everything inside the house, I also recommend teaching your dog how to walk in the “safe spot” (next to your side or slightly behind you) through teaching proper leash work. Without setting our dogs up for success on the walk with leash work, all of the work inside the house will only help to a certain extent. For how-to and step by step of how to teach your dog to walk with you in the safe spot, check out my online training program, the Adventure Dog Channel at petesadventurepack.com
Next time that you are going to take your dog for a walk, remember that the walk actually begins inside the house. Getting into a calm mindset for both you and your dog is crucial for a peaceful, relaxing walk.
