Bonus Question & Answer:

What's the best leash for a dog that pulls?

Most dog collars and harnesses with clips on the back often encourage a dog’s natural instinct to pull. If your dog is constantly pulling on the leash during walks, it’s not that the pack leader instinct kicks in during walks. Rather, pulling on a leash is just a natural reaction to one of the exciting activities your dog gets to enjoy. He wants to run and investigate the environment and his boring and slow human companion has him tied to a leash. You can prevent all that and have your dog walk calmly walk beside you by getting a front clip harness. With the harness, your 150lb Rottweiler won’t be dragging your through the streets every evening.

Dog doesn’t want to walk? Let the Dog Explore a Bit!

Being the curious animals they are, dogs are bound to sniff around whenever they step outside. It’s a new environment filled with scents mere humans can’t register. Understand dog walking is more than a physical exercise for a dog. It is the only opportunity your dog gets to breathe in fresh air every day, so let him sniff out a few bushes and posts during your walk. Here’s one of our dog walking skills that never fails to work. During a walk, we usually loosen the leash when the dog shows interest in something. We tell him to “go sniff” and when it’s time to move on, we’ll tell the dog “let’s walk”. Of course, you want to exercise some judgment when allowing dogs to sniff around.

Ditch Those Retractable Leash on Dog Walks

Retractable leashes are a no-no for dog walks. Not only do they make it hard to control your pooch, but they can make dog walks potentially dangerous. Remember, most of the time the dog is getting out to a new environment. They’re bound to be excited which can sometimes make them approach each and everything on their path. A retractable leash makes increases the difficulty of controlling a dog tenfold.

Clean Up After Your Dog

Although this doesn’t always come up when you’re searching for tips for walking the dog, picking up your dog’s poop when out on a walk is of imperative importance. Not only are you being the good neighbor, but it also reinforces your dog’s potty training. You also make the environment safe and sanitary for other people and their pets.

Carry Some Water

You never know what might happen during a walk. It is always prudent to make sure your pup has an ID and other contact information before leaving the house. You can attach the ID and contact information on your dog’s collar or have it on your person.

Dog Refuses to Walk? Be Mindful of Hot Pavement

Be considerate of dog’s comfort during a walk. If your foot or hand cannot handle the temperature of the pavement, most likely the thick pads on dog’s foot won’t handle it either. If your dog refuses to take another step off the driveway, most likely the pavement is hot. Wait till the evening to take your dog out for a walk when temperatures are much cooler.

Dog Doesn’t Want to Walk? Bring His Favorite Treats

Does your dog scamper off whenever you bring the leash to go for a walk? Most likely it’s because walks are not as enjoyable for him as they are for you. While your dog’s interest might be piqued by a squirrel or is he always getting distracted by everything during walks? Carrying his favorite treats on walks is a great way to get his attention and improve his dog walking skills.

Always Ask Before Approaching Other Dogs

It’s hard to eyeball the temperament of other dogs you’ll come by during your walks. For the safety of your dog, as well as your safety, always ask the owner of the other dog if it’s alright to approach. Some dog breeds, while being excellent family pets, are super protective of their owners. They are always suspicious of other dogs and people. A Rottweiler is one such breed that won’t welcome new dogs and their owners. Sometimes when a dog doesn’t want to walk around other dogs, most likely he has sensed some aggressiveness from the other mutts. Take his lead and look for a detour.

Going For Evening Walks? Wear Reflective Gear

Don’t be that girl or guy who takes unnecessary risks and endangers your dog and the safety of other motorists by being hard to spot on evenings. You’ll want to don on reflective apparels that make it easier to spot at night. You can get a reflective jacket. You can even get a reflective jacket for your pup for those moments he might wander into the road. For a few bucks, you increase the safety of your evening walks.

If you are still wondering, if you’re walking a dog for the first time and it refuses to let you clip on his leash you should give us a call! We would be happy to assist you over the phone or in person with any particular cases. We don’t claim to be Cesar Milan, but we have over 20+ years of experience walking our furry friends!