Leash pulling is one of the top issues families already try to fix with new harnesses, YouTube videos, and classes. On Dog Works Radio, Robert and Michele Forto explain why a dog that walks perfectly for twenty minutes indoors falls apart on the Coastal Trail or in a Wasilla parking lot, and why the gap gets dangerous once the sidewalks turn to ice.
The walk only continues when the leash is slack. If the leash is tight, you stop. No speech, no negotiation. Timing matters more than the collar. Practice the same short route every day while the ground is still dry so the habit is already in place when the dark, icy walks of November and January arrive.
Key points
– Pulling works for the dog because it gets them to the next smell faster. When the leash is tight, following keeps the cycle going.
– Proper equipment can help you manage the walk. It does not teach the dog how to walk.
– Three practical rules: the walk continues only on a slack leash; timing (hands, feet, when you start moving again) is the owner’s job; practice in the places you actually walk.
– A dog that walks perfectly after a long hike is usually just tired. That doesn’t carry over to a short, dark Tuesday night walk.
– Start now. Two short practices beat one long struggle in the driveway. Choose one daily route.
– Real examples from Anchorage/Valley clients and from work with volunteers at Rebel Rescue in South Korea show the same principle: build the routine before the hard environment.
This episode’s question
If your dog is dragging you to the mailbox today, what happens when that same pull happens on ice in the dark?
Weekly action
Choose one route you walk every day. Every time the leash gets tight, stop. When it loosens, go. Keep the sessions short. Start while the ground is dry.
Other Episodes You Will Love
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This episode was recorded on the Shure SM7B and a Rodecaster Pro II
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