Hi Lily,
One of the 5 components of my Dog Calming Code deals directly with feeding our dogs, and how to overcome fussy eating dogs. The format we advise when feeding your dog is designed to mimic how they instinctively feed, so my advice would be to follow those guidelines consistently and exactly as advised. The issue with handfeeding a dog is that is can send them some really confusing signals when it comes to their role in their family/pack….and it can therefore result in other issues. When you do follow my feeding guidelines you may be surprised just how quickly your dog becomes less fussy! Hope that helps! Doggy Dan

Thank you for your advice.
Lily

Hi Lia…If your dog tends to resist at a certain location on your walk then this will allow you to plan ahead! Have some high value treats ready and introduce those BEFORE he starts to resist, to try and keep him engaged and moving forward. It’s really important that you don’t use treats when he has already stopped walking….if you do you will be rewarding the wrong behaviour and he may learn to resist just to try and get a treat….dogs are smart! If you are familiar with Stop, Start & Change direction then you can also use this at the point where you can see him starting to lose focus on the walk….again we use this before he resists and it’s a nice reminder for him that you make the decisions and you would like him to follow your lead. All the Best, Doggy Dan!

Hi Edie, the outside world can be a really scary place for some dogs and it can be common for them to be reluctant to go out for a walk. You can certainly help improve your dog’s confidence with a little practice and the right information. My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com shows you very clearly how to achieve this…maybe take a quick look…its a $1USD trial for 3 days…All the Best, Doggy Dan

Hi Monique, the best way to go about this is to initially put controls in place that will avoid a potentially negative relationship while they are settling in together. Having your dog on-leash is a great way to do this as you can avoid being in a situation where you are not in control of the introduction. Also make sure both animals are calm and relaxed and start off by just aiming to have them calmly in the same room together without rushing a close encounter. If your dog starts to react negatively then calmly place the dog out of the room until they are calm, and then try again. It’s important for you to also remain calm and be really consistent and clear with the behaviour you expect from your dog. My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com shows you very clearly how to handle this introduction as well…maybe take a quick look…all the best Doggy Dan

Hi Caroline, I wish your dog a speedy recovery! I do home visits, depending on where you live, and I also have my Dog Trainer Academy graduates dotted all over the world. Get in touch with our head office and they will be able to steer you in the right direction. Best, Doggy Dan

Hi Deb! A little practice can go a long way with this type of behaviour. Use some high value treats to help encourage your dog to work with you and start by doing lots of really short, frequent training sessions around your home. Use the treats to keep her moving and be sure to praise her when she gets it right. Aim just to get her to move one or two steps forward with you holding her leash and gradually extend this with each practice session. You can phase the treats out when she is moving for voluntarily. My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com will also be able to help you address this behaviour…maybe take a quick look…its a $1USD trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan

Hi Jack,
Generally I allow a dog to toilet at the start of the walk and then after that I like to keep them dog moving rather than stopping regularly to allow them to stop and sniff things. Of course some dogs do take a little time to work up to going to the toilet so you do need to also make allowances for this. On a structured walk I do prefer to keep a dog moving but I do allow them to have some free time at some point on the walk to sniff and explore a little. You will know your dog’s signals and will therefore be able to identify if he just wants to stop and sniff or if he does needs to go to then toilet. All the best….Doggy Dan

Hi Laura,
When we have owners who are having issues when walking their dogs, we always advise them to review the beginning of the walk before you have even left the house. Ensuring that your dog is calm and relaxed before you leave your property is a key component in how they will then behave when on the walk. If they are highly excited before you even leave the house then you have already lost control of the walk. Practice is key but make sure you throw in lots of extra practice at times when you have no intention of going anywhere. This will allow you to teach your dog how you expect her to behave when she is on the leash, and the great thing is you will have fewer distractions to master the rules initially. You don;t have to spend hours at a time practicing, just break it up into little practice sessions throughout the day. Remember to keep excitement levels low and to correct any pulling as advised. If things get too excited then end the lesson and try again later. When you feel ready you can then head out into the Street and extend on the lesson by showing your dog that the rules are the same here as well. You may not get very far initially which is fine because distance is not the aim at this point. It is far more important that you are consistent in correcting any pulling on the leash. If you do want to practice at the park then it is better to carry your dog there than it is to allow her to drag you the entire way, but either way practicing at home will be key! My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com shows you very clearly how to achieve this…maybe take a quick look…its a $1 trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan

Thank you for another great post. My 6 m.o. beagle mix puppy is one of those super-charged dogs. Walking her is impossible, it’s as if she doesn’t think I really need one of my arms :), that’s how hard she’s pulling with all of her 15 pounds of weight. I’ve been trying to keep her behind me, then she learned to walk between my feet (the only way when she isn’t pulling), this is also very exhausting. I did SSCD, calm freeze, etc., All that only calms her down for a few seconds. She reacts to sounds (like someone’s steps a few feet away, or a neighbor opened a window, etc..), it’s really hard to keep her calm. I’m going to take her to a dog park today after work, I’m thinking maybe I need to carry her all the way there? Otherwise she’ll just be pulling for 15 minutes with a 10 points energy level, and also barking and growling at every dog we meet on our way. Do you think carrying her is a good idea? Or should I just walk her to the park? Even after 30 minutes of running in the park she keeps on pulling while we walk back home. While in the park, she is restlessly chasing other dogs, she runs non-stop like a mini greyhound! I wish there were Olympic games for puppies, she’d win all the marathons and srpints! haha)

Thank you!
Laura

Hi Dianne,

The harness in the video is called an Easy Walk/Gentle Lead harness. The leash clips onto the chest area of the harness so when the dog pulls or lunges it turns the dog back towards the owner and takes some of the force out of their pulling. It is particularly helpful for larger breeds or dogs who are particularly strong. No device will replace giving your dog good information though so practice the techniques and advise in my Blog and you should see some improvements in your dog’s behaviour on the walk. Best…Doggy Dan

Hi Jerry. Yes the stat of the walk, from the moment an owner even thinks about going out, has a significant effect on how a dog behaves when on the walk and it’s always the first thing I review when owners tell me they are having issues. It’s pretty obvious when you think about it but often owners just aren’t aware of the scenario from their dog’s perspective and what they need to feel confident in their owner’s ability to lead. Keep up the great work! Dan

Hi Carol,
The prospect of going for a walk can cause many dogs to become fearful and reluctant to go out. If you think about the reality for them, leaving the safety and security of their home and entering into a world of dangers and unknowns then the fear is understandable. A key part of helping a dog overcome any fear is to show them that they can trust you to keep them safe and that’s what my membership website is all about. On a more practical side, practice desensitising your dog to the leash by carrying it around the house with you at regular intervals and if he becomes agitated then simply put it down and do something else. It’s best not to try and call him over until he is relaxed when he sees the leash and you may need to use high value treats and also not have the lead in your hand (place it on the floor) when you do so. It’s then a process of building on this routine, making it a positive association rather than a negative one. Hope that helps…Doggy Dan