Hi Gayle,
Another option is to simply stop walking! If your dog starts to pull on the leash to sniff something then try stopping and waiting for him to come back to your side, or at least take the pressure of the leash, and then continue on your walk. I generally recommend that you keep walking if your dog tried to stop you to sniff something, so that he begins to understand that on a structured walk he needs to keep on moving. By all means you can allow him to sniff when he is having some free time at the park, or you are not being so structured with the walk, but you do still need to avoid him pulling you around. Great question! Best, Doggy Dan

Strangers can be a real trigger for some dogs and it’s important to understand that some dogs view unknown people as a very real danger. To help your dog feel a lot safer I would recommend giving him a little more space when you approach a person on the Street or on a walk. Move him over to your ‘safe side’, which is essentially the side of your body that places you in between him and the passing stranger. Move over to the side of the path a little, shorten your leash so your dog is right by your side and then calmly walk past. If your dog is really unhappy then allowing him even more space will help him feel more comfortable. There is no need to tell him to ‘be quiet’ or get upset, it won’t help, the calmer you stay the better! In the short-term I would ask strangers not to say ‘hi’ to him but you can work towards that. 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

Hi Jenny,
Some dogs really don’t like being held by the collar, they can find it intimidating and unsettling. Instead you can clip a leash to their collar and hold it on a shorter length to achieve the same thing. If you are talking to someone then hold your dog on a shorter leash by your side and allow a little more space between you and the person you are talking to, so that if he does jump you have a little space to work with. My website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com has a section about issues on the walk…maybe take a quick look…its a $1 trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan

Hi Ruby,
It can be really common for some dogs to get a bit over-excited when they meet a stranger on the walk and the most important thing in helping your dog calm down is how you respond. If she is on-leash then calmly move her away from the person, but avoid making a big fuss or telling her off as this is counterproductive. If you respond calmly then she is more likely to calm down. Also, I would avoid allowing her to run up to a stranger to greet them before you. Have her on a short leash by your side and move aside a little to give her some space. If the person wants to say ‘hi’ to her then ask them to wait a minute to give her some time to relax. Have a chat to them about her breed, age, personality to buy her a bit of time. If she relaxes then take a step away from the person and ask them to call her to them for the pat/fuss, rather than allowing them to invade her personal space. You can gently hold her on a short leash or by the collar so that you can prevent her from jumping up too much but end the interaction if she is too excited.
If she is being rewarded for jumping up at people, by them speaking to her or patting/fussing her when she does it then she will likely continue the behaviour. Taking control of these interactions by being proactive (as above) will ensure she gets the message about how to behave with strangers she meets.
Hope that helps, all the best….Doggy Dan!

Thanks for the feedback Sharon, I’m glad you find my blogs informative. With issues on the lead and walking the best approach is to break the process down into little stages and regularly practice each one with your dog, keeping sessions really positive and fun. Using high value treats also helps a lot! We do cover this issue on my website TheOnlineDogTrainer.com if you are interested in what we advise in greater detail…maybe take a quick look…its a $1 trial for 3 days…all the best Doggy Dan