Learning the ropes! Or rather, leash...

While dog walking is sometimes just about getting the dog out of the house to do his/her business and get some exercise, that's not always the case. Sometimes, my job is to help with the training. I love this!!



Porter (Boxer pup) resisting the leash



For example, 

Max (English Bulldog Mix) walking nicely

two dogs I walk are puppies. You know what  puppies hated? Leashes. Or rather, the fact that when you're walking them, you don't want the leash to be chewed on. This involves a lot of me making the incredibly annoying and loud "Ah-ah!" sound and adjusting the leash so they can't get to it.

Then there's the hopping and spinning in the air that they'll do in an effort to get away from the thing that has their neck. That just has to be waited out. The most valuable tool in any training situation is patience.

Treats will also help to lure a dog to walk, but the best thing is to use the what my mom called the hitchy-pitchy (high pitched) voice. In the most animated voice, the pups are given lots of encouragement. Whenever I'm training dog walkers for the shelter, I tell them they have to sound absolutely ridiculous or the dog won't do what you want. (The teenage boys love this the most.)

Porter (Boxer) tolerating the leash