Loose Leash Walking for the Win
What is Loose Leash Walking?
At the end of a long work day, picture coming home and taking your dog out for a nice evening stroll as the sun sets over your path. In this image, is your dog lunging at the end of her leash? Or is the leash loose and you and your dog are strolling as a unified duo – both of you enjoying the quiet time together? If the former is your reality, let me tell you about ‘loose leash’ walks. In two words, it means, no-pull walks with your dog. Unlike a formal ‘heel’, your dog does not have to be attentively focused on you. But the leash is still relaxed and there is no tension on it. In other words, your dog isn’t pulling towards anything. Benefits of:There are several benefits to training your dog to walk using this method. First, your dog’s focus is engaged on you but she’s also able to enjoy her surroundings (I’m going to use refer to the dog as a her because of my own dog - Emma). She’s able to sniff and enjoy the walk casually. As mentioned, this is slightly different than ‘heel’ where your dog is focused intently on you.
At the end of a long work day, picture coming home and taking your dog out for a nice evening stroll as the sun sets over your path. In this image, is your dog lunging at the end of her leash? Or is the leash loose and you and your dog are strolling as a unified duo – both of you enjoying the quiet time together? If the former is your reality, let me tell you about ‘loose leash’ walks. In two words, it means, no-pull walks with your dog. Unlike a formal ‘heel’, your dog does not have to be attentively focused on you. But the leash is still relaxed and there is no tension on it. In other words, your dog isn’t pulling towards anything. Benefits of:There are several benefits to training your dog to walk using this method. First, your dog’s focus is engaged on you but she’s also able to enjoy her surroundings (I’m going to use refer to the dog as a her because of my own dog - Emma). She’s able to sniff and enjoy the walk casually. As mentioned, this is slightly different than ‘heel’ where your dog is focused intently on you.
When your dog is focused on you, I highly recommend you giving her the same courtesy. Put your phone away for the time you’re walking with your dog. Speaking from personal experience, if you’re not giving your dog your full attention, she will find something to focus their attention on and you will be pulled in that direction. I’ve been guilty of glancing at (scrolling through for a few minutes) Instagram during our evening walks and Emma decided to turn her efforts to getting closer to a rabbit – using her 70lbs of determination to pull me in that direction.
A second benefit of training your dog to walk with slack in her leash is health benefits. Pulling on a collar or even a harness can cause injury. Dogs can injure their trachea by pulling on a collar. If the harness isn’t properly fitted, the dog can injure their chest. Other tools can also cause injury. By teaching your dog not to be at the end of her leash during every walk, you’re saving your furry friend’s body from extra wear and tear.
The final benefit for walks where your dog isn't pulling you is 2-fold: your dog is choosing to walk at your pace and that means that you are building a relationship with her. The world is an exciting place with all kinds of sights, noises and scents that can be exhilarating for your dog. When your dog opts to walk at your pace, that speaks volumes for the trust and love she has for you. The second part of this benefit is walks are more enjoyable for you both. Your dog is choosing to walk with you, not to pull at the end of her leash to something that excites her more.
A second benefit of training your dog to walk with slack in her leash is health benefits. Pulling on a collar or even a harness can cause injury. Dogs can injure their trachea by pulling on a collar. If the harness isn’t properly fitted, the dog can injure their chest. Other tools can also cause injury. By teaching your dog not to be at the end of her leash during every walk, you’re saving your furry friend’s body from extra wear and tear.
The final benefit for walks where your dog isn't pulling you is 2-fold: your dog is choosing to walk at your pace and that means that you are building a relationship with her. The world is an exciting place with all kinds of sights, noises and scents that can be exhilarating for your dog. When your dog opts to walk at your pace, that speaks volumes for the trust and love she has for you. The second part of this benefit is walks are more enjoyable for you both. Your dog is choosing to walk with you, not to pull at the end of her leash to something that excites her more.