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What is the aim of a leash?
“A chain, rope, or strap attached to the collar or harness of an animal, especially a dog, and used to direct it or hold it in check.”
Hmmmm…
- A chain, or rope used to direct an animal?
To begin with, the objective of a leash is not to hold an animal in check. The objective of a leash is to connect the dog to the owner. Furthermore, last time I checked horses did not where leashes, and it is these enormous misconceptions of the leash and its proper roll in the lives of the owner/dog team that prompted me to take some time to write this article.
The leash is a great invention due to its simplicity and its purpose. Without its invention, we would not be, along with our loyal four-legged companions able to benefit from strolls on nice summer days, or brisk morning walks, yet the inability and ignorance of the frequent dog owner when it comes to utilizing the leash makes me wonder why they don’t come with instructions on how to use them.
As I said above, the leash was invented to attach you, the owner to your dog. The objective of the leash is not for the owner to be the anchor behind the pulling bull, which 9 times out of ten is the true scenario. Thousands upon thousands of dog owners would enjoy walking their dogs ten fold if they only knew and implemented proper leash techniques when doing so.
The purpose of the leash while walking with your dog is to allow you the owner to have constant control over your dog, it is not to sentence your dog to a dull dull walk! Allowing your dog to venture into the boulevard for a sniff, or venturing off course to be lavished with affection by passersby, is simply your dog being a dog
I understand that typically it’s merely a case of the public just not knowing any better; however, taking the time to discover the right way to use the most frequent dog product ever produced would help to know end, the connection, and overall ambiance between dog and master.
Common Mistake
Letting your puppy pull you around, is just teaching him/her that having a taught leash is cool and you do not mind being jerked from 1 place to another. The biggest fault with the educated leash scenario, is the owner tends to pull back when the dog pulls, thus encouraging the dog to pull thus initiating a tug of war that the dog usually wins.
Solution
The dog must understand that you’re responsible for the situation and they are not. By keeping a slack leash while walking with your dog, you are giving yourself that extra foot of leash, in addition to an extra second to react to a dog’s incessant forward lunges.
Technique
Pulling dog
First of all you the owner need to know the correct way to manage your dog’s leash. Always make certain that your leash arm isn’t straight but bent. By doing this, you are not putting stress on your arm, and You’re giving yourself an arm length of leash to use when responding to undesirable actions from your dog:
- When your dog lunges forward from a loose leash into a tight leash, he/she will experience a level of discomfort. This in itself, could be enough to discourage the behavior.
- If your dog continues to pull, this is where the bent arm concept comes in:
The third option is to straighten your arm while walking and turning in the opposite direction. Using this method you’re providing a loose leash, to a hard correction, that is ongoing and only stops when the dog complies with you.
The idea behind this strategy is to make an effort to communicate to the dog that this type of behavior is unacceptable and you the owner will not tolerate it. You the owner want your dog to make the association between lunging forward, and the resulting distress that accompanies that act. If appropriate leash technique is used correctly and consistently, one can put a stop to incessant pulling of any kind whether it be pulling forward, or pulling sideways. By doing this you are only strengthening the dog’s understanding that good behavior results in good results. By relaying the message to your dog that unwanted activity will lead to discomfort, whilst compliance will result in a good outcome, walking your dog will soon become a joy not a chore. Captain Ellis, He’s our Hero, Gonna Take Pollution down to ZERO!
