How to Walk a Dog

Video Transcript

"Hi I'm Jim Leske, animal trainer with Expert Village. Today we're talking about basic animal training. Many people when they get a dog, when they take their dog for a walk it's a little bit like being dragged behind a tow truck when they go for that walk, so today we're talking about loose leash walking. There are several ways to address this problem, the first one is called lure and reward. I want Bear to follow my treat right here. With this treat I can get him to go just about any place I want him to go and I'm going to do it all. The leash is just here for safety, I'm not using the leash as a steering bar or handle bars or a steering wheel or anything like that. So with that treat, now I want Bear to walk right by my side almost in the heel position so that's where I'm going to put the cookie. I'm not going to put the cookie up here because he already knows how to jump and I don't need to teach him that. I'm not going to put the cookie way out here because then I'm going to trip over him. Remember, the dog is going to go wherever you put the cookie so if I want Bear to walk in a real nice side by side with me, I'm going to put the cookie right here. Notice the slack in the leash at all times, Bear, let's walk, very good boy, very good boy, very good walk, very good boy. Walk. Very Good. Lots of verbal praise, good walk, very good walk, very good walk, very good walk, very good walk, good boy, and that's part of loose leash walking. The other part of that is that when they do pull, if you will stop, he's pulling right now so I'm going to stop, it's called become a tree. If you're a tree you can't make eye contact, you can't talk and you can't move, you can't touch the dog and so once I do that I shut up, the attention reverts back to me, Bear, let's walk, and good boy, very very very good. I'm Jim Leske, that's loose leash walking."