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Dog training - a week on a lead
What on earth is a week on a lead?
WELL. Do you have a dog or puppy who struggles with listening to you, recall, relaxing, stealing things in the house, counter surfing, reactivity, barking, learning skills, toilet training, hyperactivity around guests and other common difficulties?
If you can answer YES! to any of those then I have a fun solution to help – you, your dog and a week on the lead!
It does what it says on the tin – whenever you and your dog are awake and together you are attached by a lead. I’d recommend using a comfy harness for your dog and attaching the lead to your waist so that your hands are free.
So many of the things that owners and dogs struggle with are born out of a lack of supervision and owners will often say “I just can’t supervise my dog 24/7”. Well now you can!
The connection allows you to spot undesirable behaviour BEFORE it happens and so ask your dog for something that you DO want instead. It also means you can REWARD good behaviour and choices right there and then and reinforce these so that they happen again and again.
Let’s look at some examples!
Example One: Puppy keeps peeing in the house
Lead Solution: Having pup attached means you won’t miss those tell-tale signs such as sniffing the floor, turning in circles pacing and you can lead them outside to pee
Example Two: Your hyper dog makes the choice to settle down at your feet.
Lead Solution: Fab! Let’s reward that good choice and take a piece of food from the treat pouch that I know you’re wearing (*wink*) and place it on the floor next to them
Example Three: Your dog can’t focus on you when they’re off lead and won’t come in close when it’s time to leave the park
Lead Solution: Every time your dog gives you eye contact (of their own choosing) praise them and give them a piece of their daily food allowance for making such a good choice. What we are doing is reinforcing focus and being close to us – winner!
You get the idea – having that close connection allows us to really super charge those great things that our dogs do and that we want them to do even more of! It also allows us to spot potential pesky behaviours and intervene.
Give it a try and let me know how you get on! Post your videos of “A week on a lead” in the Pesky Pooch Training Support Group before Sunday 2nd February, 2020 and I’ll review them for you and give you some pointers!
Speak soon,
Holly x
