A dog trainer says this ‘one simple change’ will make walks much less stressful (Image: Oscar Wong via Getty Images)
Does taking your dog for a walk sometimes prove challenging? If so, a dog trainer may have the perfect solution – and it only requires one straightforward adjustment and three minutes of daily effort.
Lisa Burton, who established Listen Dog Training and frequently shares canine advice and techniques on TikTok, insists that following her guidance will result in noticeable improvements in your pet’s conduct. “One of the most common problem behaviours I receive training requests for is to teach dogs to walk nicely on a loose lead,” she began.
“So I’m going to show you my top hack, which will take no more than three minutes a day to implement and involves absolutely no yanking, choking or shouting at your dog and I promise if you make this simple routine a non-negotiable part of your daily dog walk, you will see noticeable results.”
Lisa continued by revealing that there are typically two issues that cause your dog to be “straining at the end of their lead like a maniac” – the first being their enthusiasm about their environment.
“They become deaf and dumb to the human tied to them because they are so desperate to forge ahead and find gratification out there,” she said.
Meanwhile, the second reason behind such conduct is the excitement of an impending walk. Lisa continued: “Putting your shoes on, the lead coming out and stepping over the threshold has sent their arousal and excitement levels spiraling through the roof – and an overexcited, over-eager and highly-distracted dog is never going to walk calmly on a loose lead by your side.”
So, what’s the solution? Lisa explained that the secret lies in “tackle the problem at the source” right as each walk commences.
“Instead of throwing open the door and allowing your dog to drag you towards the street, the first thing you do once the lead is on is you’re going to ask your dog for a really basic behaviour they already know, such as a ‘sit’ or a ‘down’ – before you open the door,” she advised.
After your pet has accomplished this, Lisa suggests dedicating three to five minutes to “re-engaging your dog’s ability to think and their connection with you”.
To achieve this, she recommends asking your dog to perform another simple behaviour request once you’ve stepped outside, followed by spending roughly a minute on several brief engagement exercises to guarantee they’re “fully connected” to you before you begin your walk.
“The first time you do this, you may find you have your dog’s attention for all of 30 seconds,” Lisa cautioned. Nevertheless, to ensure this method delivers a “long-term, game-changing effect”, she emphasised that the engagement routine must be “non-negotiable”.
Lisa continued: “Dogs are master predictors, so once this calm and attentive period of focus becomes attached and associated with the beginning of your walk, you will find it becomes easier and easier to engage with a calm and connected dog as you leave the house, and you may even see them offer this kind of behaviour themselves.”
As engaging with your dog during the opening minutes of a walk becomes more straightforward over time, Lisa advised gradually extending the duration in which you give cues and request engagement as you head off. “Sometimes I’ll keep stopping and ask for a ‘sit’ and do a little bit of luring until we are halfway down the street,” she added. “That way, they can still engage with us even when they’re in that big, exciting environment.”
To conclude, Lisa revealed that the longer you persevere with this approach, the more frequently you’ll notice your dog offering “spontaneous check-ins” during walks, as they anticipate whether you’re about to interact with them. Away from walks, meanhwile, you can further enhance your pet’s conduct by introducing fresh commands such as ‘spin’, ‘give paw’ or ‘nose touch’.
“You can then integrate these into your routine down the line,” Lisa said. “The greater variety of cues you both have, the more varied it is for your dog and the more focus the will have to give you in terms of how they will get their next reward.”