Walking your dog on a loose lead

To be able to walk your dog on a slack lead makes the walk a pleasant one for you and your dog. So even before you charge out of the door, ensure your set up is correct.

Once you get your set-up right, you can practice the ‘mechanics’ easier! Holding the end of the lead against your belly-button helps keep the lead slack and gives you more opportunity to reward the dog for that loose lead. If it’s always tight, how can you inform the dog what it is you want? The hand nearest the dog rewards the dog on the move. When the lead is slack, use a word like ‘good’ and reach in and feed your dog on the move.

It is a little tricky initially, which is why you need to get the set-up correct and perhaps even practice without the dog. If the dog pulls? Stand still and ‘knuckles to buckles’! Hold the end of the lead against your belt-buckle area. The consequence is he stops moving forward. Soon he will step back and slacken the lead and you can continue.

Make loose lead walking rewarding for your dog and enjoy those walks again! WATCH THE STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO BELOW...