Dog Training: The No. 1 Key
“Cooper, stop pulling!” my friend Josh yelled at his dog.
He gave the leash a yank – which stopped Cooper for about two seconds before he began pulling again.
“Why are you yanking his leash?” I asked.
Josh gave me a “duh” look. “To make him stop pulling!”
I nodded my head toward Cooper, who was straining at the leash a good six feet from Josh. “And how’s that working for you?”
Here’s the thing:
Pulling on the leash is one of the top behaviors people complain about, and it often lands the dog in a shelter. We may think it’s cute or just frisky behavior when our dogs are little. Then they grow to weigh 50 or more pounds, and suddenly it’s not only irritating, it’s painful and potentially dangerous. (I won’t even get into the humiliation of being dragged several feet face down through the mud … not that I would know anything about that …)
“So what am I supposed to do?” Josh asked. “I don’t have time to take him to training classes.”
I shrugged. “You don’t have to. You can get Cooper to stop pulling on the leash within 5 minutes.”
Josh didn’t believe me. You probably don’t either.
“What’s the secret?” Josh asked me. “What do I need to do?”
I gave him the answer: NOTHING.
Because you don’t need to do anything. In fact, you shouldn’t. Every time you take a step and your dog charges forward, pulling the leash taut, STOP. Don’t move, don’t say anything, don’t even look at him. Don’t do anything … until the leash goes slack.
Josh’s response was: “We’ll be standing here forever!”
“No, we won’t,” I said. “You just need to have patience. And trust me, we’re a more patient species than dogs. If pulling doesn’t get him what he wants – to go forward – he’ll stop pulling.”
“Here,” I said, digging into my pocket for some chicken treats. “Have these ready in your hand. The second that leash goes slack, praise him and reward him. ”
“I have some of his breakfast kibble with me,” Josh said.
I made a face. “What would motivate you? A piece of toasted white bread … or a cheese omelet with hash browns on the side?”
Josh took the point – and he took the treats from me.
We watched Cooper, waiting for that magical second when the leash would go slack, and he would stop pulling forward. I didn’t check my watch, but I’ll bet good money it didn’t take more than 30 seconds.
“Good boy, Cooper!” Josh said, rewarding him right away with a treat.
“Now what?” he asked me.
“Now we keep walking,” I said. “But as soon as he begins pulling – and it’ll probably be right away – you have to stop and wait.”
And that’s when it occurred to me: More than any other skill in dog training – if you can call it a skill – there is nothing more valuable than the ability to wait it out.
Just wait – and do nothing. Let your dog figure it out.
I see people all the time walking their dogs and jerking on a flat or choke collar to bring their dog back to their side. I don’t know how shocked you’ll be when I tell you I used to be one of them. But that was years ago, and I’ve since experienced first-hand with dozens of dogs how quickly you can train them to walk at your side simply by waiting it out, and rewarding the dog with a treat when he decides to come back to your side.
Just remember to be patient. You can’t rush that “ah-ha” moment. Give it time and your dog will get it. I haven’t met the dog yet who hasn’t.
Does your dog walk nicely on a leash? Let us know by posting your comments below.
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