If your dog tends to lunge and drag you toward every unseen scent you come across, walk them on a shorter leash until they have successfully got the idea of when they can and cannot stop along the way.
To shorten your leash when your dog is out in front of you, quicken your pace to bring your body up to their neck area while moving your leash across your body effectively restricting the amount of length they have to stretch.
This way you smoothly transition into a quicker pace and avoid the lunge without getting into a tug of war battle with your dog.
When off leash, dogs will be dogs and enjoy the updates left by all that have visited the area today so waiting on your behalf is to be expected. However, a quick sniff can be encouraged by moving on and leaving your dog to
catch up to you once it has satisfied its senses. If you are prepared to stop for five minutes, your dog is likely to be happy to take full advantage and will insist that this ritual be followed every time you visit an off leash area.
Paw point of the week:
Your walks are about giving your dog sensory experiences. However, you must provide your dog with boundaries on what is and is not acceptable.
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