Latest / The Puppy Training Podcast / Episode #245 One Minute to a Better Walk

Transcript

Episode #245 One Minute to a Better Walk · The Puppy Training Podcast

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Sometimes we tend to overcomplicate things.
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Today, I want to share with you one simple tip to make your walks with your dog better.
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: Welcome to the Puppy Training Podcast.
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: I'm Amy Jensen, founder of Baxter Bella, the online puppy school.
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: Here we are all about helping you create the best possible experience raising a puppy, from training tips to practical tricks, all aimed at fostering a happy, well-behaved dog who truly feels like part of the family.
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: So if you are ready to enjoy the journey and strengthen the bond with your dog, let's get started.
• 0:36
  Speaker 1: Hey everybody, thanks for being here.
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: Today.
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: We are talking leash walking, and I know this can be something that frustrates a lot of people, but it's also something that a lot of people want to be able to do with their dog.
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: I think we get a dog and we think, oh, I have to take it on a walk.
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: It's like this responsibility I feel inside of me to do, and so we put a lot of pressure on ourselves that we can do this.
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: We can do it well, and there's a lot of work involved in leash walking, but today I'm going to try to just offer you one tip that will help your walks go more smoothly.
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: Now, before we dive in, I just want to remind you that we do have classes and courses being taught live via Zoom at Baxter and Bella.
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: So I know it's back to school time.
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: If you need something added into your routine or schedule and you have a little more time because kids are back at school now, please check out our classes and courses.
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: We offer six-week basic puppy kindergarten.
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: We offer six weeks of intermediate training.
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: We offer an AKC Canine Good Citizen prep course so that you can go and test your dog for their CGC.
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: We offer tips and tricks and we talk about leash walking.
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: We have an entire class on leash walking.
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: So if you're just getting started with a brand new puppy, today's tip is not really for you.
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: This is going to be once your dog is out and able to walk on a leash.
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: But if you need help getting started, definitely head over to our classes and courses page to check out our leash walking class.
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: That'll get you up to speed and and then this tip will absolutely be helpful.
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: All right, we also have classes that you guys on biting, jumping, reactivity, resource guarding any dog topic you can think of.
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: Really, we have created a class for that to educate you on how to handle that and to get your dog behaving better.
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: Okay, so leash walking Now.
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: Leash walking is one of those things that takes a lot of time.
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: It takes a lot of patience and persistence.
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: This is not something that just happens.
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: This is something that our dog learns how to do, just like a kid learns how to do math.
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: Right.
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: So they start out in elementary school and they don't even know what a number is.
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: We have to start there, and then we teach them how to combine the numbers with addition, subtraction, and then, you know, by high school, they're doing calculus, which is amazing.
• 2:47
  Speaker 1: Now, leash walking is that way.
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: Sometimes we get this puppy and we think, oh, I have to take it on a walk right away.
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: No, no, no, no.
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: First we have to teach it what is a leash, how to look at us, all of those things, and so I will teach you that in our leash walking class.
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: But today, if you already have a dog and you've done a lot of work on leash walking and it's still not going exactly as you would like, here's one tip that might help you out.
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: Okay, so the next time you grab the leash and head out the door, I don't want you to just rush outside.
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: Instead, pause, take one little break for one intentional minute of engagement exercises.
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: Now, what are engagement exercises exactly?
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: These are simply when your dog is tuned in and focused on you.
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: Now, before you leave the house, spend just one minute.
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: Even Two would be ideal.
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: One, okay, that's better than nothing, right?
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: One minute?
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: You guys practicing things like eye contact on me, a simple watch me or look at me, whatever your cue is.
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: Anytime your dog gives you eye contact as you're walking around the house, reward them.
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: So just a few of those.
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: Some hand touches we teach you how to do touch the touch cue in our program.
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: That's where you just pop out your hand and your dog nose bumps your palm with their nose.
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: That's a check-in, right.
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: We like that.
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: You could do a couple of easy things like sit down or spin.
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: Some tricks that are fun.
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: You're just getting your dog to respond to your cues.
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: We really want that to happen before you head out the door, right, you're kind of teaching them.
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: Hey, we're about to go on a walk, but before we do, I need us to be a team, I need us to work together.
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: Even a short recall, right, calling them from a few steps away.
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: They come to you.
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: Reward them, move a few steps away, repeat that process.
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: So again, one to two minutes is all.
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: You're just getting your dog to check in with you by doing simple exercises that they already know.
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: They're easy for them and you're rewarding them for working together with you as a team.
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: These little games get your dog's brain warmed up and remind them hey, walks are a team activity.
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: You and I are in this together before you head out the door.
• 4:52
  Speaker 1: Now why does this work, you might be wondering.
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: Can a single minute really make a difference?
• 4:56
  Speaker 1: Yes, I really think it can.
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: And here's why, when we clip on the leash, our dogs already know what's coming right.
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: They love patterns, so they see the leash and they are excited.
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: And that excitement can lead to pulling, lunging or ignoring us the second the door opens.
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: But if we pause and we build engagement first, we can prevent pulling before it starts.
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: We can teach our dogs to check in with us, not just the environment.
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: We set the tone for the entire walk and it strengthens our bond because they're practicing working with us instead of rushing ahead.
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: Now a note on that.
• 5:32
  Speaker 1: If your dog does just rush out the door, my question to you is are you following them.
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: If your dog is rushing out the door and you're rushing out with them, your dog is learning that rushing out the door works, so we can talk about that too.
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: That's probably a whole nother podcast on how to get your dog to wait at the door and to patiently exit, but just be aware of okay, what am I actually rewarding?
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: Because if things are continuing to happen, if your dog continues to pull on the leash, then something that's going on in your leash walking is working for your dog.
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: Okay, something to think about.
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: Now.
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: This is like a warm-up before a workout.
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: Athletes don't just sprint out the door.
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: They prepare their bodies and their minds.
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: Our dogs need that too.
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: There are a few common mistakes that we can make as handlers.
• 6:18
  Speaker 1: So let's be honest.
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: Sometimes we are in a rush.
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: We just want to get out the door, but skipping this step often leads to frustration on the walk.
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: Some handlers also ask too much too soon from their puppies.
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: So keep it short and fun.
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: Don't try to squeeze in a full training session.
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: Just one or two little games is enough.
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: As these engagement exercises, you don't need to stretch this out too long.
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: We want your dog to enjoy it and to like it right.
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: Also, on that note, keep the walks short and fun.
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: Sometimes we stretch them out too long.
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: Maybe we're halfway around the block and that's where our puppy's attention span ends, right, especially if you have a younger dog.
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: Their attention span grows over time as they mature.
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: So if you're starting too long of walks too soon, it's going to be an uphill battle and we don't want power struggles on walks.
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: So also, remember, use rewards.
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: You guys Treats, praise, play, make checking in with you worthwhile.
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: Engagement doesn't happen magically.
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: If you take your dog out into the world and they see a butterfly or a squirrel or a lizard, you guys know all of the things, right, you're like, yep, I know, I know what my dog loves.
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: Then we're competing with all of that.
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: We've got to have something that makes us interesting as well.
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: Right, and we teach that inside, in a non-distracting environment these check-ins before we ever head outside, because it's way harder for a dog to pay attention outside than it is inside.
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: So, yeah, it just doesn't happen magically.
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: This is work that you guys have put in before.
• 7:45
  Speaker 1: You started outdoor leash walking and we teach you all about that in our class that I mentioned at the beginning.
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: So this is something.
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: Check-ins are something that we build through positive reinforcement and repetitions.
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: Now, what if my dog is too excited to focus?
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: You say that's a great question and I hear it often.
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: Some dogs, especially puppies or high-energy breeds, can hardly sit still when they know a walk is coming.
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: They are so excited.
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: If that's your pup, we want to again start inside Practice engagement in the living room.
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: Before you even pick up the leash, you can use high-value food, rewards, something extra special and keep it super short.
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: Even one successful watch me or look at me as a win.
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: Adding movement helps too.
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: Sometimes it's hard for our dogs to sit still right.
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: We know they have a lot of energy and they just need to move.
• 8:27
  Speaker 1: That's where some of those spins comes into play.
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: Or tricks right High fives, shake touch my hand, right the little touches or the recall practice.
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: That's a great way to get a dog who needs to move.
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: Because they're so excited they can move as they check in with you, which is great.
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: It's very productive, all right, so here's your challenge for the week.
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: Next time you're ready for a walk, I want you to clip on the leash If your dog is too excited when they see the leash.
• 8:52
  Speaker 1: I want you to work on that as an exercise.
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: Can they sit, or can they collect a food reward off the floor, a little food scatter while you clip their leash on?
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: And then we set up this pattern, this future pattern of oh, I'm calm when the leash goes on right.
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: So clip that leash on Before you touch the doorknob.
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: I want you to set a timer for one minute.
• 9:10
  Speaker 1: I want you to do a few engagement exercises, like we discussed, and then head out the door and see if there's a difference.
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: Exercises like we discussed, and then head out the door and see if there's a difference.
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: Over time and with repetition, I think you'll be surprised at how much calmer and more connected your dog feels, right from the start.
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: All right, you guys.
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: Thanks for listening.
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: Remember, training doesn't have to take hours.
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: Sometimes it's just these small habits make the biggest difference.
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: Just one intentional minute here or there before your walk can prevent pulling, builds connection and it makes walks so much more enjoyable for both you and your dog.
• 9:40
  Speaker 1: So give it a try this week.
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: One minute to a better walk, let's see how it goes.
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: Thanks for tuning in.
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: I hope you have a great rest of your week and happy training.
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: Thanks for tuning in to the Puppy Training Podcast.
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: I hope today's tips help you feel more confident and excited about raising your dog.
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: Remember, with a little patience and consistency, you can create a loving bond and a well-behaved pup who's a joy to have in your family.
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe, leave a review and share it with fellow puppy parents.
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: For more resources, visit Baxter and Bella online.
• 10:15
  Speaker 1: Until next time, happy training.