How engaging with your dog on walks improves recall and lead walking

In the last blog, we looked at some of the reasons why dogs pull on the lead.  These range from excitement and frustration to fear or anxiety, and in some cases, a lack of clarity about what we expect from them. Also, dogs often have a history of being reinforced for pulling, making this their default behaviour.

In this blog, I want to talk about something that can make a huge difference to both loose lead walking and recall: engaging with your dog while you are out on walks.

Are you someone who spends the whole walk pulling your dog back and saying “no”? Or are you someone who unclips the lead at the park and lets your dog do their own thing?

If so, there is so much you can do to build engagement and make your dog want to spend time with you—rather than pulling you down the road or running off to every dog they see.

There are many simple ways to build engagement. For example, creating a strong habit of reinforcing voluntary eye contact with your dog can massively improve your lead walking. You can also create what we call a “hot spot”, so that every time your dog gets a treat, it’s delivered right by your side. Over time, this builds real value in being close to you.

When your dog is off lead, you can play fun games to make being with you just as exciting as anything else in the environment. This might include food “find it” games, using natural agility in the woods, or teaching a hand touch when they come back to you. And don’t forget, sending them back off to play after they check in with you is incredibly reinforcing.

So often, I see dogs giving their owners the run-around when it’s time to go home. The dog has learned that being called means the fun is about to end, so they stay just out of reach. I’ve seen people spend a long time trying to catch their dog at the end of a walk!

By engaging with your dog throughout the walk, you avoid becoming predictable. Instead of your dog being suspicious when you call their name, they’re already used to checking in with you regularly, making it much easier to get the lead back without a palava.

It can also really help to build something positive that happens after the walk, so your dog has something to look forward to when the park fun ends.  This could a special chew in the car on the way home, or a fun foraging activity when they get back home.

If you would like some simple, effective engagement games to try on your walks, click here.

If you would like help with training, give me a call on 0744 3038255 or book a training session here.