Walking with distractions...

As we head into winter our walks may become a little more distracting. Squirrels are foraging for food, leaves are falling and this cold weather makes us furry creatures more frisky and alert. If you're having issues keeping your pups attention, or loose leash walking I have a few pointers that may help.

1. Practice loose leash walking inside your house. Yep, inside. Dogs don't naturally generalize. If we practice inside with less distractions we are able to hold our dogs attention for longer. Use lots of praise for good walking manners, and when she pulls the leash....stop. Wait for her to look back at you, sit or give some slack to the leash. Praise and continue....
   
   
2. Move to the deck or backyard and repeat step one. We have added a few distractions, but not enough to completely loose our furry friends attention. Make sure to praise the good behavior! It is easier to show the dog what we want by praising, than to correct. They want to please us...they love the attention and praise!
   
   
3. If we are consistent working and coaching steps one and two we should see some improvements...keep going, it's working! Practice makes perfect. Be patient and most of all have fun.

I hope everyone enjoyed the snow this morning...our pack sure did!

have a great weekend!

a tired dog is a happy dog...
mike