Leading the way on dog walks

Zara Lenahan from More Than Sit Dog Training has some top tips to make walkies for you & doggo more enjoyable

Now we can start enjoying warmer, sunnier weather again – hurrah!

Here are my top three buys for better dog walks: 

A sturdy harness

Increasingly more dog owners are moving away from attaching their dog’s lead to the collar for walks and are choosing to use a harness instead, with good reason: it spreads any pulling force more safely across the dog’s chest, instead of around the neck where the delicate windpipe, neck vertebrae and thyroid are.

Contrary to some arguments, a harness won’t teach your dog to pull but will allow for more comfortable walks, so helping your dog engage their thinking brain better. Of all the styles available, I recommend Y-shaped ones. These are usually the easiest to put on and also leave the shoulder blades open, allowing for full freedom of movement of the forelegs. 

A fixed-length lead

Although a normal lead will do, I like a 2-metre lead, ideally with clips at both ends, which you can alter the length of according to where you are and what you are doing with doggo. You can still be consistent in teaching loose lead walking as the feedback through the harness will be the same whatever length you choose.

I avoid retractable leads, which rely on tension to work and encourage dogs to pull for the chance to get more length. 

A treat pouch

Not only will this save your pockets from greasy doggy treat crumbs, but a readily accessible treat pouch makes delivering timely food rewards easier too.

Reward any behaviours that you want to see more of on walk: when your dog automatically checks-in with you, walks nicely on a loose lead or doesn’t chase after that overly bold squirrel. Any behaviour that gets rewarded will be repeated so pay up for the stuff you want and enjoy the connection and freedom this brings you. 

More from Zara at morethansit.co.uk