Bandit's Buddies

Are you a leash popper?

2023-10-09T15:45:00.002-04:00

Are you a leash popper? Do you yank and crank? Guess what? Your leash is not a steering wheel or a switch, it’s merely a safety belt!

Leash Corrections Don’t Teach Dogs Anything! When you leash pop, you’re not really teaching your dog anything at all. Leash corrections are waiting for the dog to get it wrong.

Look at it this way: You have a child and you want them to learn to play piano. You could introduce them to a piano as something fun, encourage them and reward progress or you can force them to play and deliver a painful shock or slap them or yell at them every time they hit the wrong key. Will both methods work? Maybe……. But the punishment is crazy and cruel right? But, that's the method you're advocating for when you use leash corrections. The punishment method is also likely to make your child hate playing piano and it can cause dogs to avoid engaging with you or participating in training.

Punishing is more rewarding to the punish-er than the punished. That statement probably stings, but it’s true. Physical or verbal corrections destroy your relationship with your dog. I’ve witnessed how leash corrections ruined the bond between dog and owner so many times. I’ve seen a dog get a leash correction and then totally give up, walk off, lay down or refuse to pay attention any longer. I have heard people say dogs “appreciate corrections because they’re done with love.” Yet, their dogs’ body language says otherwise.

All to often, people forget their dog is an animal that does not speak English and views the world differently than humans. Taking your frustrations out on your dog, who is not a human, is so unfair. Anything and everything that goes wrong during the learning process gets blamed on the dog – your dogs are animals; they do not speak English and they cannot read your mind!

Be a teacher: As a teacher, it’s your job to teach the learner. If the learner is confused, the teacher did something wrong! The next time you get frustrated during a walk or training session, take a moment to breathe deeply. Excuse yourself or hand the leash over to a friend, walk away, and compose yourself! It is your responsibility to be a great teacher.

First steps: If yanking the leash worked, you would only need to do it once or twice and it would work! Instead, teach your dog to focus on you! Reward your dog for looking at you, paying attention to you and for keeping the leash loose. Teach your dog to target your hand on a walk!

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Dress for Success

2021-05-16T11:54:00.003-04:00

DRESS FOR SUCCESS!

Written by: Becky Hall, Assistant Dog Trainer

My Best Buddy Dog Training

I'm sure you've all heard this term. Here's how it applies to dog training. We just started three new puppy classes and while talking to all the new people about socialization and how to do it, I started thinking about some of the things I always do to make socialization easier on me and more effective for the puppy. This goes for all training times, not just socialization.

Here's my tip: DRESS FOR SUCCESS! By this I mean that doing something as simple as dressing more effectively for puppy class, at home with your puppy, or when going on a socialization outing, can make a huge difference in your training. Since puppies nip and jump, and have sharp teeth and nails, even when it's hot weather, I always wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. When it's hot I just wear cooler versions! A must for me, ALWAYS, is wearing safe, enclosed shoes with good traction, such as sneakers with the laces double knotted, or well-fitting slide-on sneakers (like Vans) for times when my puppy is in the "shoe-lace-tugging" phase. Avoid wearing clothes with "flowy" hems or items that can be snagged.

It's so much easier to focus on working with your puppy when you aren't worrying about being nipped, scratched or losing your balance. And since puppies are easily distracted by just about everything, at least you can control what you are wearing and remove those distractions! So Dress for Success and see what a big difference it will make this week!

Note the handler (my husband Kirk Hall) has on long pants, long sleeved shirt, safe shoes and a training treat pouch filled with training treats, dog's shot records, poo bags. Back pack contains water and water bowl, extra food and a small blanket for Penny to settle on. He's ready to train!

Bandit's Buddies

Are you a leash popper?

Dress for Success

DRESS FOR SUCCESS!

Written by: Becky Hall, Assistant Dog Trainer

My Best Buddy Dog Training

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