Boosting your dog’s obedience during walks, whether you aim to teach them to come back to you off leash or to walk well beside you, is a priority for most dog owners. Ensuring that your dog stays engaged with you is key to achieving this goal.
To have an obedient dog during walks, you must become the most captivating thing in their surroundings. This entails avoiding any distractions, such as phones or other human-centered activities. Instead, focus on giving praise and maintaining regular eye contact with your dog. Additionally, using high-value rewards specifically outdoors is crucial. Ordinary training treats or kibble won’t suffice in this case.
Begin by stepping out into less stimulating environments, like your yard or driveway, along with your furry companion. Practice rewarding eye contact and actively engage with your dog in this setting. Dogs naturally gravitate towards interesting things and shy away from uninteresting ones.
In bustling surroundings where there are numerous new stimuli, such as sights, smells, and sounds, it is vital to make yourself more captivating to your dog than anything else competing for their attention.
By staying actively involved with your dog, you capture their focus and make it nearly impossible for anything else to distract them. Whether your aim is to avoid common loose leash walking mistakes or enhance your dog’s recall, try setting aside your phone and instead praise and reward your dog for establishing eye contact.
Doing so may elevate the enjoyment for both you and your faithful companion during your daily strolls!
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Your article was very educational and I appreciate it.
Excellent!
I have an Akita that is a Service Dog and she is great when she is working. On breaks to relieve herself she is often distracted and I want to give her a chance to “be a dog”, but the balance is sometimes challenging especially when I am inconsistent. She is well trained and will pay attention, but it is hard when other dogs just start barking at her because of her imposing presence.
I use don’t respond and and put my dogs attention back on me sometimes I just turn him in the opposite direction or I use the watch me command after awhile he does not even look when they are barking
I have to say, a subtitle could be “Teach your Owner to pay Attention to You during Walks” – every time I see a dog on end of leash with owner on cell phone, instead of enjoying 1 on 1 outdoor time together, I want to cry. A walk for a dog is the happiest time for the dog, and an owner on a cell phone, just ain’t there.
You’re absolutely right !!
thank you for the very important reminder. Sometimes we forget that ALL DAY LONG they are sitting home waiting for us to be with them.
Sometimes, I’m guilty, and then feel worse when I get reminders like this. So, Fixing the problem is the only answer. How would I feel if I were left home alone all day – great thought, thank you
I have a Sheepadoodle he’s almost 17 months old now we have been in class training so he will become my service dog. We started when he was only 8 months old , he’s a fantastic dog, when not in school he follows me every where, and he’s a good listener, were very close to getting certified. but the
eye contact I do need to work on , and your short
info will be great help thank you!
Great article. I am often on my phone during our walks . Ill make sure to give her my full attention now.