Principles of Leash Walking

Going on a walk isn’t as simple as putting a leash on your dog and going outside. Walking in a straight line is not a natural thing for a dog to do, walking in a straight line WITH A LEASH ON is even more unnatural.

Walking while being engaged with you is an essential skill all dogs must learn in order to have successful and stress-free walks with you. If they are more focused on you, then they are less focused on distractions.

Helping your dog understand the rules of the leash is one thing, teaching the human the rules of the leash is a completely different story. We’re not pulling or yanking them around, we are providing them with subtle tactile cues to help them through highly distracting and overstimulating situations.
Instead of thinking of the leash as a means of CONTROLLING your dog, think of it as a tool that is used to COMMUNICATE with your dog.