Why would you put leashes on your dogs when you’re taking them from one fenced-in yard to another fenced-in area?
Here’s my counter-question: Why would you try to take your dogs for a walk around the block, where you can’t be sure what you’ll encounter and you haven’t practiced your skills in a safe place?
Pretend Games to Polish Leash Skills
I like to call these training exercises “pretend games.” I’ve taught my dogs the individual skills they need to walk nicely on loose leashes with me. Now, we “pretend” we’re going for a walk out in the great unknown! But we’re not. We’re practicing in a safe area.
Pretend Games are Not “Just the Basics”
We’re not practicing only basic leash skills! You’ll see recalls, attaching leashes, and waiting at the gate as well as walking in partnership. These are all leash skills too! You need these behaviors when you’re out in the world with your dogs.
Good Training Can Be Boring to Watch!
I’ll warn you now: The video below is not exciting. Good training, like any learning, requires consolidating information into the learner’s brain. It should be a little boring, externally. Good training should look slow and smooth because we work at the level the dogs are ready for.
In the case of my dogs, we have trained leash skills with each dog individually to get all the details correct. All three of us have practiced together to make sure we have the necessary skills to walk together as a group. We all fully understand our roles and responsibilities!
Dogs are Learning All the Time – You’re Training All the Time!
I maintain the dogs’ leash skills by performing the same routine behaviors every time we walk together, whether it’s in the back yard, the front yard, or out on the sidewalk. That’s how I know what to expect when we go to the vet, walk on a trail or at the beach, or go on an overnight trip where we stay in a hotel. “Pretend games” help you build solid behaviors you can count on.
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