Preparing for a dog walk

23 Jan | Posted by Holly Keeling | 2 comments | children, dog, running off, walk

Today I had a successful walk with my dog, baby and 3yr old son. By successful I mean that we had some fun and everyone stayed safe. Before the walk I explained to my three year old that if he wanted freedom to run around and explore in the woods he had to make sure he could see me at all times and stay close. On the walk I praised him when he stopped and waited for me, unprompted, especially when he probably wouldn’t have normally. If I felt he was getting a little too far away I would call him, before it was too late and he was out of sight or couldn’t hear me. Then guess what? He loved the praise so much he kept on waiting more and more and was happily letting me know.

If he runs away he has to hold my hand so there are consequences and, depending on the situation, we may even go home. From his ‘running-off-at-the-sight-of-everything’ two year old to this feels like quite the accomplishment.

So how about dogs? You can’t explain consequences to a dog so you need to teach them what you expect of them in small, frequent sessions. With my dog, from a young age I set her up for a successful walk by teaching her to wait patiently out of the house, into and out of the car and even when the lead is taken off. It’s not because i want ‘teach her who’s boss’ or ‘put her in her place’ its because I want to encourage calm and self control. Dogs that are over excited or overwhelmed are a recipe for disaster. That’s when your going to get antisocial behaviours like barking, jumping up, chasing, rough play and reactivity. On walks I also praise my dog for looking at and coming to me unprompted (checking in) so she’s more likely to repeat the behaviour again in future.

In short, set yourselves up for success by letting your kids and dogs know what you would like them to do before embarking on walks. Take the time to teach them in short sessions and be patient.
About the author: Holly Keeling. Dog Trainer in Sussex, England. Mother to furrbaby Leskie 5yrs and little humans Teddy 3yrs and Louie 1yr. Outdoor lover. A blog about raising kids and dogs and my life as a dog trainer.