We tend to say: "I taught my dog to sit, lie down or jump." In reality, the dog already knew how to do it — what we did was give the action a name and encourage them to do it when we ask. But there are two behaviours with no natural basis that we genuinely do need to teach: walking on a lead and being left alone.
Learning these behaviours requires a complete absence of fear — precisely because they are not natural, they can in themselves generate fear. There is a high percentage of dogs with serious behavioural problems when walking on a lead, problems that do not occur when they walk off the lead.
When something frightens us, the body readies itself with extra energy to flee or fight. Held back by the lead, escape disappears and the options become limited: reactivity (trying to create distance) or aggression. Often the stress remains high after the event — for hours or days. Through classical conditioning, many dogs come to associate tension on the lead with high arousal or fear, and the walk starts off stressful from the very first moment — more excitement, more tension, more stress.
Tips for better walks:
Long leads give greater freedom of movement and capacity for communication. Prong or choke collars cause pain, increase fears and create negative associations — use comfortable collars or a chest harness.
Don't get the dog excited before leaving: pick up the lead and walk in silence.
Avoid times of excessive activity and sometimes seek out quieter areas.
The walk is not a transfer from A to B: discovering smells is highly stimulating. Encourage your dog to sniff freely — it helps them switch off from visually stimulating environments.
Include time off the lead, to run or interact with other dogs, whenever possible and safe.
Never force them to approach what frightens them; go around or avoid those situations. Your calm teaches them that almost nothing is dangerous.
If there is tension on the lead, stop; when the tension ends, carry on walking. Dogs pull "because they can" — when pulling stops working, they stop or reduce the intensity. The lead is a tool for training and safety, never for correction or punishment.
Finally, don't turn the walk into a military parade: the walk is there for the dog to engage with the world and meet physical, social and emotional needs. They don't need to walk at your side the whole time — when you do need to teach them to walk beside you, show them that doing so is very rewarding.
Author: Santi Jaime Vidal Guzman — Mas Que Guau
