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A new start for an unwanted dog

Loose Leash Walking

This is not by any means the only method I have for llw. In fact, it has very little to do with the lead at all. It is all about teaching a dog that the most reinforcing place to be is at your left side. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to rewrite it here and update it for clarity.

Again, this is not a heel, just loose lead. But once learned, it can easily be kicked up into a heel. It is also not something you just start outside on your walk. While you may very well be able to use it that way, I think it is more effective if you start small and build.
If this doesn't work, I have other methods up my sleeve.

Ok, here is what you do. I am assuming that at this time, your dog knows what the clicker means, so we're ready to move on.

If the dog gets overly excited when trying to attach the collar or lead, it would be best to spend several session on just that first. She him the collar, wait for calm, the click and reinforce. Put it on his neck, click when he is calm and treat. Gradually work up to putting it on and having him stay calm. This may take several sessions.

Next, work with the leash. Show it to him and wait for him to be calm, then click and treat. When he stays calm, start clipping it on him. Clip it on the wait for him to be calm and look at you, then click and treat. Again, this may take several sessions.

I don't start training on walks, I start in my kitchen or basement. Initially, you are not moving very mush, so you don't need a lot of room. And let's face facts, if you can't do this in the kitchen, where the dog knows food reinofrcers are all around, you will not be able to achieve loose leash outside where there are so many things to compete for your dogs attention.

Each step of this exercise should be practiced to 80-90% compliance, then proofed on different locations, gradually raising distractions. It's all about baby steps.

Now you are ready to move. Hold the leash in your right hand looped over you last three finger, the clicker in you right hand between your thumb and first finger and the treats in your left hand because you will be delivering them off your left leg. The reason for delivering them off the left leg is because this is where you want the dog to be. Dogs, like people, will return to the place of the greatest reinforcement.

Think of it this way, if I gave you a ten dollar bill everytime you stood on my left, 6-12 inches off my bodt, parrallel to me, where would you be spending a lot of time? Dogs are no different.

Now, move only one step only in either a sideways, back or diagonal direction. If your dog follows, just one step, or follows you with his eyes while remaining in place, click and treat of your left leg.

Over the next few sessions, move any direction but forward, one step and click and treat if he moves with you or looks at you.

Now you are ready for a few steps, so take two steps, again, avoiding forward and click and treat as soon as he takes two steps with you. He should be moving with you at this point. I find the hardest part is bending over quickly enough to be sure my dogs keep four on the floor. Do not click if he is on his hind legs, but if you do click ALWAYS treat. This is where you add a cue. This is not heel, so I use "Let's go".

Once you are ready to actually begin walking, I find it best to start out backwards. When you are walking forward, dogs have a tendancy to focus on what is ahead of them. When you walk backwards, they are walking towards you and you are their focus.

Now you can begin moving forward. This may take several days or weeks to get to this point. Take three steps, click treat, then go to 4 steps, click treat, then maybe 6 then 10, then...well...you get it.