What To Do If The Dog Does Not Want To Run During Leash Training?
You’re out for a walk and suddenly your furry friend refuses to take another step. Has this happened to you before? Today we would like to tell you about leash training.
When leash training is a technique that you can help to enjoy the walks with Fifi and Co. more.
Why doesn’t my dog want to run during leash training?
It can be quite frustrating when your dog refuses to keep walking. Usually then we start pulling on the leash and we get more and more nervous as we do so.
There are many reasons why our dog stops when we go for a walk with him.
The most common causes include the following:
- He feels stress or fear.
- The dog has not learned how to properly walk on a leash.
- He can easily be distracted from the environment.
- There may also be times when he feels a pain that makes it impossible for him to move on.
- This refusal can also occur in a puppy or an older dog.
Sometimes it is not so easy to find out why our furry friend no longer wants to run. Solving some of these problems also requires an experienced expert.
What is leash training about?
Often times, the problem is with the relationship our dog builds on the leash. In order for him to accept it and see it as an extension of our arm, it is necessary that he familiarize himself with this foreign object before it goes for the walk.
Leash training consists of doing various activities to build our dog’s confidence on the leash. The first step starts at home: we let our dog discover the leash and sniff it.
To enhance the experience, we can also hide the leash a bit and reward our fur nose if it finds it.
Above all, it is important here that we humans do not lose patience. When we have mastered the first step, we can put the leash on him step by step. We can also reward our four-legged friend if this seems necessary to us.
If we have got this far, but our dog still does not want to walk on a leash, we have to continue the leash training during the walk. Above all, we are not allowed to yell at him or pull the leash.
It is imperative that we remain patient and walk slowly ourselves. Should the dog follow us, we will use the concept of positive reinforcement and reward him for his obedience.
Often the reason for refusal is due to a lack of education. In such cases, success is often achieved by taking an experienced “lead dog” with you on the walk.
What to do if the dog is scared or sick?
In such situations, it is best to see a professional ethologist. This expert in animal behavior supports us and our furry friends in overcoming the fears that paralyze them.
If we notice that our four-legged friend feels pain while walking or if it is an older animal, then we should visit our trusted vet more often.
It is our responsibility to do everything humanly possible so that our animals are healthy and happy.
