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Aug/Sept, 2008 Who's walking who? - it's about Leadership
Watching a person walking their dog can say a lot about the relationship between them. Respect from the dog to the handler and respect from the handler to the dog is tangible to the trained eye. A good relationship is demonstrated when the dog eagerly followers their handler (pack leader) and the handler knows where the dog is at all times without looking at him. I have a leadership slogan I share with students whether they are training their dog to walk on leash, learning to lead a horse, or attending a leadership class:
"Leaders walk, Followers watch"
Basically, if you expect to be seen as a leader then you must behave as a leader. Leaders know where they are going and they do not have to look to see if they are being followed, they do not ask people to follow, they just walk in a direction with purpose at a determined pace. Followers will automatically follow the person with the confidence, commitment and purposeful walk - even if there is no real destination. A Leader does not ask to be followed, but they do have to communicate to their followers along the journey or they will lose them. After all, would you continue following someone if they ignored you for the duration of a journey? When walking with animals, either horses or dogs, the handler/leader needs to behave like a leader with confidence in focus and movement as well as communicate with their followers. Treat your dog like you would a person - don't ignore them and they will follow you to the ends of the earth.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ================================================================================================== June/July, 2008 3 Modes of Walking with your dog
Walking your dog should be an enjoyable exercise in which you and your dog walk together, not the dog leading you or you ahead of your dog. The most enjoyable walk is to have your dog walk at your pace beside you allowing you to have a conversation with him as you walk. If your dog is truly your friend, then talk to him just as you would if you walked with a friend. Dog's enjoy this time together and it helps strengthen the bond between you.
Their are 3 basic types of walks with your dog, Migration, Heeling, Relaxed.
The Migration is typical of a pack leader leading his pack on a hunting expedition or to a new den site. Their is motive to reach the destination and the leader moves at a fast pace. The pack keeps up and does not sniff or investigate along the way. Wolf packs, Dingo's, wild dogs all have this in common and the pack follows the leader eagerly with trust and conviction in their leader. Sometimes these wild packs cover 50 miles to find their prey or their new den site. When walking your dog for exercise or toward a destination (like the park), then you should be in migration mode. It does not matter what side your dog is on but it is important he doesn't get ahead of you - after all, as pack leader only you know where you are going. Migration is a fast walk or faster, do not adjust your speed to your dog. If you have a smaller dog then keep a pace that gets your dog into a jog. If the dog falls behind slightly no worries, but don't let him get behind so that there is tension on the lead. A command for this mode is 'walk with me'.
The Heeling walk is a working mode and should not be done for extended duration. When heeling your dog should be focused on you and exerting energy as he is in working mode. You as the handler should be exerting the same amount of energy during a heeling exercise. Heeling is about focus and energy - energy needs to pass from the dog to you and from you to the dog. Don't expect your dog to do all the work with little effort from you, you are responsible to return that energy. If performed properly, the dog and handler look like they're enjoying the exercise together and is very animated. Unless in competition, talk to your dog, reward him, and really enjoy this exercise ... but don't over do it. Heeling properly exerts a lot of energy and you can easily sour your dog from this exercise if you ask him to perform for extended durations. During heeling the dog should look at you at all times - no pee breaks and no distractions should break this. The common command for this mode is 'heel' or 'foss'.
The Relaxed mode of walking is what is most commonly seen in public. This is when the dog is allowed the length of the lead (usually 6 feet) but should not be allowed to pull - a little tension is acceptable. The dog is allowed to relieve himself, investigate smells and chase grasshoppers or meet other dogs if permitted, and may even 'lead' the handler gently in his direction as he lets his nose lead him. A common command for this is 'stay close' which, once perfected can be used when the dog is off lead to keep him close. The key is not to confuse your dog on walks - use the right command to let your dog know what is expected of him. It doesn't make sense to tell your dog to 'heel' on his daily walks with a loose lead and then you expect him to heel perfectly when in the competition ring. Always remember your dog is sensitive to your emotions and enjoys being with you. Dogs are a pack animal and his family's attention is very important to him. Talk to your dog as you would talk to a friend, with joy and happiness that they are with you - after all, one day they won't be there and all you have left are your memories. The most common comment from people who have lost a dog to sickness, accident or old age is that they wish they could have hugged them more or spent more quality time together when they had the chance.
Remember, your dog is your best friend, cherish the time you have together and make joyful memories that you can keep forever. |