What do you gotta do BEFORE you walk your dog? You put on your shoes, leash up, and head out the door, right? In Part 1 of this Best Dog Walks EVER series, I mentioned, among other things, the need for a good harness, mentally preparing for what you might encounter on your walk, and having plenty of food treats and a squeaky toy. But that’s not all…
Once you have everything packed, you’re still not ready to head down the sidewalk. Why? You’ve got some work to do to get your puppy fully engaged with you. After all you’re going to run into distractions, SQUIRREL!!!, and you’ll want to be able to recapture your dog’s attention immediately. So build up your pup’s attention skills! Here’s how….
1. Practice Getting your dog’s attention. You can watch this short video of me getting Atlas’s attention Go ahead and watch it. I’ll wait for you to catch up. No, I promise…I’m not going anywhere…
Did you get it? Good! Now practice these games with your dog a few times at home before your walk. (Ahem…NO cheating! or pulling the leash, people. Puhleeeease!)
2. Plant treats in the yard right outside the door. Sneak outside without your dog, and place a few treats around the yard. Then play the Find It Game. This helps your pup focus! A minute or two of nose games helps engage a dog’s brain and help calm them down. You can throw in a few Attention Games too.
Now that your dog’s attention is on you, you can start down the sidewalk. One other thing…Please, Please, Please, stay off the cell phone and pay attention to your dog. Enjoy your time together outside.
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