Structured Walks

 Here is my article on Structured Walks.

Do your daily dog walks consist of your dog pulling on the leash, barking or whining, lunging at other dogs or humans, or just basically ignoring you? 

Dogs are meant to be with us as a companion, and to help lower our blood pressure - not raise it.  Here are a few tips and helpful ideas to make your walks much more pleasant. 

INTRODUCTION

If the human doesn’t take the leadership position in the relationship, the dog will.
Dogs thrive on structure and much prefer to look up to a leader, instead of leading themselves. 
It is extremely stressful on the dog being responsible for everything, so when forced into this top ranking position many behavior issues will arise

The structured walk changes the dogs behavior from a free for all to a calmer, more balanced state of mind.  Focus on the handler is everything, and once the dog ignores the surrounding distractions they can concentrate on learned commands.  

REWARD GOOD BEHAVIOR 

Reward the dog for just focusing on the handler and staying calm during distractions.  It will pay off.  I use CALM verbal praise and pieces of the dogs daily meal as rewards.  

The occasional dog, when rewarded, will then immediately decide to go back to doing an undesirable behavior. 🙄 In this case I would downgrade the rewards, or withhold the praise and food rewards altogether.  Just taking one step in the direction THEY already want to go, is a reward in itself to the dog. 

ADVOCATE 

It’s our responsibility as dog owners to advocate for dogs who are fearful of other dogs or humans, and keep them safe.  Just existing calmly around others should be all that is required.  Dogs don’t “need” to be touched by anyone other than their Veterinarian and staff.
Very often once a reactive dog understands the human will advocate for them, the reactivity lessens greatly.  

If you do choose to allow a stranger to pet your reactive dog-  have the person stand a few feet back, and allow the dog to go to them,  instead of having the stranger charge right up and get in your dogs face. This takes much of the pressure of flight or fight off the dog, as they now can visit on their terms, and build confidence from a positive experience.

If I have a reactive dog, I tell people “He is in training”.  If the person continues to advance, I immediately get the dog behind me.  I put my hand up like a traffic cop toward the person, along with a firm verbal NO, which works for most.  I can also look at my dog and firmly say LEAVE IT, totally ignore the person, and walk away.  I don’t engage in conversation with them if they cannot be respectful. 

The safety and well being of my dog MUST come first.

PREPPING
I recommend using ALL the dogs daily meals as rewards for obedience training, and good manners.
Hand feeding gives “ value” to the human from the dogs point of view, instead of giving “value “ to the dog bowl.  Controlling the dogs most valuable resource helps the dog focus on the handler instead of being distracted, this is a huge advantage in our favor.  

The basic verbal cues and visual hand signals for obedience commands of SIT,DOWN,WAIT/STAY,and HEEL should be taught beforehand, if you are going to use them on your walk.  I have other articles describing each command in detail.

Be ready to go out before putting the leash on your dog, this way you won’t be fumbling for a coat or keys, and are able to give the dog your full attention.  If the dog is anxious while you are getting ready I recommend training the PLACE command.  I have a detailed article describing how to successfully train this at my site.

THE PRE WALK
The pre walk is even more important than the structured walk, because this sets the stage on how the dog is going to behave on the walk. The initial anticipation of leaving the building is often the most exciting part of the walk for the dog.  Sometimes going out and back in several times may be needed until the dog can do it calmly.  Training this can easily take longer than the walk itself, but it is well worth the time invested.  

The human should always be in the lead, whether it’s through a threshold, down stairs, or walking down the road. This is a matter of safety to all.  See my article on a Barrier Threshold Training for more information.

For best results dog and handler both need to be in a calm state of mind.  

At the door I have the dog sit or lie down, and I take a deep breath.   

Wait the dog out until they are calm, this can be time consuming, but it is extremely important.

I use the verbal HEEL command to go through the threshold, and SIT or DOWN on the other side while I close the door.  If the dog tries to bolt out the door ahead of you, gently close the door before they get their head out. You will see an immediate change of attitude and more respect from the dog. 

The very first structured walk will most likely be your hardest, because the dog may have been allowed to do whatever they pleased before this point.  Be patient and consistent, setting boundaries and new rules can be a bit stressful for both handler and dog in the very beginning, this is normal.  Learning new skills will reap the benefits three fold, and the dog will have them for a lifetime. 

THE WALK

Structured walks, at least one or two daily are highly beneficial.  They build a strong bonding between the dog and handler, and help confirm that the human is the leader and the dog the follower.  

The walking speed is one the handler sets, regardless of if the dog wants to go faster than that.  The length of the structured walk can be as short as five minutes when first training it- always ending on a good note, and then gradually be extended longer.  

The structured walk consists of the dog walking at heel, no pulling, barking, whining, or marking.  

If the dog’s shoulder moves past my leg, they are too far out in front. I do an immediate 180 degree turn in the opposite direction, with a quick light pop on the leash to bring the dog around. Repeat as needed, dogs learn this quickly.  

Suddenly increasing my speed, or changing to a very slow walk also helps keep the dog focused and engaged. 

Dogs are creatures of habit, and can get very set in their ways- especially if they have been doing something for years.  It’s  important to be able to get the dog’s attention focused on you throughout the walk.  Some dogs can be trained to do a structured walk just using a flat buckle collar and lead, though most do better with a training collar.  I highly recommend starting with a dominant dog collar ( because they are fitted to each individual dog, and properly sized  they cannot slip out of one), and four foot leash to help with communication. I have a detailed article on training collars at my site.  With consistent daily training, often the training tools are no longer needed.   

For the really high drive or anxious dogs I will start walking in small (intentionally boring) circles first, then widen and straighten the circles once the dog settles.  If they act up again, right back into a small circle. This can be quite effective, because the dog quickly realizes they are going nowhere until they are calmer.

The dog should be taught to SIT every time you stop.  Giving them a consistent reminder of a verbal cue and/or a light leash correction will soon make this automatic.  Start working on longer duration for the SIT and DOWN positions.

* If the SIT or  DOWN causes physical issues for the dog a STAND command can be used instead.   Structured walks can be practiced indoors when the ground is extremely hot or cold outside. 

Use a release word and loose leash for them to sniff and potty, then a verbal HEEL and right back into a structured walk again.   I use BREAK as my release word.  

The dog can empty it’s bladder all at one time, it’s not necessary for a healthy dog to urinate on every raised object they encounter- they can do that on their free time away from training.   I always bring at least two poop bags with me.  Responsible dog owners pick up after their dogs poop and dispose of it properly,  regardless of whether there is a law requiring it.

AFTER THE WALK

A short playtime after the structured walk is highly recommended.  Dogs retain information better if allowed to play after learning. The play can be a quick game of tug, which many dogs absolutely love, providing rules are followed-  see my article on the OUT command for more information.  

I use a release word so the dog knows it is released from command/training, and can go play/sniff if it chooses.

I recommend using a release word that isn’t used in common daily speaking, mainly because that way it’s a safety protocol and the dog isn’t unintentionally released into a potentially dangerous situation. 

There are many more articles on dog training and care at my site below, which is open to the public and free of charge.  ❤️🐺❤️

https://www.facebook.com/AllBasicsDogTrainingKimChappell/

https://www.facebook.com/AllBasicsDogTrainingKimChappell/