Walking Your Dog On A Leash
Many owners find that the most eye-opening part of owning a dog comes the first time you take it for a walk on a leash. Dogs love the outdoors – although sometimes if the weather is not so good they prefer under a table – and will want to explore the moment they get outside the door. But for reasons we can all understand – the safety of other people, the fear that a dog will run into the road, and others – it is essential to keep a dog on a leash when you take it for a walk. This can be interesting, the first few times.
Dogs, you see, will try to cover as much ground as they possibly can all at once. Everything is fascinating to them. Remember that a dog has a sense of smell that allows it to recognize you, the rest of your family and other dogs even hours after they have been around. When it gets outdoors it will suddenly smell so many different things, and want to check everything out. It will do this by tugging so hard on the lead that your shoulder threatens to leave its socket.
When dogs try to get away from you it is not because they want to run away, but because they want to be everywhere at once. A good dog will do its best to walk nicely on the leash, but you will need to act as its eyes, because its nose will be on the ground. If it tries to drag you on the leash, you need to sharply tug the lead and let the dog know that you are dictating the pace. It is for the dog’s safety, after all.