Walking Your Dog the Easy Way

Four years ago, my husband and I obtained our first dog together. He is a mutt; a mix between a pure-bred Border Collie, Cairn Terrier, and some other mutt. This dog is a freak of nature, with the body of a Border Collie, the head of a Black Labrador, and the legs of a Basset Hound. To see him is to laugh.

In the four years that we have had him, I have yet to be able to get him to walk on a leash. He is a very strong dog and pulls ahead of me, regardless of how tight I pull back on his leash. Have you seen people who are being walked by their dog, the dog forging ahead as if he's trying to find lost treasure, sniffing everything he passes and barking at every other living being he sees? Yeah, that's me, my hair flying in the wind, trying to hang on for dear life, while the leash practically tears into my flesh.

Frustrated with my ever fattening high energy dog, I turned to Cesar Millan's website for tips and advice. The Dog Whisperer is simply amazing. I've been a fan of his show on National Geographic Channel for several years now, and have been able to use what he shows in real life training of my dog, with fantastic results. Here are his tips for successful dog walking:

• Walk in front of or alongside your dog, not vice-versa. When a dog is in the lead, he thinks he is the pack leader, and you always want your dog to know YOU are in charge. Millan also recommends being the first in and out of the door.
• After you have established that you are the pack leader, let your dog do a little exploring and time to relieve himself. Then YOU decide when exploring time is over and the walk continues. Schedule ½ to 1 hour a day to walk your dog, preferably in the morning, because, as Millan explains, dogs are diurnal. Diurnal means that the animal is active during the day.
• Using a short leash will help you maintain control of where your dog walks. It also makes it easier for you to communicate with and guide your dog.
• After the walk, give your dog food and water. This lets the dog know that he has worked for his food.
• Do not stop being pack leader once you get home. Make your dog wait while you take off your shoes, put his leash away, and set out his food and water.

Take it from me, these tricks work. At first I had to bring some pieces of cheese with me to reward him for not tugging to get in front, since he is used to being the pack leader on our very infrequent walks. However, after only a few short trips around the block, he now walks by my side with no resistance.

Thanks to my Cable TV my dog is losing weight, I am losing weight, and we are both happy. Thank you, Dog Whisperer!

Jeanine is a dedicated gardener, DIY-er, and writer. She writes about home improvement, decor, landscaping, and crafting among other things and loves restoring old homes and gardening. She lives outside of Philadelphia with her husband and three daughters. Check out what else she has learned from her Cable TV.

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