lovely loose leash walking:

1, 2, 3 - Follow me!


Walks with your dog are much more enjoyable when your dog is beside you on a loose leash instead of pulling ahead of you!  Loose leash walking is a skill that takes patience, consistency and practice.  It's much easier if you start this from puppyhood but don't worry if your dog has pulled on the leash for years - you can still teach them new habits!  Read on for some handy tips to help you and your dog enjoy your walks together again.

1. Equipment

Theoretically, you should be able to teach loose leash walking using a piece of string attached to the dog’s collar! However, in the interests of practicality and safety, the best equipment to use is a good fitting harness which doesn’t block shoulder movement (the ones with the padded Y front across the chest are great) with a good quality two-length leash attached to it (shorter leash for more control around distractions and longer length for greater sniffing opportunities). Check the leash and harness clips to ensure they won’t break. A harness does not encourage the dog to pull unless they already have a prior association of pulling with it and if they do have an association with it, find a different harness to create a new no-pulling association.

2. Environment

Start without using a leash (yes, that’s right, no leash!) in a low distraction environment, like your lounge room. Continue off leash in fenced areas like your back yard, then your front yard, then a fenced tennis court. When you add the leash, it should be for management purposes only as your dog should already be walking nicely beside you - just in case they become distracted.

3. Follow Me!

The principles of loose leash walking are essentially teaching your dog to follow you, not the other way around, and rewarding your dog for being beside you and focused on you. Beside you is the best place for your dog to be because that’s where they love to hang out and all the good stuff happens. Practice games that encourage closeness. When dogs pull on the lead they are rewarded by getting where they want to go and we get pulled along behind them. Instead, you want to reprogram your dog’s though process so that they think having a loose leash is what enables them to move forward.
Happy loose leash walking!

 
Louise Power Pic.jpg
 
Elissa Mehegan.jpg

We had been to previous dog training classes elsewhere with our older dog and found that it didn’t quite deliver on what we hoped - especially given our older dog’s needs. When we adopted George we did more research on puppy training and wanted someone who specialised more in this area. We are so glad we picked Kelly and her team! We booked the drop-in puppy sessions - she has a 5 for 4 deal, and found George has benefited so much, we even booked a 6th class, which would then lead us into the silver training, which will also be run by Kelly - this is how pleased we are with Kelly and her team! We wanted to ensure George was well socialised, meaning he learns how to interact appropriately with other dogs and also that he builds a stronger bond with us - thank you Kelly for helping us achieve this! George was reactive (barking) at other dogs when we arrived and immediately Kelly approached and gave us instructions/advice on how to help manage this behaviour. Within a few minutes he was responding really well to the advice Kelly gave us. We noticed each session, an improvement in his reactivity, he now greets dogs very politely and doesn’t react negatively in any way. We highly recommend these classes for socialisation and picking up the basics you need to know - wait/stay, eye contact, on and off lead meet and greet, settling - all of which we think are vital building blocks to our dog being an awesome and very good boy! The bonus about these puppy classes is that it’s not only Kelly but a team of people, where Kelly is able to specifically assist with any of you and your dogs needs, providing her professional advice. Kelly and her team of trainers are approachable and all make the effort to get to know you and your puppy. The thing we loved most is that you learn more about how to understand and read your dog better, picking up on their needs and what’s best for them. If you want to learn how to read dog body language, and have plenty of opportunities ensure you understand/learn how to socialise your dog than we highly recommend Kelly and team!

“We tried a traditional puppy class at first but was disappointed with the lack of socialisation. We switched to Waggle Tails and the difference was COLOSSAL. My puppy experienced quality puppy plays in a safe environment and together with Kelly’s online training modules for the hoomans, has moulded her into a confident and happy puppy who is now smashing it out at our local dog park. We travelled from Safety Bay to Osborne Park (55km) to attend these classes because the benefits of investing in the right training is everything and Kelly’s model was the best I could find. I have no enrolled in the online Ultimate Dog Programme for further training. Honestly people, Kelly’s amazing! Her doggo knowledge is next level.” (Louise Power, Perth, WA)

“The Ultimate Dog programme was very thorough and provided us with a lot of useful and interesting information, training tools and resources that we can keep referring back to. I am now more aware of what Windy’s behaviours mean, how to manage them for his benefit (and mine!), how to enrich his days and how to assist him to be a calmer, more well mannered dog. I’d highly recommend the Ultimate Dog Programme to other dog owners.” (Elissa Mehegan, Perth, WA)

Carole Dougans.jpg

“Not only did the Ultimate Dog Programme calm my very excitable Staffy Cross, Elissa - it also helped me immensely in understanding her. I cannot recommend Kelly enough.” (Carole Dougans, Perth, WA)

Ann & Jake.jpg

“I have no hesitation in recommending Kelly as a highly skilled trainer. What Kelly has been able to achieve with Jake (and me!) has been nothing short of miraculous. Jake came to me as a rescue dog - a loving but boisterous chap. Kelly taught me how to handle Jake and has given me a much better understanding of dogs in general. Jake and I have a become a great team, he is wonderful companion and I feel confident with him.” (Ann Morrison, Christchurch, NZ)

Lisa Sturm.jpg

“Having met Kelly was a true blessing for me, my classes, my private training and my work with my own dogs. Kelly’s educated clarity on training topics has brought my understanding of training to a new level which I am incredibly grateful for.” (Lisa Sturm, Sit Happens, Christchurch, NZ)

Atalie Michelle Walding.jpg

“I had the pleasure of working with Kelly when she volunteered at the shelter where I am an Animal Care Specialist and Behavior Tech. She is extremely reliable and helped many of our dogs learn not just manners, but tools of which to rehab dogs with behavior problems. She was a key factor in multiple dogs finding their forever homes through our program. I recommend her services to anyone and everyone! She is not only an amazing trainer, but an amazing person.’’ (Atalie Michelle Walding, Friends for Life Animal Rescue and Adoption Organisation, Texas, USA)

“Kelly is absolutely amazing! After our first Ultimate Dog Programme session we have already started to see huge improvements with our girl. Kelly teaches you to reward with positive reinforcement and be kind and caring at all times when training your dog and proves there is no need to be dominant or forceful towards your dog. She also provides a heap of resources that are super useful, plus her sessions are a great place to meet other dogs/dog owners.” (Lucy Cole, Perth, WA)

Julie+Best.jpg

“Kelly is an amazing trainer, with huge amounts of knowledge. She also places an emphasis on a gentle, kind, scientifically based approach to training, which is evidenced by her continuing education. I have watched Kelly in action many times and I have always been impressed by her calm, gentle approach and true affinity with dogs and puppies.” (Julie Best, Best for Pets, Christchurch, NZ)