“Walk Nicely on a Leash”
Dogs love to explore on walks. Their noses are always alerting them to interesting things to smell. And, of course, there are other dogs to meet and ducks to chase. All of that can make for a difficult walk if your Lab is constantly pulling on his leash in search of the next best thing.
You can, however, teach your Lab to walk nicely without pulling. He doesn't have to walk sedately at your side in a formal heel position, but not pulling is a must. There should always be some slack in the leash.
“Let's Go for a Walk”
To begin, attach the leash to your Lab's collar. Hold it in your left hand with your Lab standing by your left side. Encourage him to walk forward by saying, “Let's go!” (or whatever phrase you choose). Praise him or click and treat (or praise, then click and treat) when he starts to walk with you. He'll probably stop to eat the treat. When he's finished, begin again, this time clicking for more steps forward. Click only when the dog is moving.
Don't reward your dog for pulling. This can be done inadvertently when he pulls you toward another person and is then allowed to greet them or pulls you to the park and is then let off leash to play. Require him to walk nicely before he's allowed to do any of those things.
As you walk, reward (praise or click and treat) your Lab any time he is paying attention to you and not pulling. Gradually increase the length of time he walks before you give a reward. Vary the rate at which you give rewards so that your Lab is motivated to walk nicely all the time.
One way to keep your dog's attention on you is to hold a lure, such as a favorite (small) stuffed animal or toy. Some dogs are crazy about feathers and will focus on those. Your Lab will learn quickly that watching you is a good thing.
Any time your Lab starts pulling, stop walking. When he looks at you and there's slack in the leash, you can start up again, reminding your dog to focus on you (“Watch me!”) and rewarding him periodically as long as he's walking nicely without pulling. Stop and start again as necessary. If your Lab is very strong and these techniques aren't working, you may want to try using a head halter. (See the section on head halters in Chapter 16.)
Mastering the Walk
Practice walking nicely inside your home, in the yard, and around your neighborhood. Introduce distractions so your Lab learns to stay focused on you. Distractions could be the approach of a child or another dog or walking by a pond or lake where birds gather. Schedule walks after a play session so that your Lab has already worked off some of his energy. Here's one trainer's test for mastery of the art of walking nicely: when you can walk your dog while holding an open cup of liquid without spilling it.
