Use the sneakaway as the foundation for teaching commands and solving problems, and to teach your dog to walk nicely on lead. This mesmerizing exercise teaches your dog to be controlled and attentive despite distractions. Even without specifically addressing problem behaviors, you may find they magically disappear as your dog learns her sneakaway lessons. At the very least, you'll find sneakaways improve her general trainability and therefore greatly reduce your workload.

Walking Sneakaways

The sneakaway is simple: When your dog goes north, you go south. When she is thinking of things in the west, you head east.

To begin (Step 1), put your dog on the long line (the fifteen-foot nylon cord described earlier). Then take your dog to an obstruction-free area at least fifty feet square. Put your thumb through the loop of the line and your other hand under it. Plant both hands on your midsection to avoid moving them and jerking your dog. She may get jerked during this exercise, but it won't be because of your hand movement.

As you stroll with your dog, watch her closely but inconspicuously. If she becomes distracted or unaware of you, immediately turn and walk briskly in the opposite direction. The line will tighten abruptly if she isn't following as you move away.

After an hour of practice — split up any way you like over the next two days — your dog should be keeping her legs tangle-free, be aware of your movements, and be willing to be near you.

Remember these key points when practicing sneakaways:

• Keep your hands steady so you don't use arm movements to jerk your dog.

• Don't allow your dog to hear you move or stop, or see you with her peripheral vision. Avoid tricks like scuffing your feet, or inching, bowing, or arcing away; instead, always sneak directly away, with conviction, so your dog will learn to pay attention to you rather than your tricks.

• Move at a constant rate until your dog is following you, then stop dead.

• Use momentum to your advantage by heading away from your dog while there is still generous slack in the line. Calculate your departure so you'll be able to take two running steps before the line tightens.

Although most dogs will be strolling along cooperatively after an hour of sneakaway practice, a rare dog may continue to display odd resistance such as refusal to move or biting at the line. Although this is unusual, it, too, can be remedied by creating an umbilical cord for her by tying her leash to your belt. For two days, make her walk by your side as you perform your daily activities around the house and yard. After a few hours of umbilical cording, staying near you should be second nature. Now practice sneak-aways again, using a slip chain or prong collar. If you do so for a total of three hours over the course of a week, she is likely to be following happily.

Running Sneakaways

In Step 2, instead of walking away, pivot and run when your dog's attention wanders from you. Once she's begun running after you, stop dead. Also, take inventory of your dog's personality, desires, and fascinations. These may include noises, smells, certain activities, food, toys, different areas, or other animals and people. From now on these things will be referred to as distractions. Each time you practice, run a little faster as you sneak away and use more challenging and irresistible distractions.

Leash Walking

Begin Step 3 once your dog is content to be near you no matter what distractions are around. This step teaches her to walk on a loose leash at your left side. Attach the six-foot leash to her collar and put your right thumb in the handle. Enclose your fingers around the straps of the handle below. Hold the midsection of the leash with the right hand, too, so your left hand is free. The leash should have just enough slack to touch the middle of your left thigh when your right hand is at your hip — unless you are really tall and your dog is short, or vice versa; the taller the handler and shorter the dog, the lower on your leg the leash will hang.

If your dog forges ahead, open and close your hand to release the slack, then grip the handle as you pivot and run away. Do this when her shoulder is only inches ahead of your leg, rather than waiting until she is tugging at the end of the leash or lunging frantically ahead. When your dog is running after you, pick up the slack in the leash again and stop dead.

If your dog runs right past you, pivot once again and sneak away before she bolts ahead. If your dog is a charger, watch her body language closely so it becomes easy to anticipate when to do multiple, direction-changing sneakaways. If, on the other hand, your dog attempts to lag, reduce the slack by tightening the leash a bit — about one to five inches — as you briskly walk forward. Use your left hand to pat your left thigh as you continue moving briskly. Praise by saying Good, Good, Good so your dog knows you're happy with her.

The dog may bump into the back of your legs for the next few steps, but that, along with the fact that the leash tightens against your left thigh with every step, will encourage her to return to your left side. Remember to keep your left hand off the leash so nothing interferes with your thigh pulling into the leash.

Priorities change when a dog becomes distracted. She might never think of disobeying — unless food is being prepared, leaves are blowing, people are laughing, or rabbits, cats, birds, or squirrels are present. Prevent distractions from rendering all your obedience training useless by making fascinating temptations a part of every training session.

Sneakaways teach your dog to watch you in anticipation of your speedy departure. As a bonus, your dog will enjoy the sneakaway if she likes running with you. Being astute observers of human behavior, it's easy for your dog to avoid the correction by “catching you” before the line tightens. So sneakaways not only teach your dog to walk nicely — he'll also watch you, have fun, and never be the victim of an unjust correction.

Sneakaways teach your dog that when she is attached to a line that you're holding, she is expected to control herself even though she isn't under command. This lesson in self-control is the foundation that makes everything else in dog training — problem solving, command training, and off-lead control — easy.