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Why won’t my dog slow down?
Slow, relaxed walks without frantic feelings and pulling on the leash may see like a distant dream for some, but they can be achieved with a bit of detective work.
Useful Strategy for City Walks: Splitting Up
Splitting up is a management technique we can all use in difficult situations. We can use different elements in our daily walks as a useful barrier between something worrisome and your dog.
When Puppies Have a Difficult Start in Life
When dogs are puppies, infants of the canine species, we should ensure they are nurtured. That we surround them with love and safety. They will pass this period feeling safe and protected, allowing the puppy to develop without worry.
Shifting our perspective
We write about Smiling Leash walks meaning a special moment that you can share with your dog. But for most of us walks are not really special, we take our dogs out several times per day and it may feel like routine. In this article we take a different perspective on these routine walks.
Social walks are not just about dogs
When we walk with dogs where the bond is strong, they know themselves and the others well, they care for the wellbeing of every individual and the collective. Humans bond too and true friendships emerge.
The importance of meaningful relationships
What are some myths around social walks in dogs? Why forming meaningful relationships is so important to dogs? How we can help them do it even if we have a sensitive dog? Our guest writer Clara López-Brea will answer in this interesting and practical article.
You need to train yourself first
Our dog needs training to walk with a loose leash. That's a given. Or is it? We would argue that we people need the training first.
That's because the behaviour of our dog and the quality of our walk hugely depend on our own actions. In most cases of dogs pulling on the leash, no training for the dog is necessary - it's the humans who can make several important changes to help their dog. Let's take a closer look at what we can do to drastically improve the walks:
The Tricky part of Let them Choose
Allowing our dogs to choose what to do can get us into tricky situations. All of us that share our life with dogs have had our fair share of this, even the calmest dog can get excited at the sight of a squirrel!
Garden much?
Having a private garden is certainly a luxury many of us dream of. And how lucky are the dogs who can use the garden at their pleasure? But then, why do we frequently get questions like: “my dog is barking all the time / my dog is over aroused / my dog digs huge holes in the garden” ? If you feel your dog should be enjoying their time in the garden and they are not, you are not alone. And you can definitely do something about it!
Dog Breeds
Trainers and behaviour consultants, should know the type of dog they have in front and what kind of tasks the dog was originally bred for. We must have information about breeds, study them and understand their purpose.
A good walk starts at home
In these years we received many questions from you about your own dogs and some specific issues you are facing, such as: dogs unable to relax or slow down, dogs being fearful of multiple things or pulling on the leash. One piece of advice is universal for all of these cases…
Walks in urban areas
It is entirely possible to have a great Smiling Leash walk in an urban area, but there are some things worth keeping in mind …
Treats for thought
“Are treats as good as we think they are? Most importantly, do we really need them?” - these are the questions that were running through Lyubov’s mind during one of the walks she was recently taking with her dog Heidi. This evening they had run out of treats and had none to take along for the walk. To Lyubov’s surprise, her dog was calmer and able to cope with a challenging situation.
Puppies and Smiling Leash Walks
Smiling Leash walks is something that we can do with puppies. We want to share some ideas and tips to make them really enjoyable. Who doesn’t love seeing happy puppies playing and enjoying life? A Smiling Leash can help you achieve this.
Blu, the Goats and Choosing What Happens Next
Using a long smiling leash can help us is challenging situations. Blu is an Australian cattle dog and in this video he uses it to its full potential, while observing livestock.
More attention to the dog’s neck
Just like ours, the dogs’ necks are not built for long amounts of time spent looking up. Discover how we can take more care about our dogs’ necks and their overall mobility.
Give Me a Moment
When our dogs stop to observe during the walk, we should give them a moment. We may not think about it, but dogs need time to process all the information that arrives via their senses and time to make decisions about what to do with it.
Adopting a Dog: How To Start Off On The Right Foot
When dogs come into our home suffering from a lot of stress, is not simple to take care of all of their needs. Building life skills to be able to cope with the world around you takes a lot of time and patience in some cases.
Long Walks On The Weekends?
Many caretakers take their dogs for long walks or hikes on the weekends. We finally have some more time to enjoy a walk in nature with our four legged friends. As always, looking at things from the dog’s perspective can reveal something interesting!
When You Feel Alone
Most of us, that have dog companions, have experienced a difficult situation at some point, or several difficult situations. When things don’t go our way and trouble is ongoing it is difficult to maintain a cheerful and positive attitude. We want to share with you some coping tips and strategies for success.