Do you also dream of a relaxing walk with your dog? Walks are supposed to be relaxing for the dog and owner, but when the dog rushes through the front door with a tight leash, the relaxation is often gone. The good thing is that there is another way! We at Pupy have 5 tips for you to help you bring more relaxation and peace into your walk as soon as you leave the front door.

1. Leashing

This is usually where the first stress arises for the dog and owner. To prevent this from happening, you can combine every leashing, whether at home or out and about, with a ritual. Give your dog a familiar command, e.g. sit or down, before you put the collar and leash on. You can then reward your dog with a treat or verbal praise. The ritual must take place calmly. If your dog is generally restless before the walk, you can use a calming ritual or a conditioned relaxation signal.

2. the safe haven

Some dogs pull on the leash to avoid an uncomfortable or threatening situation. Pay attention to your dog’s body language and keep your dog on a leash during dog encounters, always on the side away from the other dog. You can also reassure your dog in scary situations by putting your dog between your legs or standing in front of them.

3. casual and training mode

It’s not easy for any dog owner to always stay in training mode and work on leash handling. That’s why it’s a good idea to introduce a ritual that signals to your dog that the dog is now allowed to pull a little, or that a little tension on the leash is okay. To do this, you can put a harness on your dog and switch from the collar to the harness. Harnesses are designed to allow a dog to pull something, e.g. a sled or other load. Of course, there are rules here too, because you shouldn’t let your dog pull you around either. The harness should only allow you to be a little more inconsistent when you don’t have time or don’t feel like training – it’s your casual mode!

4. mood and posture

The leash is a positive thing and you should treat it as such. Dogs can perceive and mirror our emotional world through mood transmission. Therefore, it is extremely important to remain relaxed and calm when walking our dog. If you pull on the leash during a dog encounter, your dog may take this as a sign to start moving forward.

5. patience

Dogs are not born to walk beside their humans. Especially in the first year of life, there are so many new things for our dogs to discover. Therefore, any obedience training requires your patience. It is not about reaching the goal as quickly as possible, but about building a harmonious relationship with your dog in the long term. So practice patience and don’t be disappointed if things slow down during training. Sometimes it helps to take a short break so that you can relax and continue with the training again!

You can use our Pupy app to remind you of your training sessions. Daily tips and other expert articles will help you and your dog achieve your goals in the long run. Download the Pupy App today and start your first training session right now!