teach your dog to walk with you
Walking with your dog can be a very rewarding experience for both you and your dog. It is also a great way to strengthen your bond. How do you teach your dog to walk with you? Like teaching any new behavior, the path to happy dog walks is paved with many successive approximations (tiny steps)!
It’s best to start teaching this behavior indoors where there are few distractions and to have plenty of small, tasty treats readily available. In this video by KPA CTP Cari Tetzlaff, a dog and handler are working on the “with me” cue. “With me” signals the dog that it’s time to walk at the handler’s side while matching his pace. They use visual markers (in this case cones) to mark each interval goal. In the beginning, the cones are placed about two steps apart. As the dog and handler hit their stride, the cones are gradually removed until the two are walking a length of 20+ feet together with a loose leash.
For more ideas about how to get started training your dog, check out our blogs and the Dog Trainer Foundations course! The Immersion version of the Dog Trainer Foundations course offers an even more personalized, structured learning experience plus five hours of coaching to help you get to the next step!
Happy Training!