My golden retriever Leo has this habit of fixating on squirrels during walks. He'll plant his paws and refuse to budge for like 5 minutes. I read somewhere about making a loop with the leash and gently guiding them in a circle instead of pulling straight back. Tried it yesterday at the park near my house on 3rd Avenue. First time he actually followed me away from a tree without dragging. Has anyone else had luck with this trick for stubborn pups?
I take my dog Bella down to Ocean Beach in San Francisco every morning, but last Tuesday she dove into a pile of seaweed and came out with a rotting salmon carcass. She was so proud of herself, rolling around in it before I could get the leash on her. I had to drag her back to the car while she fought me the whole way, then give her three baths at home before the smell finally came out. Has anyone else had a dog find something truly disgusting on a walk and how did you handle the cleanup?
Was reading a vet blog last night. They studied 500 dog walkers. 1 in 4 used a leash that was too short. That collar-on-neck pressure? Can cause thyroid damage over time. My retractable leash was on the list of bad ones. Switched to a 6 foot flat leash today. My pup already walks calmer. Anyone else check their leash length after seeing something like this?
Had a convo with Dr. Patel at the clinic last Tuesday. She watched how I yank the leash every time my pup lunges at a squirrel. Said I'm basically training her to think squirrels are terrifying because I get tense first. Hit different because she showed me a video of my own shoulders going rigid 2 seconds before my dog even saw the squirrel. Anyone else get called out like this by their vet?
Took my leashed rescue to the corner park last week. A woman's golden retriever ran up, all wagging tail. My dog flipped out. She just yelled 'he's friendly!' from 50 feet away. Doesn't matter. My dog isn't. I had to cut our walk short. Anyone else deal with this entitlement?
I always keep a short grip on my golden retriever, but I saw a tip online about giving them more slack for confidence. So yesterday in the park near my apartment, I let the leash hang loose for about 5 minutes. He immediately bolted after a squirrel and pulled me right into a mud puddle. Learned that a loose leash is great in theory but not with a 70 pound dog who has zero impulse control. Has anyone else had a training trick blow up on them like this?
I used to take my rescue mutt past this massive oak on Maple Street for 8 years, it had a hollow trunk where he'd stick his whole head in sniffing for squirrels. Then a big storm in February brought it down, and now there's just a stump and a pile of mulch where that whole daily ritual used to happen. Has anyone else had a landmark on your dog's walk disappear and feel like you lost a little piece of your routine?
I take my beagle past the old trestle bridge by the river every morning, and today I finally saw how the morning light hits the rust patterns on the steel beams just right. Made me wonder if anyone else has a spot on their regular route that looks completely different depending on the weather.
My dog Leo has always pulled like crazy on walks, especially around the park on 16th street. I tried those no-pull harnesses and a gentle leader, but he just fought them. Then I read about the "tree method" where you stop dead every time the leash gets tight, and honestly after 3 days of doing that consistently he started checking back with me. Has anyone else had luck with a simple habit change like that or did I just get lucky with Leo being a quick learner?