Used to walk my dog on a loose leash until a trainer told me I was doing it wrong

I always thought letting my dog sniff everything was fine, but this trainer at the park said it actually makes her more anxious. So for the last two weeks I've been doing structured walks with shorter leash and commands only, and she's actually calmer. Has anyone else had to switch up their whole walking style based on one person's comment?

3 comments

3 Comments

jana_hart181mo ago

Gotta disagree here. My dog is a different animal when she gets to sniff around and make decisions on walks. She's a rescue and the structure just made her shut down, not relax. Actually saw her start pacing at home after those strict heel walks, which the vet said was trapped energy. Letting her lead and sniff dropped her stress way more than any leash pressure ever did.

jenny_hall1mo ago

Man I felt this in my bones. Went from "let's explore the whole block" to "heel-heel-heel" and my dog looked at me like I lost my mind. Now she's the calm one and I'm the one stressing about doing it right.

the_anthony1mo ago

That's funny, reminds me of when I tried teaching my old lab "place" and ended up just pointing at his bed for ten minutes while he wagged his tail at me. Eventually he laid down but looked so confused I gave up and threw the treat at him anyway. Sometimes I think they know we're making things up as we go along.