Walking your dog by the road can be a full-on experience for any pup. With the deafening sounds of high-speed motorcycles and the confusing stops-and-starts, you need to make sure you’re pooch is well-prepped for street walks. So, we’ve put together a little how-to guide – from getting your dog to sit before crossing to reducing lead-pulling.
The sit-and-wait
This is a trick every dog owner should have down pat and the best part? It’s actually fairly easy to teach. Each time you reach a road, simply tell your pup to sit, wait and cross on your say so. This should avoid any overexuberant lead-jerking into a bustling traffic-ridden road.
Eventually, when you come to a road crossing, your dog should recognise the signs and sit down next to you until you give your chosen crossing command.
Lead control
When you’re walking down a busy road, the last thing you need is the sensation of a determined hound pulling you down the street in hot pursuit of… well, anything!
Dogs often get stuck in the bad habit of pulling their owner since the unruly behaviour gets them exactly what they want – keeping up the pace! The best thing you can do for your pooch is to change the consequence from rewarding, to frustrating.
When your dog pulls on the lead, you need to come to a complete standstill until your dog comes back to sit by your side. Once your pup’s back on side, you can continue your stroll.
Rinse and repeat! Eventually, your dog will clock that pulling you along gets them the opposite of what they’re after, and they’ll adjust their behaviour accordingly. Need more tips on lead walking your dog by the road? Check out this blog post here.
Don’t risk it
Never leave your pup’s life to chance. Countless dog owners push the boundaries with their beloved four-legged companions by allowing them to plod along without a lead. Walking off-lead is often seen as a display of obedience but all it takes is one squirrel, one loud noise or even another dog to send your pooch into a spin.
It’s almost impossible to teach your pet that traffic is a danger to them, it simply isn’t in their DNA to recognise cars as life-threatening. That’s why we always recommend nailing your lead walking so you can feel safe and secure when walking your dog by the road.
