This morning I went to pick up a boarding dog’s leash that she’d been dropped off with. And immediately found myself rummaging in the hall closet. Searching for this. Snow-Proof Weatherproofing. Which is a waxy type substance for weather proofing leather. I always keep a container of it on hand and use it at season change and then usually once again mid-winter on all of my leather gear, dog leashes, Tom’s harness, my leather boots. I could feel the salt in the dog’s leash, feel the leather cracking, feel the leather demanding to be cared for!
So I did.
It’s amazing how quickly I can feel the leather healing as I massage the wax into it. Feeling soft and smooth, supple once more.
Then said to myself, “What the heck, might as well do my own gear as well. Screw the pain in my hands.” See that’s how much caring for my leather gear means to me. It’s why I have leashes that last through generations of dogs. Why they are soft and supple. Why they don’t degrade every winter with our salted roads. Or every summer with the dogs in the lake and swamp.
Care for your leather gear and it will last you a lifetime. Or just send your dog to board with me and my inability to ignore the state of your gear will mean there is a high chance it is returned to you in better condition than you left it. 😉
I was wondering if I could pester you for some dog advise?
I’ve been trying to teach Brèagha not to pull on the leash pretty much the whole 8 ish months that I’ve had her. She’s good about heeling, but I don’t want her in a strict heel all the time, I want her to sniff things and be a dog, but without pulling. The main things I’ve tried are the things you always hear: first, turning around and going the other way when she pulls, and now, stopping and waiting for her to release the tension on the leash every time she pulls, then continuing when she does. I’ve tried both of these things for a good amount of time, (like I said, I’ve had 8 ish months,) and neither have made any impact. Currently she wears a halter, which she doesn’t mind, and it helps me out a bit. It’s not that she’s a crazy hard puller, but enough to be annoying, and I kinda feel like this is a basic thing she needs to learn or else I’ve sort of failed as a dog owner.
1. even if she pulls you on leash the rest of her life you haven’t failed as a dog owner. Can I tell you how many high level competition dogs don’t actually know how to walk on a loose leash? they know how to formal heel but not noodle around on a leash without tension? Many, many, many. But to answer your question a few questions. 1st question: how long is your leash? 2nd question have you tried using a longer one. like 10-15′. if yes does that change things and if so how? 3rd question: where and how are you rewarding when she’s on leash? and 4th have you ever taught her through a structured exercise her to take pressure of the leash? and if yes, which exercise and how did you do it? and 5th question: how do you communicate to her when it’s ok for her to go noodle around sniffing vs walking beside you attention on you? the answers to those 5 questions will give a lot of data to help develop a plan forward. I’d also be happy to work with you in remote private lessons if you’d like. I do those via video chat or phone which ever is easier for the person. info on them is at http://www.maplewooddog.com if you are interested
The leash is 6 foot. Never tried a longer one. I thought just getting to continue walking was enough of a reward. Maybe not? I admit I’m not sure exactly what you mean by structured exercise, so I guess that’s a no on that. Unless I have her in a heel, she’s free to sniff around. I know she’s still young and I wonder if maybe my expectations are too high?
Oh sorry, but as to how I actually communicate to her that she’s no longer in a heel, she knows “okay” is a release command so when I say okay she knows she can move out of position.
Here you go a blog post just for you 😉 https://maplewoodblog.wordpress.com/2017/12/29/qa-my-dog-pulls-on-leash/
Oh wow, thanks! 💜💜💜
Welcome. Hope it helps