We’re all super-connected with mobile devices to the extent that many people are less connected with their surroundings than they are with social media. It sometimes seems as though people are making electronic cocoons to shield themselves from the world.
So connected are we to everything internet that dogs on walks are often left to their own devices.
As a result they take the initiative and lead the way. They are now in charge of the walk and have reduced you to the status of ‘appendage’. If this is a regular occurrence for a dog that has already had time and effort (and sometimes money) invested into training him to walk to heel, then all that good work is being undone.
A dog’s training is never over, no matter how obedient it has become. A dog will learn far more quickly the things that are good for him than he will the things you want him to learn that might go against his nature. Your dog also knows when your attention is not focused on him because you’re talking to someone or typing text messages. He can sense your mental state and feel how you’re holding the lead.
Even if you suddenly realise that he’s leading the way and pull him back to heel, it won’t be very long before your inconsistent behaviour demonstrates that the boundaries set for him aren’t there all of the time. There may be other areas of activity where he can take control without being reprimanded, such as when you prepare food or even when you’re eating.
If you create a set of rules for a dog, everyone in the family has to enforce them in the same way. Failing to accomplish this will produce a confused dog and a confused dog is an unhappy dog.
Please, for the fifteen to twenty minutes that most people walk their dogs, focus on the pooch and forget about social trivia. You’ll make your dog happy to spend time with you.
