So I had my first client of the day today. Up at 7AM to meet a woman struggling with her pal.
She hired me because her dog, Tank, was attacked by other dogs and now struggles with reactivity. Right now, I’m the only trainer in my Academy’s service area certified to work with reactivity and aggression cases. (I actually have a huge waitlist because of this, we need more trainers with the experience to handle it.)
Anyway. Tank’s mom tells me he pulls like a monster, and that his reactivity is bad. Barking, lunging, snarling, the whole deal.
So I tell her, okay, let’s go for a walk.
She’s hesitant at first, but I reassure her: she’s going to need to walk him on her own eventually, and I’ll be right there.
I offer to take the leash first so I can see his issues in action.
We head out. I spend a moment teaching Tank that I’m fun, rewarding, and worth paying attention to. Then we start walking.
He pulls once.
I stop moving.
He never pulled again on that walk.
Tank walked on a perfect loose leash, sometimes even in a heel. When we passed other dogs who were barking and losing their minds at him, he would stop, tense up, and wait. I’d say, “Hey Tank, leave it. Let’s go,” and he’d immediately ignore the chaos and come with me.
Then I hand the leash back to his mom. I tell her:
Stand up straight. Square your shoulders. Take a deep breath. Don’t stare at your dog. Look straight ahead and tell me about your day.
She does.
And because she’s distracted talking to me, not wrapped up in fear or nerves, Tank mirrors that calm. He doesn’t pull. He doesn’t explode. When she gives him the same “leave it,” he listens to her just like he listened to me.
By the end, she’s crying. She told me it was the nicest walk she’s ever had with her dog. For a whole hour, Tank and his mom had a fear-free, fun, confident walk together.
This is what I mean when I tell clients that confidence starts at Your end of the leash.
