So what do we mean by this comment?

So often we allow our dogs to associate bad memories with certain key aspects of their lives.

Probably the easiest way to explain this concept is to talk about the most common problem that owners come across and that is their dog’s love affair with the car.  Just like human beings, dogs either love being in the car and travelling with you or the hate it.

Preventing your dog from having any fear of the car or travel sickness  can be very straight forward if dealt with from day one.

The first question to ask is where the problem starts?

It often starts the day you collect your new dog from the breeder.  You load them up in the car off you go to their new home – your home.

But let us just stop for a moment – this little guy has just been taken away from its mother – a traumatic experience – and it has been put in this car and taken to its new home.

Now its first impression of the car is that it ‘hurts’.

The need to start early with this re-education of your dog towards the car is the fact that so often the first thing your dog knows about the car is leaving its mother – as mentioned  – and the second is that they are loaded up again to visit the veterinary who, on arrival promptly sticks a needle in them for their first inoculation.

Nothing but bad events associated with the car. So how do we overcome the problem?

At the earliest opportunity load your dog into the car again, but this time it is going to be fun. Drive a short distance and unload your new friend – make a big fuss of them and then set off for a walk.  Back to the car and load up when you get back home unload and make a fuss of them again.

You are now starting to change the perception of the car.  Maybe it’s not so bad after all.

Now, if you want to be able to take your dog with you in your car for longer journeys – perhaps for walks well away from home then your building an excitement about getting into the car and your dog will look forward to jumping in the car – and become a good traveler.

This is the same for other aspects of your behavior towards your dog.

If your dog is going to live in a kennel, whether that is inside or outside be cautious of building to much of a routine into shutting them away in there home – away from you.  Ensure that you vary the time of the day that you do it if you can, try to stand in a different place when you call them and try to vary your tone of voice when you call them.  All these things minimize the risk of your dog building any association with a repetitive event in their life

In addition always make a fuss of them before you close the door on their kennel or when you do anything that they may have a dislike for.

Try to understand the things that your dog doesn’t like.  It could be
having their nails trimmed
having a bath – not all dogs like that
being combed and brushed – again not all dogs like that .

So always try to associate fun and good memories to overcome any reluctance your dog may have to any of these aspects of their life.

Leash pulling whilst walking with any dog can be tiring, frustrating and also dangerous if the leash slips from your hand. Working to prevent your dog from pulling on the leash should be the first behavior trait to address.

Whether it is a puppy or and older dog that you have taken on, you need to take immediate action if this is going to be overcome. Once you let a dog get used to the fact that they are allowed to pull on the leash and that they actually can pull you along at their pace then it will be very hard to break – so don’t delay.

One method that has achieved good results is – with your dog on your left side take hold of the end of the leash in your right hand and gather the loop of the leash in your left hand. Start walking and if your dog starts to get ahead of you give a gentle pull back with your left hand and at the same time use your chosen word of command – heel – or one that suits you. Then let the leash go slack and continue to walk. Each time your dog moves ahead then repeat the action and the command.

Keep up this practice until the command alone is all that is needed to check any movement forward. Alternative to this method if the problem persists is to hold the leash in just the same way but as your dog move forwards then you just stop walking and gently guide them back to the position beside you – then start walking again.

Keep in mind once you achieve success with either method then is the time to give praise and make a fuss of your dog.

The most important aspect of this part of the training is to ensure that at no time do you allow your dog to pull you along. The leash should never be tight. Resist the temptation to let up on this aspect of behavior and keep focused on it until it is totally set in the dog’s mind.

Often training your dog to walk beside you without creeping forward is all about your dog getting used to the pace at which you walk. If more than one member of the family exercises the dog then it is important that the leash training is kept up at all times so that the dog learns to adjust its pace according to who they are walking with.

Although much is written against the use of choke chains or slip leashes, which will pull tight around the neck if the dog pulls, in certain circumstances they may be the only answer – especially when you are dealing with a big powerful breed.

The important point to make is that this type of collar must be used with caution as they can, if jerked too sharply, damage your dog’s neck. So only consider these as a last resort not the first and do take care.  As soon as you have achieved the desired result then and your dog stops pulling then  you will be able to go back to the more conventional type of collar.

One word of advice – don’t opt to use a harness if you dog continues to pull on a lead – it will only make matters worse.

Whatever anyone says about choke collars and the like many feel it is better than going down the route of spike collars and electronic collars which can be much more unsettling for the dog.

Good leash training should be achievable without too much difficulty with a puppy, but may need a bit more persistence if you adopt and older dog.