How Do You Walk Your Dog?

[luffy4688]

Just a quick survey for fellow DOLers out there.

Generally on a walk, do you make sure your dog walks beside or behind you, or are you happy to let him/her walk in front of you as long as he is not pulling on his/her leash?

From my observation from the people walking their dogs around my area, people with smaller dogs tend to let their dogs walk in front of them compared to people with larger dogs. I'm not trying to generalize, just an observation from the dogs around my neighbourhood.

[huski]

Generally I;

let him/her walk in front of you as long as he is not pulling on his/her leash?

or next to me as my dogs sometimes prefer. I don't really mind what they are doing as long as they aren't pulling and comply to my commands when I give them.

[Mr_Snow]

I prefer him (Oz; Siberian Husky) walking beside me but as long as he's not pulling on the lead I'm fine with it....

He usually starts wanting to lead but ends beside me

[tez]

Loose lead for us but OK with beside or in front as long as they listen to where I want them to be. I do some heel work and obedience stuff like sit, drop, come around (so Jane goes from my right side, behind me to my left side) and bring it back (Jane slows down so she goes from ahead of me to beside me) as well as leave it, then we have times where its just a relaxed walk.

Young Gus...lots of encouragement to heel but mostly I just want him to stay tuned into me. He's abit timid so I don't mind some in front walking as long as there is no pulling!

[sallyandtex]

Must be different in my area.

It's usually the big dogs PULLING that I see!

[manlynau]

I walk my two together, i've spent a lot of time teaching them to walk beside me. Otherwise they compete to be in front and I end up with a very sore arm.

[rexiam]

Most people walking past here are being pulled by there dogs , big or small.

When I walk I like mine to stay close for the first 10 - 15 mins til they settle down and then I let them on a loose lead. They never pull on me even when they are loose.

[Hello Gorgeous]

I make them walk beside me I had a foster dog who used to walk behind me and he ended up trodding on my slippers or bumping into me from the back resulting in the both of us taking an occasional tumble here and there.

[arrow]

I like my dog to be at my left side. As I keep to the left of the path/track this keeps her out of the way of overtaking cyclists and oncoming canine-phobes. It also makes it easier to pass oncoming dogs that are taking their owners for a walk.

[Teebs]

IF i am walking the two, they have to both be next to me, one each side - but that is very rare that i walk them both

I dont care where if it is one, as long as they are not pulling - Atlas usually walks behind me, and kaos in front of me

the dogs I dog walk for have to walk beside me, until i know they wont try to pull me over, once they are trained to walk on a lose lead, they can walk where they like

[~Anne~]

Mine walk for their pleasure. If this means they drag me along striving to sniff something in front of them, or they walk off to the side, or they drag along behind, then so be it. That is what they do.

[wolfgirl]

My dogs are allowed to walk in front as long as there is no tension on the lead, when people are approaching I bring them back into heel position so they see the dogs are effectively controlled and have no need to cross the road Alot of people see my GSD and look wary so I always like to show people that they are well behaved.

When we run both dogs are out in front running in sync with each other. I have also taught both dogs to walk on both sides and sometimes do this as a training exercise one on each side just depends where they walk on what mood I am in

[WreckitWhippet]

Generally I;

let him/her walk in front of you as long as he is not pulling on his/her leash?

or next to me as my dogs sometimes prefer. I don't really mind what they are doing as long as they aren't pulling and comply to my commands when I give them.

Same... I prefer the "let's go" method of walking the dogs and as long as they are moving in the right direction, not crossing infront of me and are minding their own business, I'm happy with that.

[Lucy's mama]

Walking ahead on a loose leash is fine with me - and Banjo has mastered it. Allthough I do have to put him in a sit and loosely restrain/pat him while other dogs, cyclists or joggers pass.

Edited June 14, 2010 by Lucy's mama

[Teebs]

My dogs are allowed to walk in front as long as there is no tension on the lead, when people are approaching I bring them back into heel position so they see the dogs are effectively controlled and have no need to cross the road Alot of people see my GSD and look wary so I always like to show people that they are well behaved.

When we run both dogs are out in front running in sync with each other. I have also taught both dogs to walk on both sides and sometimes do this as a training exercise one on each side just depends where they walk on what mood I am in

oh, i have to say i do this too, if someone is walking near us i will put them into heel, if there is a dog coming i will pull kaos off the path and make her sit as the dog walks past

[rubiton]

SHe is allowed to walk slightly ahead as long as she isnt pulling and listens to any commands and returns to proper heel when needed (and stops for roads). And to the left not in front of me and NOT crossing to the right for any reason at all. No stopping to sniff she can sniff on the move without a problem there is no need to stop.

[all that glitters]

Shyla walks beside me or in front of me but the moment she gets too pull-y I make her heel beside me again. On normal walks she hardly ever pulls though, it's a real pleasure walking her these days. If people or dogs are coming near us I bring her back into heel/beside me which she is fine with. She actually prances along beautifully when others are approaching which is better than her pulling towards them!

[tdierikx]

My two heel beside me - either one on each side, or both on one side - they know that if they don't behave, we go straight back home and no more fun for them.

If we go to the off lead park, they are eager to go play or run around like mad things, but they have to heel until we get to a spot that I like, then they sit and wait for me to unclip both leads - then they can run around... oh - and recall is perfect, as they know that if they misbehave on that one, it's back on the lead for the rest of the time at the park.

At home, they are allowed much more leeway with doing what they want - but in public they have to behave...

T.

[Tiggy]

Mine walk for their pleasure. If this means they drag me along striving to sniff something in front of them, or they walk off to the side, or they drag along behind, then so be it. That is what they do.

It should be a pleasure for you to

[voloclydes]

i am so glad when we go for a walk there are no leads.

none of ours are really text book.

leo pulls like a 500kg freight train in any thing other than a halti due to bad repeated training till we got him. he totally ignores a flat collar.

hallelujah for off lead acreage.