Such A Drag!

I just got off the phone with a new client.  She called because her dog embarrassed her at the vet's office today by dragging her through the door so quickly that she ended up ramming her shoulder against the door frame and tripping over a potted plant! I tried to lighten the mood by suggesting that her dog might just be one of the very few who really can't wait to get into the vet's office!  She scoffed and said that no matter where she goes, good or bad, that dog is dragging her there.  Bummer. But it doesn't have to be that way, right?

I got a few more details about her dog and made a couple of suggestions on how she might go about fixing this completely fixable problem.  She was surprised to learn that even a class could help as she did puppy training when her dog was younger and they didn't do much leash work there.  I explained that classes aren't just about obedience skills, per se, that there are classes for pretty much any skill or issue she could possibly want to work on!  There are leash walking classes where you work on getting your dog's attention and teaching them to stay with you on a walk out in public.  Doing a class for this problem is actually quite beneficial as unlike at a private lesson, you can guarantee the presence of other dogs and lots of distractions if you take a class.  Plus, you get the added benefit of a group of other dogs owners having the same problem as you to sympathize, commiserate, and cheer you and your dog on!

I love teaching single issue classes and seminars because targeting one specific issue, like walking nicely on a leash, means everyone enrolled is truly there for the same reason, and it allows me as the instructor to dive into the "why" of the behavior we are correcting.  I truly feel that these single issue classes/seminars are the wave of the future as they allow dog owners to target specific problems they are having and deal with them faster and more effectively that just taking a basic manners class where leash walking is covered, but it is one of many issues examined so it isn't the primary focus. A huge benefit of these targeted classes is about time management. Because you are only dealing with one issue, the classes are shorter, usually 1-3 sessions, which means less stress on your own busy calendar.

I am really hoping this client signs up for my next leash walking seminar.  In the meantime, we are going to work out some of her dog's other issues in the comfort of her own home....while she ices that shoulder ;)