I met with a client, socially distanced of course, who is immune compromised. Because of this, she rarely leaves her home. She has hired a dog walker for her adolescent dog during the week and her adult children rotate walking the dog for her on the weekends. So what's my role? I'm there to to work with the dog on manners, as well as guide the owner through the pitfalls of doggie adolescence as her dog does have some anxiety as well. One of the things that makes this dog most anxious is other dogs she sees on leash. She jumps, spins, barks, whines and pulls to get to other dogs. Her over-the-top behavior has resulted in more than one on-leash altercation with another dog, so now she has ambivalence about seeing other leashed dogs when she's on a walk. The dog walker likes to use a pinch collar on the dog to correct the pulling, the owner's daughter like to use an easy-walk harness while her son likes a body harness as he walks and runs with the dog. The owner wasn't sure if it was okay to be using all of these different types of systems to walk her dog and if there was one "best route to go" long term so as not to increase her dog's anxiety or confuse her, but to make sure the dog was safe on her walks. I love that she asked me this question!
First off, it's okay for different people to use different tools when walking a dog, even if they are walking the same dog. While one person might need a head halter, for example, to feel comfortable walking a dog, someone else might feel that a harness works good enough. What works for any given person on a walk with a dog must take several factors into consideration. The age of the person walking the dog, their strength and comfort level with walking a dog, their past experiences with dog walking, and their relationship with this particular dog. Thus, while a dog walker might feel comfortable with a dog on a flat collar and leash, that same dog may need a harness with its owner if they are older, have trouble controlling the dog, etc. Walking the dog on more than one system will not confuse the dog at all. They know who they are walking with! The key is finding the right tool for each person, the one that they are most comfortable with using, and then acclimating the dog to that tool and letting them know what your expectations for their behavior on walks actually is.
Another thing to keep in mind is that circumstances change. While you may have been able to walk your puppy on a flat collar and leash, you may need to change to a front hooking harness when that dog is an adolescent, and maybe even move on to a head halter when they reach 18 months to 2 years of age. It's nice to have a "dog walking tool box" filled with different collars (flat, martingale, choke chain, etc.), different harnesses (front hook, back hook, loop behind the legs, and head halter), and different length leashes (4 foot, 6 foot, and 15-25 foot for practicing recall). That way, you will always have what you need to walk the dog you are dealing with on any given day.
When Ozzie was young, he was a hard-core puller. He was fearful and would panic and spin in circles around me and then pull me over! We had to move from a flat collar and leash to a Thunderleash style harness for a while until I got his anxiety under control. He's now back on a flat collar and 6 foot leash. We used to walk our Labrador on a head halter as she would pull hard on anything else, including a pinch collar. And our Pug walked on a body harness that hooked on his back. For smaller dogs, body harnesses are safer than collars as they are gentler on their necks and tracheas if they pull a lot on leash. Every dog is different and you don't want to get stuck on just one type of collar or harness. You need to be flexible and figure out what works best for you if you are the person walking the dog. And if you use dog walkers for your dog, let them tell you what they need to safely walk your dog for you.
Finally, remember that while you don't want your dog to pull you down the street, nor do you want to be dragging him along, you do need to seek that middle ground. He doesn't need to heel all the time; give him some leash to sniff and explore. Try to make the leash a bit slack so he doesn't feel tension while he's sniffing and exploring. Use the leash to guide your dog, not yank him along. Talk to your dogs, tell them when it's safe to sniff and tell them when they need to move along. Use treats to make yourself more important than anything else out there on that walk. And have fun! Walking your dog is great exercise and a good chance to bond with your canine companion.
As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.
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