During winter months, walking Fido can prove hazardous. Snow, ice, and wind can be hard enough to maneuver alone, but add your four-legged friend and it can be adventurous at best.

One way to better enjoy winter walks is to teach your dog the art of loose leash walking. The best time to teach Fido is long before the bad weather hits. But it is never too late to start.

The best way to start is to reward polite pacing. As your dog walks close to you, without pulling and tugging, give him a treat every few seconds. When I say a treat, I mean just a small portion of a full size treat, not a hotdog size treat.

The treat will give him motivation to stay next to you, so he needs to be hungry. That is why it is important not to feed Fido before you train.

Next, you will want to keep him surprised. While taking Fido for a stroll, keep changing directions. This will keep your dog anticipating your next move and will cause him to better pay attention to you.

During your walks, you need to forbid Fido from pulling. If he starts to tighten the leash, stop right where you are.

If you stop walking every time he pulls, eventually he will stop too and come back to you. When he comes back to you, start walking again.

All dogs are not going to be as easy to teach as just following a few steps. Working breeds are especially strong and some are even bred for pulling, so you may need some additional help.

A head collar, sold under names such as Gentle Leader, will greatly reduce your dog’s ability to pull against you and help you keep control. Head collars are safe and use positive reinforcement, unlike devices such as choke collars, which enforce positive punishment.

This will make walking a positive activity, instead of a negative one.

If you find yourself still struggling to get Fido around the block, seek out help from a professional trainer.

Remember, every dog deserves to be treated like a show dog.

Tony Barker

The BARKer Shop