WORKING SERVICE DOGS

You may not be aware of it but as you are moving on the field while training or just walking with your dog you are communicating not only through your body but you are also communicating through the lead.
As you walk with your dog while he is on a lead, if you choke the lead up, the dog has no movement.
When people are walking or working with the dog they have a tendency to hold the lead tight. The closer we get to the neck of the dog on the lead the more control people think they have.
That is false security.
The closer we get to the neck on the lead, the less control we have.

If you take a fully trained dog and try and grab him by his collar, you will find that he will want to pull and get away from you.
If you have a loose lead on him you will have complete and utter control.

People do not feel good having a loose lead in their hand because they do not feel as though they have control. It is peoples natural instinct to tighten the lead. You need to fight against your natural instincts to lock up the lead.

When grab the lead and lock up you are giving direction to the dog all the time and the dog is staying cocked all the time. For example, if the dog wants to take in information and wants to sniff at something and you pull the lead tight, you are making him suspicious of something that he wants to sniff. If the lead is loose you can simply direct him to "leave it" and correct him. You have given him a direction and a correction. He will accept it fully because the lead is loose. He his not fighting against you but obeying you.
You have total control with a loose lead, no control with a tight lead.
Mike McConnery 03/25/02

©2002-Baden K-9, Mike & Emmy McConnery

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