Leash hand stuck to me, non leash hand swining.
In the video above I tried to capture where my hand was when walking Miss Elsa. You can see how loose the leash is and it’s movement while I hold my hand on my waist. This is natural for me, it takes a while become a habit. But it’s a good one to have.
Leash handling, what the heck is that? Well, it’s the handling of your leash and the way you do it can make all the difference for how your dog walks and how much they enjoy their walk. I will discuss how to work on loose leash training in another blog; this one is specifically about the leash and how YOU handle it.
The first thing I want to talk about is arm swing; this is something that we humans do naturally, but it can really put a damper on a walk. Just picture yourself walking along, leash in hand with your arms swinging as they do. What is happening with your leash? It is also swinging and could be swapping your dog in the face with every swing. It is extremely important to know what your leash is doing.
“Keep your leash hand glued to you.”
This lesson was ingrained in me 46 years ago (yikes) when I started in obedience.
Because I have been handling and working with dogs for sooooo many years, these things tend to come naturally for me. Holding my leash hand close to my body makes sure that the leash is not swinging and hitting my guys in the face. If you keep forgetting to stop your leash hand from swinging, put it in your pocket.
If you keep your leash hand swinging you can also be pulling forward, then back, then forward, then back; which can be extremely annoying, confusing and upsetting to our dogs. Keep that leash hand/arm stationary.
I clearly remember seeing a medium sized doodle walking ahead of us on a walk one day. The poor dog was trying to move further and further away from his guardian’s swinging arm and whipping leash. He deeked and dived trying to avoid the leash and snap that were hitting him in the face. As he attempted to avoid the leash by moving away; the person on the other end of the leash kept trying to pull him back. It was a lose/lose situation.
Another handler error is the equipment itself. Where do you keep your poop bags? On the leash? Not a good idea; whether they are in a poop bag holder or tied directly to the leash. These things can also swing around, even if you are good about not swinging your leash arm. Get a fanny pack and keep your “dog stuff” in there.
How about the clasp, how heavy or large is it? I see people walking their dogs all the time with huge leash snaps that look like they weigh the poor dog down. Big enough and they can be another swinging thing that your dog has to learn to dodge on their walk.
Then there is the leash itself; there are so many types of leashes out there and many people opt for a much to thick and heavy one. Unless you’ve got a monster beast, most dogs don’t need a huge leash. I like cotton web leashes and the newer biothane type. Typically my leashes are 5/8” width and all sorts of lengths for different walks.
The mechanics of your walking style plays a huge part on how much your dog may or may not enjoy their walk. Have someone video you walking your dog and watch it back; you may be very surprised what your dog has to deal with on their daily walk.