Tuesday Training Byte: Preventing failure

I like to set my dogs up for success. I pay close attention to not rush them into situations that I know will lead to undesirable behaviors. I set strong foundations and build slowly before asking for more than my dog can manage. One tool I often use in the house is a leash. If I get an adult dog that is not housebroken or that counter surfs, I do not trust him to be loose in the house. I let him drag a long line that is light weight, so I can grab it at a moments notice to prevent the bad behavior. There are also belt leashes that secure around your waist so that you can be hands free and go about your routine while you dog is tethered to you. Dogs can be so very fast that catching them before they grab the sandwich off the counter is not likely. This way I can preempt the snatch. Some of these bad behaviors are so rewarding for the dog that they will for certain repeat them if even halfway given the opportunity. The leash in the house removes that. For example, chasing the cat. If your dog is tethered to you when the cat appears, chasing is cut very short. One dog I bought at a little more than 2 years of age could not be trusted to not bolt out of my SUV as soon as I opened the door or hatch, Our vet clinic is on the corner of a busy intersection, so I wanted to prevent my new dog from getting hit in traffic. He wore his collar and leash in the car's back seat and the loop handle of the leash was around my right wrist. When I get out, I have control over my dog. I don't want to find out in that situation that my dog has a lousy recall in new environments! As we work to build a strong foundation and proof the dog in increasingly more distracting environments, we can one day be ready to take the leash off when in the house or car, but not a minute sooner, lest the dog grabs the meat left out on the table and heads for the hills. Happy training!

Keep your dog on the leash in almost all situations until your dog is 100% reliable to not misbehave.