3 Super Fun Games to Teach Loose Lead Walking

Holly Leake

Unfortunately, due to the behaviour being reinforced for a long time, it can be a difficult behaviour to reverse and requires a lot of practice and patience. In all honesty, lead training isn’t the most fun form of training, however it is a necessary evil if we want to enjoy walks without getting a bad shoulder. Nevertheless, lead training doesn’t have to be boring and this blog is going to show you why. We are going to consider 3 games you can play with your dog to teach loose lead walking.

Magic hand is a simple but fun game for teaching your dog to walk in the heel position. However, it does require your dog to catch treats, so expect hilarious fails until you are both well practiced. So to play this game, you will need a handful of treats and for the time being you can play with your dog off-lead. You can play this game indoors or in your garden.

Start by allowing your dog see that you have some treats and lure them to follow you. When your dog is by your side, drop one treat into your dog’s mouth and then take one small step forward. You may have to drop the treat quite close to their mouth to begin with and this may take some practice before you can start walking forward. Just ensure you are consistent and only drop the treats on the side you want your dog to walk to heel on. Also, we want your dog in the standing position, not a sitting position, so if they, sit take a step forward to encourage them into a standing position and then quickly drop the treat into their mouth while they are still standing.

When your dog becomes confident at catching, you can take a step forwards every time your dog finishes the treat and practice walking in a straight line. As your dog gets better at the game, you should be able to walk in a straight line quite quickly with your dog catching each treat. Now start changing direction and continue dropping the treats to keep your dog in the heel position. At this stage, they should be anticipating that standing in this position gets them a treat so they should be sticking close to you.

Once you feel your dog is competent at the game you can put their lead and harness on and follow the same steps. Then you can move the game to different environments to develop your dog’s lead skills.

Everyone gets excited at the sound of drunk walking. Unfortunately, it doesn’t involve alcohol but its still a fun game to teach your dog to improve their lead skills.

Drunk Walking is classed as a concept game as it teaches your dog that being by your side is a great place to be. Pulling often occurs because the environment is so rewarding, so this game teaches your dog that being near you is far more rewarding.

So to play this game, have your dog off-lead in the garden and have a hand full of very tasty treats. Start by placing one treat on the ground and then stepping away 3 steps as you count each one aloud. Then place another treat down and take another 3 steps in another direction as you count to 3 aloud. Make sure you are moving fast enough that you are walking away before your dog approaches the last treat you put down, however, don’t go so fast that your dog doesn’t see you place the treat down. Keep repeating this game, until your dog understands the rules.

Eventually, your dog should become very quick at the game and eager to keep up with you. Once your dog is confident with the rules of the game, try putting your dog on a long line and playing in different environments, such as your local park or field.

This quirky game is actually lead training for us, which is an essential part of your dog’s lead training.

So to play this game you need to put on your dog’s harness and lead and then carry a paper/plastic cup full of water, into your garden. You are going to hold that cup of water in the same hand you are holding your dog’s lead in and practice walking around your garden. The aim of the game is to try and keep as much water in the cup as possible. If you use the lead to pull your dog, the cup will spill, so you need to rely on your cues and body language to encourage loose lead walking rather than the lead.

Now this may seem like a strange game but bear with me. As a mantra, I tell clients that a dog’s lead isn’t for control, it’s for safety, however, one of the most instinctive reactions to a dog pulling, is us pulling back. Thanks to the term ‘opposition reflex’, we become trapped in a battle with our dog of pulling backwards and forwards to steady ourselves. This isn’t achieving any learning and is just causing you both frustration. Nonetheless, avoiding using the lead to pull your dog can be a difficult habit to break, which is why this game will be so beneficial. It will help you become aware of how much you use the lead and encourage you to use your cues, body language and treats instead.

Each game will go a long way in teaching your dog that being with you is such a fun and rewarding place to be and it will also give you the skills to encourage desired behaviour using communication rather than force.

So have fun training and you will soon see a huge improvement in your dog’s lead skills!

Start Your FREE Skill-Hub Trial Today

Commitment Free 3 Day Access

Canine Principles' Skill-Hub allows unlimited* access to ALL self-study courses, workshops & webinars.

*Requires Monthly Subscription. See Skill-Hub Subscription Page For Details.

Keyword 1

Keyword 2

Keyword 3

Exclusive News & Offers

Sign up today and be the first to know about new courses, exclusive discounts and freebies

Let me know about Canine Principles Offers

Thank You For

Signing Up.

Did You Remember To Enrol On Your

Free Course?

Canine Principles is a trading name of
CANINE PRINCIPLES LTD
Registered Company Number 11458645
VAT Registration Number: GB300008875
CPD Provider Registered Number: 60082
The CPD Standards Office

Sit! Stay! Wait!

Let me know about Canine Principles Offers

Thank you!

Canine Principles courses are externally accredited and have been reviewed by the accrediting body for quality and content.

Qualifications Canine Principles is an AIM Qualifications and Assessment Group recognised centre and has been approved to deliver AIM Qualifications. AIM Are an awarding body recognised by Ofqual.

Registered Provider Number: 161711
Each qualification carries an 8 digit qualification number that can be referenced against the existing qualification framework.

CPD courses are accredited by the CPD Standards Office.

All students must be aged 18 years+

Courses are assessed at the end of each module.

Qualifications Each module of a regulated qualification course, typically includes 2-4 written exercises and represent the module as a whole. Word counts and referencing guidelines are made clear for each assessment. Tutors will score assessments based on the agreed learning objectives. Students must keep an evidence file of all assessments for external auditing purposes.

CPD Courses The format may vary, dependent on the course. Typically, each module of a certificate course includes 5 - 10 revision questions and a single exercise.

Self Study Courses These courses are assessed via multiple choice quizzes.

Enrol on your chosen course directly from the course overview page.

Enrolled courses can be accessed anytime via the student dashboard. Once you are logged in to you account, select your course and you will be taken directly to the learning materials.

Online elements require an internet connection and suitable device.

Course books can be studied online or downloaded for offline reading.

Solutions to common account issues:

Course(s) not showing on dashboard
Skill-Hub courses are only available while there is an active subscription. Check your account to show the most recent payments and membership expiry.

Occasionally, students have more than one account as they have signed up for a free course or newsletter with a different email. Contact us using the form to solve this issue.

Email not recognised
Check all spelling is correct. Check the email account for previous correspondence from Canine Principles. If everything seems normal, contact us using the form to solve this issue.

Password Reset
You can manage your password here.

Manage subscription
You can manage your subscription settings directly from your student account page.

We welcome students of any age*, education or previous experience. Occasionally, our courses will require some prior learning. This will always be made clear in the course description.

(*All students must be aged 18 years+)

Canine Principles Skill-Hub is a monthly/annual subscription learning service. Membership allows unlimited* access to all self-study courses, workshops and webinars. Some courses and workshops are exclusive to the Skill-Hub, including the Skill-Hub members area, including presentations, interviews and webinars from a variety of Canine Professionals.

The 3 day free trial requires credit/debit card details to begin. Your card will be billed automatically when the trial expires and every month subsequently.

You can manage your subscription here.

We currently have students and graduates from over 30 countries worldwide. Online learning allows us to support all students, no matter where in the world you may be.

All courses are online study. You will not need to travel for assessments.

All Courses are written in the English language.

AIM qualifications only apply to students from the UK.

Canine Principles offers both self-paced and time sensitive courses.

Self-paced - All CPD Diploma Courses, CPD Certificate Courses, Workshops, Webinars and Self Study Courses are completely self-paced learning with no deadlines for assessments or completion.

Qualifications - All regulated qualifications inherit a 2 year registration period. The cost of registration is included with initial enrolment. When the 2 year registration period expires, students may re-register for an registration fee. Fees vary by course. Please contact us for details.

Canine Principles pledges to teach only kind, force-free, positive methods that promote mental and physical well-being for dogs, in line with current scientific research. Our courses occasionally discuss the use of other training methods, with the intention of providing education in why these approaches are ineffective and harmful to learning.

You will receive positive, personal feedback from Tutors who are always available to answers any questions and guide you through your learning experience. Tutors will respond to assessments within 72 hours (98 hours during weekends)

Students are also encouraged to support each other through built in student community and private Facebook Study Group. where discussions and new information are shared daily.

Thank you!

Welcome to Canine Principles

Thank you for enrolling on your learning experience. Your enrolment includes entry to the Canine Principles Facebook Study Group which is a highly positive group, filled with a vast range of experience. It would be great to have you join us.

Canine Principles welcomes students of all ability, experience and previous education. Whether you are a seasoned professional who wishes to further their personal development or an enthusiastic beginner with a passion for dogs, your self-paced study will be supported and guided with the same care and attention.

We appreciate it can be difficult and even daunting taking on a new study route. Education should be an enjoyable experience where the student is encouraged to thrive in their chosen field. We are far less concerned about grammar, spelling and formatting than we are about understanding the course material and demonstrating your knowledge of dogs.

Please don’t worry if you haven't studied for a while, you’re here now and that’s great. We aim for you to find this learning experience empowering and enlightening. With this in mind, we have prepared a short guide to help you achieve the most from your study.

Each individual has their own strengths, weaknesses and acquired skills that will help or hinder in their study. This guide is intended as an example of best practice that can easily be included in your current study routine.

Best Wishes,

Sally Gutteridge

Canine Principles Director of Studies

Get Some Exercise
In 2014, A University of Illinois Study, led by Dr. Chuck Hillman, found that as little as 20 minutes of exercise can lead to better cognition and memory, and higher scores on tests and examinations. This is great news for dog owners and something that you can definitely take advantage of as a daily walker.

Limit Distractions
Distractions can easily break our train of thought or pull us away from study all together. Find a suitable place to study that is conducive to learning. Set some time aside, ask for some privacy and turn off your phone.

Stay Hydrated
Dehydration contributes towards fatigue and poor memory. A 2012 study, conducted by the universities of East London and Westminster, found that results improved by an average of 10% when students kept hydrated throughout exams.

Read Out Loud
In 2015, Professor Victor Boucher of the University of Montreal completed research that suggested you are 50% more likely to remember information that has been read aloud than reading to yourself. You can either find a quiet place to read aloud to yourself or read directly to a friend or family member.

Teach as You Go
A step beyond reading aloud is to describe the lesson to somebody else. Try and make the subject understood and invite questions. If you don’t have the answer to the question, you have a new area of understanding to explore and study which will help to further your knowledge in a given subject.

Make Notes and Diagrams
Keep a pen and paper close to hand and be ready to note down specific areas of interest. Even if you are not artistic, a quick diagram that only you understand is a great aid to the memory and allows you to process the information in a different way.

Research
Even when you feel that you have fully understood a subject from the course material, take some time to research further by looking online, reading books or talking to others who are involved in the subject. The study group is a great place to meet like minded people who are also learning new topics.

Review
Going back over previous course topics and modules, with the benefit of newly acquired knowledge, can help us to understand the connection between subjects. If we only focus on one subject in isolation, the connection may never be made.

Create Flash Cards
Flashcards are a great way to test your knowledge. Write a subject on one side of the card and then explain the subject on the opposite side. You can either draw the cards randomly and test your own knowledge or ask a friend to help.

Each course will have a unique grading system, dependant on the number of questions and exercises available.

Assessments will begin by advising the maximum possible score for each section and how this score can be achieved. Every module has an overall pass mark of 80%. Whilst the pass score is 80%, any assessment that scores below this will be returned with constructive feedback. Feedback is intended to describe where further marks can be achieved. You can re-submit a revised assessment to improve your score.

Assessments that score between 80% and 100% will also be returned with feedback, however, there will be no further grading as the threshold for passing the module has been met.

Each assessment will be marked and returned within 3 - 5 days of receipt by your tutor. If you have submitted an assessment and have not received any correspondence within 4 days, contact us here, via email or the study group to confirm the assessment has been received.

Plagiarism is defined as:

“the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own”
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/plagiarism accessed online February 2018

Canine Principles has a duty of care to identify and deter plagiarism in order to comply with accreditation standards.

Before marking, all work is checked against Copyscape, an online plagiarism detection service. To avoid plagiarism, all work should contain original writing with the exception of small quotes and properly referenced research.

External research is a great way to improve your knowledge on any subject. Often, a course subject will be focused on the specific area that is relevant to the type of course. A course that covers the topic of scentwork may describe the scenting ability of a dog in great detail, whereas a course that covers dog training in general may only include a foundation knowledge of the same subject. For this reason, external research can provide an invaluable way of expanding on specific course subjects.

When you choose to include external research as part of your assessment, it is important that the work is clearly referenced. If you have previously studied at a higher level, you will be aware that there are many ways to reference your research. For the purpose of Canine Principles assessments, we are happy for you to include your references at the end of each answer.

References from online research can be included as a link to the source of the information:

Example:

...During a stressful experience, the canine immune system will begin to shut off nonessential functions in order to maximise the chances of survival. “The body sees no point in digesting food when danger is upon it. Neither does it place emphasis on fighting disease, for it is putting all that effort into fighting the threat on life itself, so the immune system shuts down.”...

(https://canineprinciples.com/fear-dog-physical-illness/ accessed online Feb 2018)

References from printed publications can be included in the following format:

Example:

A common mistake made by dog owners is to misinterpret canine communication in a way that suits our own style of communication and body language. “Anthropomorphism, the attribution of Human characteristics to non-human creatures – to phenomena such as weather, and even inanimate objects like rivers and mountains – is an intrinsic part of human nature.”

(John Bradshaw, In Defence of Dogs P.148)

In both examples, the external research is highlighted as a quotation and clearly referenced.

The following section includes 3 different answers to the same question. All of these answers are correct, however they will each vary in the level of demonstrated understanding.

Question: Describe how you would apply an emergency improvised muzzle to a dog, for the purpose of performing first aid safely.

i. Create a large loop in a bandage and slowly slip it over the dog’s muzzle. Tighten the loop so the dog’s mouth remains closed and he can’t open it. Pass the ends under the chin, knot again and then tie behind the ears to secure it.

This answer describes the correct process of applying an emergency muzzle. The method is correct; however, no consideration has been given to safety. To improve on this, and answer the full question, we can include more detail...

ii. Slowly approach the dog, talking gently. Create a large loop in the gauze bandage and slowly slip it over the dog’s muzzle. At this point, it is best to stand behind the dog. Tighten the loop so the dog’s mouth remains closed and he can’t open it, not so tight as to cause pain. Pass the ends under the chin, knot again and then tie behind the ears to secure it.

This answer has improved and includes personal safety advice. We now have a correct answer that covers the whole question. To demonstrate our understanding of the subject, we can go one step further and cover the whole subject in greater detail.

iii. Any injured dog, no matter how gentle they are normally, can bite when painful or panicked. Unfortunately, an injured animal is highly likely to bite, even if you are trying to help them. You may also be in a situation where you need to help a strange dog during an emergency. It is a useful and important skill to be able to muzzle a dog in an emergency situation. Some people will carry a muzzle in their car for emergency situations. However, you can also use a shoelace or gauze bandage. Slowly approach the dog side on, talking gently to reassure them. Be mindful of the dog’s body language and communication efforts while he is experiencing pain. Create a large loop in the gauze bandage and slowly slip it over the dog’s muzzle. At this point it is best to stand behind the dog to prevent direct eye contact. Tighten the loop so the dog’s mouth remains closed and he can’t open it, not so tight as to cause pain. Pass the ends under the chin, knot again and then tie behind the ears to secure it. NEVER apply a muzzle if the dog is struggling to breathe or vomiting.

This final version is an excellent demonstration of the whole subject. We have added information about the subject of emergency muzzles and included advice for keeping the dog free from additional pain or suffering.

You will receive positive, personal feedback from tutors who are always available to answer any questions and guide you through your learning experience. If you ever have any questions about course material or assessments, you can contact us here via email or through the study group.

Students are also encouraged to support each other, through access to a private study group where discussions and new information are shared daily.

Students are also encouraged to support each other, through access to a private study group where discussions and new information are shared daily.

Canine Principles offers both self-paced and time sensitive courses.

Self-paced - All CPD Diploma Courses, CPD Certificate Courses, Workshops, Webinars and Self Study Courses are completely self-paced learning with no deadlines for assessments or completion.

Qualifications - All regulated qualifications inherit a 2 year registration period. The cost of registration is included with initial enrolment. When the 2 year registration period expires, students may re-register for an additional registration fee. Fees vary by course, please contact us for details.

CPD Courses
Upon successful completion of your course, you will receive 2 certificates. The first certificate is supplied by Canine Principles and the second is supplied by the CPD Standards Office. All Certificates are available to download on successful completion and marking of the final exercise.

Qualifications
Upon successful completion of your course, you will receive 2 certificates. The first certificate is supplied by Canine Principles and the second is supplied by AIM Qualifications, an independent awarding body. Both certificates will be available as a digital downloads only.

All Other Courses & Workshops
These courses come with a single Canine Principles digital certificate of completion.

You will receive positive, personal feedback from Tutors who are always available to answers any questions and guide you through your learning experience. Tutors will respond to assessments within 48 hours (72 hours during weekends)

Students are also encouraged to support each other through built in student community and private Facebook Study Group. where discussions and new information are shared daily.

Thank you!

3 Super Fun Games to Teach Loose Lead Walking

Magic Hand

Drunk Walking

Shaky Waters

Start Your FREE Skill-Hub Trial Today

Commitment Free 3 Day Access

Latest From Our Blog

jo test

The Brave Walk: Journeying Towards a Professional Dog Walking Career

Rethinking Dog Training: Beyond Commands and Corrections

Follow Us

Exclusive News & Offers

Canine Principles
#Dog Skills For Humans

3 Super Fun Games to Teach Loose Lead Walking

Magic Hand

Drunk Walking

Shaky Waters

Start Your FREE Skill-Hub Trial Today

Commitment Free 3 Day Access

Latest From Our Blog

jo test

The Brave Walk: Journeying Towards a Professional Dog Walking Career

Rethinking Dog Training: Beyond Commands and Corrections

Follow Us

Exclusive News & Offers

Canine Principles#Dog Skills For Humans

Sit! Stay! Wait!

Remember To Enrol On Your FREE Course

Loose Lead Walking

Help Centre

Ask Us A Question

Student Guidelines

Ask Us A Question

Your gift is waiting for you!

Canine Principles
#Dog Skills For Humans

Remember To Enrol On
Your FREE Course