For most dogs, going for a walk is one of the high points of their day, and you can’t blame them for being excited. However, you don’t want your pup to launch themselves out of the front door before you’re ready to head off, no matter how excited they are!
If their leash isn’t secured, or you aren’t prepared to keep hold of it, they could easily run off and risk being hurt by a vehicle or another dog passing by, and they could hurt you if they run out and you aren’t expecting it.
But how can you stop your dog from rushing outside when they’re just happy to be going on a walk? It turns out that all you need are some of the best dog treats and a helping of patience.
That is, according to Juliana DeWillems, the owner and head trainer at JW Dog Training & Behavior Consulting, who has explained what she does in a new Instagram post – and it’s surprisingly effective!
“As soon as we walk through the threshold, I say his well-practiced ‘Yes’ marker, which causes him to stop in his tracks and immediately turn back to me,” DeWillems begins. “I give him that promised treat and then I drop a few more treats on the ground while I close the door and get situated.”
She adds in the caption, “For this technique, you can use any cue that your dog loves to respond to. In some cases simply saying their name would work, but a lot of dogs tune their names out because we say it so much throughout the day.”
What the exercise does, she explains, is teach the dog over time that every time they go through the door, a treat shows up behind them – remember, positive reinforcement is always key! So, it’s in their best interests to turn back automatically. “This automatic turn back to me replaces launching out the door and ignoring me,” she summarizes.
She finds this technique less frustrating and more efficient than simply waiting for your dog to calm down inside the house when they’re excited to go on their walk or get outside to use the bathroom.
If you’ve got this part of your walk sorted already, but you’d like some advice to help you later on, when you’re outdoors with your dog, here are 15 helpful ways to get your dog to come back to you on off-leash walks. Meanwhile, here’s how to stop a dog pulling on a leash.
