Leash Work

Have you ever noticed how people manage their dog leash? I think it says a lot about the whole relationship with their dog. Are they paying attention to their dog and where their pup is walking?

Here are my completely biased observations:

• Flexi-lead walkers: I've written about flexis before and don't like them as I think owners are often oblivious to their dog. I find most either walking with a friend chatting, or on the phone—in either case, the dog wanders unobserved somewhere at the end of the lead. Pros: I have never seen a dog wrapped up in their flexi lead.
• Short leash walkers: Many have either a short lead, or a long lead that is looped enough times to make a short leash. The dog is on a tight heal. The dog? Old ones plod along looking resigned to the whole experience. Young dogs, eager to explore, usually are looking elsewhere with a gap on one side between their neck and their collar as they try to pull away. Not often do I witness an exceptionally well-trained dog healing no matter what their leash length. (This says a lot about dedication to training. I am no exception to this, unfortunately.)
• Long leash walkers: How frequently have you seen some dog at the end of their six-foot leash with the lead wrapped around a leg? These are the ones that most amaze me. Is the owner not aware of this? Don't they feel the odd pull of the leash? Hats off to the pups who just march along. What an uncomfortable walk!

I just got Bella a harness. Bella is an infrequent puller. She often walks ahead of me; I have not mandated a heal...sometimes to my regret. But on occasion, she'll spot the perfect stick in a yard and without a moment's hesitation, lunge for it. I worry about what that's doing to her neck, hence the harness. It has a chest d-ring and one on the back. A strap goes not only around her chest and across the front, but also between her front legs for stabilization. For inveterate pullers, hooking to both d-rings is supposed to give you much more control. I find the chest ring sufficient to eliminate the pull on me when that stick is spotted.

There are two things I am getting used to with this contraption. One is the feel of the leash swinging. It is a totally different sensation hooked to the front of Bella than a leash feels hooked to her collar. Two, because the leash is hooked to the front, I have to be more mindful if Bella is on my left or right. We live in an area without sidewalks, so sometimes it is necessary that she walks on my right, at others, she needs to be on my left. I'm trying to learn how to move the leash in front of her before she moves to a different side so the leash isn't over her back and pulling her in a circle away from me.

FOOTNOTE: I just switched her leash to the back d-ring. Much better! No wild swinging and she can walk on either side without an issue. Because Bella is not a dynamic puller, the extra control I might get from the chest d-ring isn't necessary. Easy schmeasy!