On teaching loose leashing walking with your dog and your child….
On growing Dog Super Heroes: First teach your dog the value of walking by YOUR side by marking and reinforcing your dog for being next to you; and then teach your child how to be a calm, positive teacher to your dog the same way. Dog Super Heroes know they should never pull on their dog’s collar or jerk his leash because dogs do not like that and could even be injured. If you live in Cincinnati, and have a child between the age of 6 and 10, please consider joining me for my My Dog’s Super Hero class Jan 23 at United Pet Fund. Special thanks to my friends at Hulafrog Cincinnati Eastside, OH, Cincinnati Family Magazine and Hamilton County Public Health for helping to spread the word.
A word of caution about your child walking a big dog: if your dog sees something and suddenly lunges or lurches toward it, your child could get hurt and your dog may be loose to run toward that stimulus. Always be very careful to actively supervise and be watching the surroundings as well as your dog’s body language. Even better, you can hold onto a second leash.
Link to info and registration for My Dog’s Super Hero, a Cincinnati dog training (and bite prevention) class for kids, please click here.
