Episode #252 Leash Skills 2.0 — Beyond Pulling

You’ve taught your dog not to pull — now it’s time to understand why leash manners matter. In this episode, Amy breaks down the emotional side of walking on leash and explains how different types of walks — go sniff walks, training walks, and purposeful exercise — meet different needs. Learn how to make every walk more meaningful, keep your dog calmer, and enjoy smoother, happier outings together.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Episode Focus
• 0:55 Why Leash Manners Go Beyond No-Pull
• 1:23 Emotions And Arousal On Leash
• 2:12 Structured Training Walks Explained
• 3:02 Go Sniff Walks And Decompression
• 5:01 Physical Outlet And Energy Management
• 6:06 Mixing Walk Types Through The Week
• 7:30 Puppies, Progression, And Environment
• 8:19 Patterns, Insights, And Balance
• 8:45 Invitation To Advanced Leash Class
• 9:09 Key Takeaways And Closing

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Are you ready to take your dog's leashwalking to the next level? Today's episode is all about advanced leashwalking. Welcome to the Puppy Training Podcast. I'm Amy Jensen, founder of Baxter and Fella, the online puppy school. Here we are all about helping you create the best possible experience raising a puppy. From training tips to practical tricks, all aimed at fostering a happy, well-behaved dog who truly feels like part of the family. So if you are ready to enjoy the journey and strengthen the bond with your dog, let's get started. Welcome back to the podcast. Thanks for listening. Today we are talking about leash skills, and we want to go beyond basics. We want to go beyond just don't pull. So if you've listened to my earlier episodes on basic leash walking, you already know how to teach your dog not to drag you down the street. But today we're diving deeper into why leash manners matter, what's really going on emotionally for your dog on walks, and how different kinds of walks meet different needs. Because here's the truth: not every walk should look the same. Some walks are about training and structure, others are about exploring and decompression. And when we learn to match the type of walk to what our dog needs, we see calmer, happier dogs who behave better, both on and off the leash. Let's start with what's really happening for your dog emotionally when they are on leash. When dogs are out in the world, their senses are on high alert. There's new smells, sights, sounds, people, and other dogs. It's a lot of stimulation. Being on leash limits how they can respond to that stimulation, and that can create some frustration or tension. Now, here's the key idea: arousal in our dogs isn't always bad. It's simply energy or excitement in their bodies. But when that arousal gets too high, maybe another dog barks across the street or a skateboard zips by, that excitement can turn into pulling, barking, or even lunging. Now, your job on walks isn't just to keep the leash loose, it's to help your dog stay emotionally balanced. That means we're reading their body language and we're using the right kind of walk for the right situation. Next, let's talk about the different types of walks and what each one is for. So let's talk about number one training walks. These are your structured walks. These are short sessions when you're practicing leash manners, attention cues, and calm walking skills. Your dog's staying right by your side and they're giving you really good check-ins. Think of it like a mini training class in motion. You might use food rewards, you might reward check-ins, ask for behaviors like a heel, sit, leave it, or look at me. And the purpose is we're teaching your dog how to walk politely and stay focused on you, no matter the distractions that are happening around them. Now, here's a tip: we want to keep these walks short and positive, maybe five to 10 minutes, and then give them a break to sniff. Over time, your puppy will be able to do these for longer and longer periods of time, but in the beginning, keep them short, give them a go sniff break. You can even go back and forth between the two. So that brings me to our next kind of walk, and this is called a go sniff walk. So dogs experience the world primarily through scent. A go sniff walk lets them explore at their own pace, investigating those invisible dog emails that are left behind by others. Now, the purpose of this type of walk is mental enrichment and fulfillment. I like to use a longer line or a longer leash, if it's safe in your area, and I clip it to the back of my dog's harness, and then I say, go sniff, and I let them choose the path. You still have to follow the rule of no not following a pulling puppy, okay? So if your puppy's pulling, you cannot follow them. But that longer line is going to give you a little more leeway and give your dog a little more freedom to go sniff where they want to sniff. But you just still have to set that boundary of these are my parameters. You're still on a leash. If you get to the end of that line, I'm not following the pulling, okay? That's important. But your dog's going to love this kind of walk. They get to explore and smell and sniff. It's all of the things they love. Okay. So here's the magic: a good sniff session can be just as tiring, sometimes more, than a long run, right? It lowers their stress hormones and helps dogs decompress naturally. So allow your dog to sniff. I love go sniff walks and my dogs love them too. And you can do a little bit of both the training walk and the go sniff walk together, as I mentioned, but the go sniff part is your dog's mental health walk. Okay? It's where it reduces their stress and emotional tension and they just get to be a dog, which is really rewarding to them. And if your dog struggles with reactivity or anxiety, these kind of decompression walks are a must. They allow your dog's nervous system to reset, something structured walks alone can't provide. Okay, so that's all well and good. But what about your dog when they have pent-up energy? What kind of walk do we do then? So if your dog has a lot of built-up energy, they need to move and get that energy out. So maybe this is a brisk walk, like a faster-paced walk. Maybe it's a jog, maybe it's just a simple game of fetch or frisbee in your backyard. Or maybe if you're at the park, put a harness and a long line on your dog and let them chase a toy, right? So they're getting that energy out and they're getting a little bit of run in. Now, this is important to let your puppy dictate this. This is not us making them exercise. This is my puppy wants to run and they need to get some energy out. So I'm going to let them in a play sort of way. Okay. So this is more of a physical outlet for energy and stamina. And like I mentioned, it doesn't always have to be on leash. It can be in your backyard. It can be in a hallway. It can be, you know, just somewhere where you have an open space and you can just toss toys for your dog to get that energy out. Um, if you want, yeah, absolutely. Put the leash on and go for that faster-paced walk or a slight jog if your dog's wanting to do that. Okay. It's important that we let our puppies grow and mature before we're taking them on long runs. So talk to your veterinarian and figure out the best timeline to do that with your dog. But there will be times that your dog needs a physical outlet because they have all of that energy, right? So schedule times when your dog can get their energy out. Um, and remember that physical exercise alone is not going to solve behavior issues. So sometimes clients will call and say, I think I just need to exercise them more. And I said, Actually, it's usually opposite. You probably need to rest them more or give them more naps and you'll see better behavior. Um, but physical exercise is important. It just has to be balanced with mental and emotional work. Training is fabulous for this. Um, also the go sniff walks and training walks help with actually change behavior better. Okay, so let's talk about mixing and matching walks depending on our dog's needs. Like, how do we put this all together? Now, the best walking routine, in my opinion, is a mix of all the leash walks. So, matching this to our dog's personality, age, and energy level. Here's an example for a typical week. Maybe in the morning, I take my dog out on a short training walk. We practice focus before the day starts. I reward them when they check in with me. Maybe in the middle of the day, we do a quick uh sniff walk in the yard or the neighborhood and I let my dog explore and decompress, right? And in the evening, maybe we need to get some energy out again after dinner time. We go out and toss a frisbee or a throw-up ball, and then we end with a nice go sniff walk, which will do some decompression for my dog. For young puppies in training, we want to focus more on the go sniff walks when we're out and about. Their brains are still developing, and too much structure or stimulation can lead to burnout or frustration or even reactivity. So we want to make sure that we are doing the leash walking at an appropriate rate for our dog's learning. When they're young and small, we're doing it inside our home with minimal distractions. We're working on that focus and attention in increasingly more difficult environments. Um, and then when we do want to go out into the world and go for a walk, letting them sniff and decompress is super helpful because they're doing a lot of training already throughout the day. As our dogs grow and mature, they'll be able to handle more of a structured walk for longer periods of time. When we meet our dogs' needs for both movement and mental satisfaction, we see big changes. We see less leash frustration, we see fewer outbursts or pulling, we see more focus and relaxation at home as well. Now, as you vary your walks intentionally, you'll start to notice patterns. Maybe your dog's leash manners improve after a decompression walk, or they focus better on training walks after sniffing for a few minutes. That's your training insight. We want to balance structure with freedom to go sniff. If this topic has you excited to keep improving your walks, I'd love to invite you to our advanced leash walking class. It's going to be taught live via Zoom this Saturday. This class is included for all our members, and you can find the details, including how to join, on our website under classes and courses in our members' area. This is going to be a fun, interactive way to strengthen your connection and take your walks from just okay to truly enjoyable for both you and your dog. So to sum it up, leash skills are about more than control. They are about emotional balance. Different walks serve different purposes: training, sniffing, decompressing, or exercise, right? Now, the right mix helps your dog feel calm, connected, and content. So next time you grab the leash, ask yourself, what kind of walk does my dog need right now? That question alone can transform your daily routine. Thanks for listening, you guys. I hope you have a great week. Happy training. Thanks for tuning in to the Puppy Training Podcast. I hope today's tips help you feel more confident and excited about raising your dog. Remember, with a little patience and consistency, you can create a loving bond and a well-behaved pup who's a joy to have in your family. If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with fellow puppy parents. For more resources, visit Baxter and Bella online. Until next time, happy training.