People who own a big dog will know the struggles of taking them out for a daily walk. But one dog trainer revealed how you can stop your pet from ‘giving you a hard time’
Owning a dog in the family can be quite special. But choosing to get a dog can be a massive decision which leads to a major lifestyle transformation. From financial changes to making time to just take your beloved pet out for a walk, it can get hard.
Now one dog trainer revealed what you can do if those daily walks are starting to give you a hard time. Posting on TikTok, the dog trainer, known as @youis.k9.service, who boasts nearly 5,000 followers, shared a clip about a Staffordshire bull terrier lead pulling transformation. He said: “In this video, we have a 10-month-old Staffordshire bull terrier pulling as hard as he can on the lead giving the owner a real hard time.”
The trainer from the canine service, based in Middlesborough, claimed the harness won’t help as it allows him to pull more comfortably.
Instead, the best way to achieve this is with a flat collar. The expert continued: “This boy had a lot of pent-up energy so before we did any training, we had a quick game of tug-of-war to drain some of that out of him.
“Tug-of-war is great, not only can it be used for exercise, it creates a better bond between dog and owner and builds confidence when you let them win, so always let your dog win.”
Playing a quick game him teaches some lead manners and lays out clear boundaries with balance training.
“Don’t worry if your dog isn’t food or play motivated, this is achievable without any reward system and if you’re struggling you can always drop me a message,” he explained.
“It was then time for the owner to have a feel of how her walk should be and she was over the moon. After just a one-hour session, this dog and owner can now enjoy their walks to the fullest.”
Pet owners are often wondering how many times to walk their dog a day. Providing an example, this means a four-month-old puppy should have two 20 minute exercise periods per day to meet their needs.
When it comes to adult dogs, she says the general rule is to exercise them for 30 to 60 minutes twice a day.
However, she acknowledges breeds like border collies may need more time outside than chihuahuas.