The Facts on Dog Bite Lawsuits

While dogs may be our best friends, some dogs can become aggressive and bite someone. A dog bite falls under the law in the personal injury category. Each state has various laws regarding the liability of the dog's owner. Following are things you should do if you are bitten by a dog.

Dogs that bite can do it for a number of reasons. Perhaps the dog has always had an aggressive nature and perceives you as an unwanted stranger. Historically, there are certain breeds that have been known to harbor aggression. The Pit Bull breed is a common example.

The dog's breed is only one factor and doesn't always mean the dog will be aggressive and prone to biting. You might encounter a dog that has been healthy in the past and free from offensive behavior. However, now the dog has suffered from a health illness such as rabies. Rabies can cause dogs to become disoriented and lash out by biting people. A classic sign of rabies is drooling and foaming of the mouth.

If you are bitten it is imperative that you have your bite checked out at the hospital as soon as possible. Dogs can be a host to several bacterial and viral infections that you can contract such as ring worm. Make sure however, that you remember the type of breed to help a doctor assess the extent of the wound. Write down the contact information of the dog's owner should you need to file a lawsuit.

Dog bite lawsuits arise when the dog bite is serious enough to cause injury, mental aggravation, and hospital bills. It was beneficial that you wrote down the dog breed and the dog owner's contact information because you will need it when filing a dog bite lawsuit. Should you choose to file a dog bite lawsuit, you will need to contact an attorney to understand your rights and requirements for filing.

An attorney will explain the specific dog bite lawsuit laws in your state. It is good to know that the majority of states hold the dog's owner liable for any dog bites. It will also need to be determined if the owner had prior knowledge of the dog's aggression. This is termed "dangerous propensities". Did the owner know in advance that their dog was of a certain breed that is prone to biting? Did they provide the required safeguards to control this unwanted behavior in their dog?

Additionally, some states have enacted legislation that involves "strict liability". The owner is liable for their dog's actions whether they knew the dog was dangerous or not. Anytime their dog bites someone they are held liable no matter the situation or circumstances.

On the flip side of the coin is to view this from the dog owner's perspective. Let's say the dog owner had prior knowledge that their dog may be dangerous or may bite someone. The owner then took protective measures to keep his dog in a secure area. He also had placed "Beware of Dog" signs on his property and has warned others not to approach his dog as the dog may attack. The owner had done all this, but someone didn't listen or even provoked the dog on purpose.

If the owner has provided these safety precautions they are sometimes not liable due to "contributory negligence". "Contributory negligence" means that the person who was bitten understood the dangerousness of the animal, but proceeded to place themselves in the dog's environment anyway. This type of dog bite lawsuit often ends in favor of the dog owner.

If you do file a dog bite lawsuit you can sue for compensation regarding medical costs you will incur due to the dog bite, pain and suffering, property damage, and affected wages. A vicious dog bite can leave you unable to work for some time and you need a way to recoup your losses.

You can also be awarded punitive damages in some cases. Whether or not you are awarded punitive damages depends on the behavior of the dog's owner. Did the owner intentionally provoke their dog and put you in the line of fire? If so, the dog owner's behavior will be punished by granting you an additional punitive damages settlement.

If you suffer from a dog bite you can rest a little easier knowing that many health insurance plans cover costs associated with dog bites. Hopefully, you won't ever have to deal with a dog bite and dog bite lawsuit. Understand though that if you are bitten by a dog you do have legal claims. The extent and nature of the legal claims vary from state to state, but the basic guidelines have been discussed in this article. Consult an attorney that has worked on dog bite lawsuits in the past to figure out the best course of action.

Read More

How to Find a Certified Dog Trainer

Are you in the market for a dog trainer? Do you want your dog to learn from a top notch certified dog trainer? You may have dreams of seeing your dog in professional dog competitions and shows. Therefore, you need to have your dog trained by a certified dog trainer to ensure the best results.

 

Why should you hire a certified dog trainer instead of a basic dog trainer? A certified dog trainer is one that takes their dog training career seriously enough to become certified. You can feel comfortable in the fact that they have met high dog training standards and passed certification exams and tests. You don’t want a fly-by-night dog trainer, but a certified dog trainer that is in it for the long haul.

How do you find a certified dog trainer? There are numerous dog trainers available in the market place today. Dog trainers range in age, skill level, and experience. Your neighbor might tell you that they are a dog trainer because they have read a few books on the subject and taught their dog to fetch the newspaper. This is not sufficient dog training experience.

You should consult a variety of resources. Try asking your dog breeder, groomer, and veterinarian. They can direct you to local dog training schools that have certified dog trainers on their faculty. Various pet supply stores have dog training programs that train and certify their dog trainers. Example pet supply stores include PETCO.

However, research what they mean by “certification”. Is the certification by PETCO standards only or by a universal certification? Find out what the requirements are for their certified dog trainers. Only then can you determine if their dog trainers will supply the skill level and experience you desire.

You need to find a dog trainer that has had comprehensive training and can proudly demonstrate that they are a certified dog trainer. Be aware, though, that there are many “certified dog training” schools and home correspondence courses available. Not all of these schools are credible nor do they provide proper instruction. You need to find a dog trainer that has certification as described by the Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers.

The Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers is a well respected organization that provides testing and certification services for dog trainers. They administer specific dog training tests in various states around the country approximately twice per year. These intensive tests root out the professional dog trainer from the average dog trainer. Check out their website at: http://www.ccpdt.org/.

The Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers also provides a listing of certified dog trainers. You can search through this listing to find a certified dog trainer in your area. This roster of certified dog trainers comprises certified dog trainers all over the world. The certified dog trainer list will give you their contact information including name, city, phone number, and e-mail address. Another great feature is that they list the date the dog trainer became certified. This will let you know how many years they have been in the dog training business. Peruse the list at: [http://ccpdt.org/rstr/index.html].

Certified pet trainers do not only need to pass a certification exam and testing, they must also continue their education through workshops, conferences, and other means. When selecting a certified dog trainer ask them about the extent of their continuing education. You want a certified dog trainer that continues to hone their craft. They should actively learning about various dog training methods. This demonstrates that they are committed to providing the best dog training.

A certified dog trainer should have at least three to five years of dog training experience. This is especially true if they charge higher fees. You can take the plunge with a newly certified dog trainer if cost is an issue. Newly certified dog trainers may charge lower rates in order to establish a list of clients and garner experience. “Master” certified dog trainers are those that have twenty to thirty years of experience. They may have great skill and in depth background experience, but may come at a higher price.

You have the beginning knowledge regarding finding a certified dog trainer. Spend time searching resources available through your dog breeder, veterinarian, and pet supply store. Scour the book store, library, and Internet for detailed information. You can find a certified dog trainer in your area as well.

You wouldn’t go to an unlicensed doctor would you? So why would go to a trainer that is not certified? Certified dog trainers are out there and ready to help you and your pooch learn valuable skills. They are committed to your dog, their career, and learning everything they can about becoming a top notch dog trainer. Who knows, your certified dog trainer may help your dog win the Westminster dog show. Not only would your dog be trained well and achieve glory, but the expense would be well worth it.

Read More

Dog Aggression: How to Recognize & Respond

Many dog owners are bewildered when they hear their dog growl, bark, or take an aggressive stance. Unfortunately, many of these animals end up in shelters because the owners could no longer live with the dog. Would you give up on your child that easily?

Of course not! When a baby is brought home to his new family, everyone understands that the baby is learning your language and teaching you his. We begin to understand our child?s cry or garbled sounds because we focus on trying to understand him.

Your dog has his own language as well. Understanding dog aggression and your dog?s language will help prevent undesirable behavior and dog bites. Let?s begin our understanding of dog aggression with the acronym DOG BITES:

Dominant

Opportunity

Game

Boy/Girl

Injury

Territorial

Escape

Dominant aggression is also known as competitive aggression. It is brought on when one dog feels challenged for his social position by another dog (or human). Dogs are pack animals. Social order helps feed and protect the pack.

The dog with the highest social order is called the ?alpha? dog. The alpha dog gets all the perks such as eating whatever he wants, sleeping wherever he wants, and dictating to the others in the pack. He decides when the others get to eat and sleep.

Even owners of a single dog may observe dominant aggression since the dog sees the owner as a member of his pack. An example of this type of aggression is demonstrated by the dog who lays on a favorite chair and growls at the owner when told to get down.

The aggression is a challenge for social position and dibs for the seating arrangement. How the owner reacts to the challenge determines whether the dog becomes more aggressive or submissive in the situation.

Here?s a less obvious challenge to an owner?s dominance in the pack?

You are sitting in the living room watching television. Your dog comes up to you and slides his head under your hand. You think your dog is adorable and wants your attention, so you pet him as requested.

Here is the punch line to this situation. Petting is similar to licking. Submissive, less dominant dogs in the pack lick the more dominant dogs. In other words, you were challenged and responded with an OK to be the submissive of the challenge.

Petting (or licking) behavior does not always signify submissiveness. There are other situations when dogs lick, but we will not pursue that topic here. What we will offer here is a suggestion on how to respond to the situation above.

Gently cup your hand over your dog?s muzzle. Rub behind his ears with a little pressure. These actions closely resemble social order biting. Dominant dogs bite the ears, nose, and neck areas of less dominant dogs to keep them in line. Just watch a mother dog with a litter of pups! You?ll see the behavior right away.

Opportunity aggression is aggression that is intended for another dog or person; however, it is redirected to a closer dog or person because the opportunity to attack is better. An example of this type of aggression is demonstrated when trying to break up two fighting dogs. Sometimes, the person breaking up the fight gets bit.

Caution is the best approach to take with opportunity or redirected aggression. If a dog is agitated, it is better to maintain a safe distance until the dog feels less vulnerable and relaxes.

Game aggression is predatory in nature. A dog will chase anything that moves away from it. The dog is a natural hunter of small game. When something runs from a dog, the dog?s chase, hunt, capture, and kill instinct takes over.

A human cannot out run a dog. If a dog attacks, the best course of action is to lie down and play dead. This action is a submissive move.

You have probably seen a dog lie down and bear his vulnerable belly to a more dominant dog. He is communicating to the more dominant dog that he is not a threat to the more dominant dog.

Boy/girl aggression is all about the hormones! This type of aggression is also known as sexual aggression. The male dog protects his female from other dogs and potential threats to his progeny.

Female dogs, however, also display this sexual aggression when they are pregnant, nursing, or in heat. Even the most docile female may growl or attempt to bite anyone who dares to pick up one of her pups too soon!

Sexual aggression is reduced through spaying and neutering. Most veterinarians recommend spaying or neutering your dog during the 6-12 months of age.

Injury aggression is aggression brought on by injury or pain. You might easily see this type of aggression in a dog that has been hit by a car or one who is suffering from age-induced arthritis.

Injury or pain aggression is best handled by seeking medical care for the dog. Try not to touch the painful areas unless absolutely necessary for therapy or to get your dog to safety. Diet, activity, medications, and bedding may help alleviate the pain and therefore, the aggressive behavior.

Territorial aggression is aggression displayed to protect the pack?s territory. The dog?s territory may be much different from your thoughts of the house and backyard. Indeed, if you take him on any walks, he may even consider the whole neighborhood his territory!

When a dog is in a new environment, he may be ?territorial? because he isn?t sure of his surroundings. This is why a dog that is boarded may be ?cage aggressive.? The dog is protecting the small territory of the cage from intruders.

When this is the case, let the dog have his space. He is stressed out and will feel protected in his own area.

Territorial aggression may also be used to protect the pack from perceived external threats. A protective dog is one that shows aggression toward other animals or people when he perceives a threat to his owner or other members of the pack.

A dog may also show territorial aggression with possessions. He will protect anything that he perceives as his. This includes food, bedding, toys, affection, and anything else that is part of his world.

Escape aggression is also called fear aggression. A dog that is afraid will often shake. The ears will probably be all the way back on the head and the tail will be low. He feels powerless and puts up a fight because he feels trapped like he has no where to escape.

This type of aggression may also be brought on by the fear of punishment. Imagine someone standing much taller than you with his hand raised above his head. Is he going to hit me?

Read More

Does Your Dog Bite? How to Protect Your Dog and Yourself from Liability

MuttShack Foundation for Animal Foster and Rescue, claim that dogs bite more than 4.7 million people every year in the United States.

The blame could be the dog's, the owner's, or the victim's. But the one who invariably pays, is the owner. The owner of the dog becomes responsible for paying for the medical bills, time lost from work as well as pain and suffering. The one who suffers most, is the dog that is abandoned in a shelter or disposed of.

Dog owners should assume more than their share of the responsibility for protecting people and other animals from their dogs, and also assume the responsibility to protect their dogs from people. Kids will run up to a dog screaming in delight and frighten the dog. A dog in his excitement to greet someone may jump up and scratch him or her. A passer-by may approach a dog aggressively or provoke him. Neighborhood kids may let the dogs out just to have some fun.

There is no way to guarantee that your dog will never bite someone. But you can significantly reduce the risk:

o Spay or neuter your dog. This important and routine procedure will reduce your dog's desire to roam and fight with other dogs, making safe confinement an easier task. Spayed or neutered dogs are much less likely to bite.

o Socialize your dog. Introduce your dog to many different types of people and situations so that he or she is not nervous or frightened under normal social circumstances.

o Train your dog. Accompanying your dog to a training class is an excellent way to socialize him and to learn proper training techniques. Training your dog is a family matter. Every member of your household should learn the training techniques and participate in your dog's education. Never send your dog away to be trained; only you can teach your dog how to behave in your home. Note that training classes are a great investment even for experienced dog caregivers.

o Be alert with your dog around children. Rambunctious play may startle your dog, and he may react by snapping or biting. Neighborhood children may be attracted to your dog, so make sure you have a child-proof lock on your gate and there is no way for little hands to get through the fence.

o Teach your dog appropriate behavior. Never teach your dog to chase after or attack others, even in fun. Your dog can't always understand the difference between play and real-life situations. Set appropriate limits for your dog's behavior.

Don't wait for an accident.

The first time he exhibits dangerous behavior toward any person, seek professional help from your veterinarian, an animal behaviorist, or a qualified dog trainer. Dangerous behavior toward other animals may eventually lead to dangerous behavior toward people, and is also a reason to seek professional help.

o Be a responsible dog owner. License your dog as required by law, and provide regular veterinary care, including rabies vaccinations. For everyone's safety, don't allow your dog to roam alone. Make your dog a member of your family. Dogs who spend a great deal of time alone in the backyard or tied on a chain often become dangerous. Dogs who are well socialized and supervised are much less likely to bite.

o Stay on the safe side. If you don't know how your dog will react to a new situation, be cautious. If your dog may panic in crowds, leave him at home. If your dog overreacts to visitors or delivery or service personnel, keep him in another room. Work with professionals to help your dog become accustomed to these and other situations. Until you are confident of his behavior, however, avoid stressful settings.

I thought you said your dog doesn't bite? "That's not my dog" ... says Peter Sellers.

Seriously, if your dog bites someone, act responsibly; take these steps to mitigate the harm:

o Confine your dog immediately and check on the victim's condition. If necessary, seek medical help.

o Provide the victim with important information, such as the date of your dog's last rabies vaccination.

o You should cooperate fully with the animal control official responsible for acquiring information about your dog. If your dog must be quarantined for any length of time, ask whether he may be confined within your home or at your veterinarian's hospital. Strictly follow quarantine requirements for your dog.

o Seek professional help to prevent your dog from biting again. Consult with your veterinarian, who may refer you to an animal behaviorist or a dog trainer. Your community animal care and control agency or humane society may also offer helpful services.

If you have to let your dog go, don't drop him off at a shelter, where he will only be given a few days to live. Take the time to find him a new family. To do this there is a support and training network called MuttShack, at http://www.Muttshack.org, who will teach you how to re-home your pet.

o If your dog's dangerous behavior cannot be controlled, and you have to make the painful decision to give him up, do not give him to someone else without carefully evaluating that person's ability to protect your dog and prevent him from biting. Because you know your dog is dangerous, you may be held liable for any damage he does even when he is given to someone else.

o Never give your dog to someone who wants a dangerous dog. "Mean" dogs are often forced to live miserable, isolated lives, and become even more likely to attack someone in the future. If you must give up your dog due to dangerous behavior, consult with your veterinarian and with your local animal care and control agency or humane society about your options. Be safe, be responsible and most importantly, teach your dog to be a good canine citizen.

o Your dog lives to make you happy. If he understands what you need from him, he will make you proud.

About Muttshack:

Muttshack Foundation is a 501(c) 3 non-profit, a project of the National Heritage Foundation, established in 1968. MuttShack Foster and Animal Rescue promotes the education and creation of foster homes for abandoned and abused animals.

Muttshackers rescue animals from shelters, rehabilitate and nurture them to health in homes (MuttShacks) and find them quality, permanent new families.

By intervening and rescuing shelter animals about to be put to sleep, MuttShack fostering stops the senseless killing of healthy animals in overcrowded shelters.

Read More

How to Keep Your Dog From Running Away Plus How to Build a Very Cosy (Free) Pet Bed

How the big four commands save lives 

 

According to the National Health Service and media reports, over 4,500 incidents a year in the U.K. involve dogs and people, with children being the biggest victim group.. You are more likely to be bitten by a dog than win the lottery!

One incident is an unwelcome statistic but until you accept that your pet dog runs away because you let it these incidents are going to continue to occur. There are 5 basic steps, 4 big commands and 3 essential pieces of equipment which you need to learn how to use effectively to gain control and to build discipline into your dog. This guide explains how to do this and how to stop your dog running away. A collar and lead are working instruments of control, just the same as holding your child's hand. Mobile phones are another safety device we use with our children to maintain contact and for a much safer and secure environment. Our dogs are no less important and are at a higher statistical risk than our children. Your voice alone is not going to be enough. Whistling is hard work and it assumes your dog finds the whistle more compelling than what is at the end of its nose. You must start to appreciate that stopping your pet running away is a skill to be learned and developed on an on going basis, and like people, the input of patience and unconditional love, will very likely be paid back. The probability is that if your children are model children then your dog probably will be too, but that doesn't mean it is going to be easy to train, it just means you probably have the mindset and determination to keep your dog safe and disciplined. I admit this article may be a bit controversial but the techniques work and will not harm or hurt your dog. Neglect and ignorance is a much bigger killer. If you want to stop your dog running away there are 3 things your must achieve:

• Instant response
• Your dog's whole and undivided attention
• Complete obedience

You need to understand that there are 3 reasons why your dog will run away:-

1. Sex
2. Cruelty
3. Owner mismanagement

All three of the reasons as stated above can get your dog killed or seriously injured. If you then overlay lack of success with the 3 disciplinary aspects you have serious issues to deal with and you need to correct this quickly or risk your dog causing death or serious injury. The end result will be the loss of your pet by lethal injection, gunshot or fatal injuries. If minors are involved and they are your own family it will destroy not only your life but that of your entire family. This is how I see it anyway and it is this that motivates me to get it right. Your pet running off is not to be taken lightly. I propose to examine a few simple helpful hints that might make your life more bearable and improve your relationship with the animal at a level you can both appreciate and work on to good effect. I am going to ignore the first two reasons that cause running away. If you need guidance to deal with them please give your dog to a loving home, this article is not for you. Your dog is born with senses which once engaged are so compelling that you pale into insignificance the minute they are engaged. You don't need to be a dog whisperer to understand this, but you can see it for yourself the minute you call your dog back. It is not a great moment when your dog embarrasses you for your inability to handle it. I think one year in a dog's life is about 6.5 of our years, so by the end of year one your dog should be starting to make out sounds, short sentence structures and words. The four most important commands in order are:

1. sit
2. heal
3. down
4. stay

Dogs are quick learners. Not only do they know your mood, they take everything right to the edge all the time and they are also very persistent. The sooner you start teaching them the better, try to make it fun without finishing up with a fat dog. Remember your children should not be force fed a big McDonalds every time they get their table manners right and The National Hedgehog Road Skills award has never been won by a hedgehog. A lead is the equivalent of your child's hand. You communicate through it just the same way. You would not let your child pull you off your feet, especially on a main road, so use the same discipline with your dog.

Read More

How to Prepare Your Dog for Your Newborn Baby

If you are like much of the population, your four-legged friend is your first "baby." Many people worry needlessly about how their dog will handle a baby in their life. Many owners think of getting rid of the family pets because of fears that they will harm the baby. Please do not do this unless there is no other option. Most dogs, when treated and trained properly, can handle life with a newborn very well.

Children and pets make wonderful companions when raised properly together and taught how to behave with each other. Children that grow up in a home with pets learn respect and love for animals, and more importantly, respect for life. As the children grow older they can learn responsibility by helping to care for the animals. Animals enrich our and our children's lives beyond belief.

Having a baby can cause problems for both humans and dogs, as the dog tends to be treated differently, and because of this, may act differently. Some owners baby the dog more, causing the dog to become spoiled and hard to handle. Other owners get over-stressed and punish the dog for normal, curious behavior toward the baby. Often our pets are the center of our world, our "babies" if you would, and can get "jealous" if not equipped to handle losing that status to the new baby. If you are willing to make the time and effort to prepare your pets for the new arrival, everyone can live in harmony.

Sometimes the dogs become overprotective of the baby. Many owners enjoy and even prefer the dog being a guard for the baby. While it is normal for the dog to become protective of the baby, it is dangerous for the dog to become overprotective and not let anyone near the baby. All of the above scenarios can lead to the dog being kicked out of the house!

As you are making preparations to bring home baby, you need to prepare your dog(s) for the same in advance if possible. While most dogs will be very gentle with the baby, many dogs do not see babies as humans because of their size, smell, and the strange noises they make. By taking the time to give your dog some extra love and attention he should be fine and not turn to bad behavior to get your attention. You need to prepare and educate your dog for what lies ahead. This will ensure that they are ready and willing to accept the new family member with open and loving paws.

Using calming remedies (herbs, aromatherapy, oils) and or prescription medications are also an option to help facilitate a better behaved dog. You can talk to your veterinarian to inquire about these products and the implications associated with their use. I am a believer in the holistic approach whenever possible, instead of using drugs.

Please, please always be aware that your dog is an animal and animals can bite or do harm to a baby, intentionally or unintentionally. No matter how well-behaved or loving your dog is NEVER LEAVE YOUR DOG ALONE WITH YOUR BABY! I cannot stress this enough. Accidents can happen. You do not want to harm your baby or have to get rid of your dog because of an unfortunate, and possibly avoidable, incident.

If you are unsure that your dog will accept your new baby, please seek the advice of a professional trainer or behaviorist before making any decisions.

Believe it or not, your behavior with, and toward your dog matters. It can make or break your dog's acceptance of and respect for your baby. If you act like a leader, you will be treated like a leader. You want your dog to respect every human being in your household, including your baby. You must teach your dog respect for the baby. This will make life easier for all those involved.

Read More

Walking Your Dog

One of the most common issues when walking a dog on a lead is the pulling the dog does. Sometimes it may feel like your dog is taking you for a walk and you aren't too far of the truth. It makes for one of the most unenjoyable experiences and often it can cause people to stop walking there dog or limit the number of walks they do. It can lead to great stress in the dog owner and can lead to a feeling of immense frustration. The good news is that people do train there dogs to walk beside them and any dog can be trained to walk properly on the lead.

Scenario

Time to take the dog for a walk.

We get up from our chair perhaps saying to the dog "walk time", the dog responds by getting up and coming to life. We head to the bedroom putting on a coat or changing into more appropriate clothing for the walk. During this time we may make more eye contact with our dog and talk to it which leads it to bounce around and often this makes us happy because our dog is happy and can't wait to go for a walk. So we only encourage this more and more cause we want our dogs to be happy. Usually the next thing is we start to head towards the door and if you come down stairs or walk down a hallway you will find your dog runs towards the door before you can even get there. We may at this time tell our dog to slow down or calm down.

As we draw closer to the front door the dog may start to bark and spin around in circles in excitement. At this point we may get our dog to sit, even though it maybe shaking in excitement. We put the lead on our dog and pretty much as soon as the dog hears the click of the lead it stands up and heads straight at the door. It's about this time that we start to get angrier and our first out-burst maybe here, where we yell at our dog and command it to sit. We open the door and as soon as it opens our dog leaps outside dragging us with them. This makes us even angrier so we pull the dog back to us and attempt to shut the door and maybe we yell out to someone inside that we're are taking the dog for a walk. We start to head towards the road and all the way our dog is pulling us like a freight train, they may start to sniff a bush then mark it, giving us a little relief before they rocket to the next spot to mark or sniff.

It can be quite embarrassing especially when people start to stare at us and watch as our dog drags us down the street. It's around this time we may either loose it and yell at our dog or just accept that this is what our dog wants on its walk. Often on the walk we can hear the dog choking on the lead which makes us attempt to reason with the dog by telling it to wait or stop, when all this fails we let out more lead which allows it temporary relief before it charges ahead and continues to choke itself. The only way we stop the choking is by walking at its pace. By the time we get home the dog has slowed down and perhaps it may not be pulling much on the lead. That is till we reach our home. When we approach the door our dog starts to again pull at the lead and drag us to the front door.

We then open the door and our dog charges in and we look exhausted and find the walk is not enjoyable, rather it's a chore. From here we start to associate walks with negative thoughts and thus we start to become less incline to take our dog for a walk. It seems hopeless and all the tips our relatives and friends give us just don't work well or only discourage us. So being a proactive person we start to look around for information on how to walk your dog properly. After Googleing "how to stop your dog pulling on a lead" we have found this article. Or maybe you found this other ways - it's not important. What's important is that this issue is very common and with some simple tips and consistent training your dog will be walking properly on a lead.

Your Walk begins before you go for a walk:

Dogs learn from being rewarded. The behaviour of our dog is a direct reflection of how we reward our dog for certain behaviours. If your dog jumps around in excitement it's because you have rewarded this behaviour. A reward can be as simple as talking to your dog, touching your dog or even eye contact. It's important to know a reward is not just a chocolate drop; it comes in many forms and often is associated with body language. Also, hugely important, is that the training of a dog doesn't stop. There is no such thing as "training time" and then the rest of the time with your dog. You can teach a dog to sit and stay however once this stops your dog will still be learning - especially how to behave in different situations. Just like how kids don't stop learning when they come home from school.

Our energy is often another large part of how a dog behaves. If you get up and jump around all excited your dog will mimics this energy. If you get up with no heighten energy, no eye contact with your dog, nothing said, your dog will most likely get up and walk around slowly (especially if your dog follows you around the house everywhere).

How on earth does all this relate to walking your dog properly? Well the walk begins as soon as you get up from your chair. In the scenario above when we got up from our chair to go for a walk we said to our dog "walk time" which alerted our dog to heightened its energy and thus it got excited. Often we have trained our dog to react a certain way to words or body language by accident and its these triggers which cause our dogs to react like nutters sometime.

So first thing, if you are about to go for a walk totally ignore your dog and don't let on you are even doing anything. Don't make any eye contact, say nothing and try to keep a well balanced energy. Often it maybe good to visualise a reason you are going for a walk, perhaps rather than taking your dog for a walk your are walking to the local Dairy to grab a bottle of milk and your dog is following you. Remember that when you are going for a walk, you aren't walking your dog. Rather you are going for a walk and your dog gets to come with you. This is very important because without this going through our head we may do subtle things the dog picks up on which make it think it can lead you on this walk. If your dog is pulling on your lead, it means it's leading you.

So when your get ready for your walk, totally ignore your dog, give it no triggers to make it heighten its energy. Your dog's energy should not be heightened, if it is then you need to sit down and restart this over again until your dog doesn't react to you. There is no point continuing the walk if you leave the house with a dog which has heightened energy.

The front door is usually a place where your dog will have high energy (it's a trigger) so don't take your dog to the front door to put the lead on. You should put your lead on the dog away from the door, in another room. When you put the lead on make sure that the dog doesn't just take off, nor should it get excited. You should be ignoring your dog and simply place the lead on it. The dog should not even notice it has a lead on. If it does get excited when you place the lead on then you should lower the dog's energy by taking the lead off and sitting back down. Again you should never take a dog with heightened energy for a walk. Putting the lead on is an important part because this is like the front door and often is a high energy trigger. The reason why we make sure that our dog's energy is low before we move to the next step is because the dog will take this heighten energy onto the next steps and all you will be doing is training your dog to have high energy when you take it for a walk. What we are doing here is training your dog to have low energy at each phase of the walk.

Your next step is to have the dog on the lead next to you. Make sure the lead is short and you must lead your dog to the door. Don't let your dog rush the door and don't let it get in front of you. You should have full control of the dog. If you find it's pulling on the lead or getting uncontrollable you should take it back into the room you came from, lower its energy by making it sit and wait. Once its energy is lower then take it to the door again. Keep repeating this step till you can take the dog to the front door without it pulling or tugging on you.

Make it sit and wait at the door. The next part often will cause your dog to try and leap out the door. This again is a sign that your dog wants to lead the walk or is to excited for a walk. So make sure it is sitting and is calm, if you find your dog is crying you can stop it by using a command sound like "sssssssst". If you use a word like "stop" or "wait" you may put emotion into it which only punishes a dog as it only hears the sound of the word, they don't understand the word. Open the door. If the dog leaps out, shut the door and take the dog back into the previous room. Make it sit and wait till its calm. Again take the dog to the door and open it. Sit it there with the open door for about 10 seconds to give it time to get use to the outside smells and environment. You should exit the door and your dog should follow you. Once you are outside make your dog sit and shut the door. Another issue that can happen at this stage is that your dog may follow you however it may jump out the door and try to rush outside. If it does this then repeat walking through the door again until it stops doing this.

Now for the next stage. If you have a fenced property then grab a ball take your dog off the lead and throw the ball around for about 15 or so minutes - until your dog is almost drained of all its energy. Let them have a drink of water and then place the lead back onto your dog. Now your dog is ready to go for a walk. Why do we do this? They will be a lot easier to control since there energy will be low. Why go through all the stuff inside your home to lower your dog's energy? Because your dog needs to learn leaving your home with a low energy.

Make sure your dog is on a very short lead and keep them beside you. The short lead means you have control of them and they will not choke themselves. Focus on a visualisation like heading towards the dairy and getting your milk. Your dog should be beside you and you must now ignore your dog. If it tries to pull sideways you need to counter this with a short tug back towards you. Don't drag your dog, the tug should be very short and quick. This unbalances your dog and snaps it out of wanting to sniff the bushes. If you drag a dog you could injure it and possibly yourself. In a short time you should be able to pick up when your dog is about to be wayward and a simple small tug on the lead should correct it.

You need to lead this walk so you need to be confident on your walk, ignore your dog and just head towards your destination. With your dog at a lower energy they should be easier to control and with a short lead they should never get in front of you. If they do start to attempt to pull ahead of you do a quick tug and use the "sssssssssst" command to get them back to your speed. Don't let your dog take over your walk. One of the most common mistakes is using a lead that is to long and letting your dog get a head of you - then you have no control at all and your dog will do what it wants. Your dog also doesn't need to sniff every bush on your walk; this is just a territorial behaviour and should be discouraged. If you keep your dog beside you and it doesn't get away from you within a short time they will get use to this and should make walking a lot more easier.

The next very important part of a walk is when you come home. When you enter your front door your dog must be in a calm state and not excited. If we let them enter the home excited then next time we go for a walk they will carry this excitement with them. So make them sit and make sure you enter your home first. You should take them into the living area behind you in a calm state, take the lead of them and just walk away. Also make sure no one else in the home makes any fuss of the dog as this can lead to your dog thinking it's the leader of the home. Which is found in another article: Are you the pack leader? Often it's good to feed a dog after its done some activity as feeding will also cause your dog to go to sleep which is the natural dog cycle: Exercise > Discipline > Food > Sleep.

Read More