October 2011 Issue - Costa Calida Chronicle

HOW CAN I STOP MY DOG PULLING ON
THE LEAD?
By Tracy, your fully qualifi ed Dog Listener
in Spain
“Ever wonder where you’d end up if you
took your dog for a walk and never once
pulled back on the leash?” – Robert Brault.
“By mastering the walk, you have the ability
to truly bond with your dog as her pack
leader. The walk is the foundation of your
relationship” – Caesar Millan
With Autumn approaching and bringing with
it some much longed for cooler weather,
we can start enjoying some lovely walks
with our best friend, unless, that is, your
dog walking is a stressful experience. If
your experience of walking your dog is
being dragged round the block with the
dog wrenching your arm out of its shoulder
and your arriving back home dishevelled,
stressed and frustrated, then it’s time to
take control of the situation. The reason
your dog is pulling on the lead like crazy is
simply because he thinks he is the leader
and therefore he makes the decisions as to
where and how fast you go – in plain canine
terms, he is leading the hunt!
You can improve the situation immensely
by showing your dog, that you are the
leader and that you are quite capable of
making these decisions yourself. The fi rst
step you need to take is to gain control of
the situation before you have even left the
house – never take an over-excited dog out
of your house.
Well I am pleased to report that we had a
wonderful last minute holiday on a short
Mediterranean Cruise. I realised how lucky
we were when we met so many British people
who were so envious that we live here that it
did make me realise that we should not take
it all for granted. I did manage to buy a violin
whilst I was away as have been dying to take
it up again recently. I have not played since
I was about 15 years old, so could do with a
few lessons if there is anyone out there who
can help please let me know!
I had never experienced Refl exology before
and knew little about it when I decided to
fi nd out more, so I booked a session with
Drew Ryder (Mind and Body Therapist).
It is a very relaxing and pleasant experience
and I also learned quite a lot about how
areas on your feet are linked to all parts of
your body that I was not aware of before. I
am starting to realise that it is all very well
paying attention to my hair and nails etc on
the outside, but the inside needs some tlc as
well. I am defi nitely going to focus more on
these types of treatments in the future.
I spent a very pleasant afternoon/evening
Step 1 - If your dog has set times for his
walk and he comes and harasses you to let
you know it’s that time, you need to leave
it for a short while before getting up to go
out. This tells the dog that you make the
decision as to when the walk will happen.
Wait until he has calmed down and then get
up!
Step 2 – If, once you have decided it’s time
for the walk and you get up to put on a
jacket, or pick up your keys and the dog’s
lead, he starts leaping around excitedly
again, simply sit back down and wait for
him to calm down again. This step may
need to be repeated over and over until he
gets the message.
Step 3 – Once you have managed to get
the lead on to a calm dog, remember that
you should always leave the property ahead
of your dog. The walk should not begin with
the dog dragging you to the front gate. If
your dog starts to pull straight away, you
should turn swiftly and walk in the opposite
direction. This may mean that you walk
backwards and forwards on your driveway
or in your house for quite a while, but this
will send the message to your dog that you
are the one who makes the decisions as to
where you go – i.e. you are now leading the
hunt. If the bad behaviour continues, you
should cancel the walk at this time. Simply
turn around, head back indoors and sit back
down. The dog will soon get the message
that you only leave the house when their
behaviour is calm. I have known dogs resist
handing over leadership of the walk for 3
days!
with friends at the fashion show organised
by Jane’s Salon, in Bolnuevo. There were
some lovely items on show and all the
models looked fabulous, courtesy of the
staff at Jane’s Salon. They all had their hair
and nails done beautifully and looked very
glamorous. Jane’s Salon has a really wide
selection of treatments and therapies and is
well worth investigating.
I was delighted to visit “La Vista Café
Bar”, formerly The Sol Beach Bar in Los
Alcazares now under the new ownership of
Melanie Elkington. This location is beautiful
as it has a beach front view and is right on
the boardwalk. At this time of year it is a
wonderful place to visit as although many of
the summer visitors have left, there are still
plenty to see and the parking is much easier.
Whether you just need a cold drink, an ice
cream or a full meal, Melanie will assure you
a warm welcome.
I must just share this with you that my
favourite snack of the month must go to
Liz’s Cafe for their new Chicken Ceaser
Wrap. Ymmm
Teresa
Once these 3 steps have been mastered,
you will fi nd it much easier to take control
whilst actually out on a walk and be able to
deal with any undesirable behaviour such as
lunging at other dogs or other people etc.
Remember though, this is not a quick fi x.
This is an ongoing message that you need
to be sending to your dog.
Should you need further information or
help in understanding your canine friends,
contact Tracy on 868 082 011 or 630 021
386.
Tip of the month - You are what you
eat. This applies to dogs just as much as
to humans. Feed your dog a good quality
complete food and do not feed him leftovers
from your table. Limit treats to rewarding
good behaviour only.
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To place an advertisement with us please see page 5 or contact Teresa 619 199 407
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