#173 Leash Feel: Your Hidden Connection

Send us a message - we can't reply but we are listening

Walking your dog should be enjoyable, yet those moments when your dog suddenly lunges or pulls can be jarring and frustrating. What if you could anticipate these movements before they happen? That's exactly what "leash feel" offers – a skill professional trainers rely on that most pet owners never develop.

Support the show

🎙️ Have a topic you'd like us to cover?
Submit your suggestion at fiveminutedog.com using the contact form.

📚 Join our online training platform:
Dog training courses from Personable Pets

👩‍💻 Need one-on-one help?
Book a virtual session with a Family Dog expert: personablepets.com/virtual-sessions

📱Follow us for daily tips and updates:
TikTok | Facebook | Instagram

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Have you ever walked your dog and suddenly they were
pulling or darted off to theside and you didn't see it
coming?
That moment where the leashtightens and you're like wait,
what just happened?
Trainers almost never have thatmoment.
Why?
Because we've developedsomething that I like to call

(00:24):
leash fill, a way to read whatthe dog is doing through tiny
changes in the leash, oftenwithout even looking.
When I'm walking my dog on along line and he could be behind
me and I can still usually tellwhen he shifts directions or
starts trotting or slows down oreven hesitates, and not because

(00:48):
I'm watching him, but because Ican feel it through the leash.
This isn't magic, it's just askill learned over time and it's
something that every dog ownercan learn and should.
And why does it matter?
Because the leash is more thanjust a safety tool.

(01:08):
It's one of your clearestcommunication lines.
If you only notice it when it'stight, you're missing 90% of
what your dog is telling you.
Learning to feel those littlemicro movements helps you.
It helps you catch poolingbefore it starts, helps you

(01:29):
understand when your dog's focusshifts, it helps you feel
hesitation or curiosity and ithelps you stay connected without
micromanaging.
And it is especially useful onlong lines or evening walks when

(01:49):
it's starting to get a littlebit dark.
Here's a way to practice havesomeone stand behind you holding
the leash like they're your dogand then have them move, maybe
shift their weight, walk a fewsteps, turn, wait.
Walk a few steps, turn your job, close your eyes and try to

(02:09):
guess what they just did basedon how the leash felt.
I know it sounds weird, but itworks.
You'll start noticing just howmuch info is in those little
shifts and once you notice,you'll start to anticipate
instead of react and over timeyou'll walk more with your dog
and less against them.

(02:30):
So if you want better leashskills, start with your hands,
feel the leash, soften your grip, pay attention to those little
changes, because once you learnhow to read the leash, your

(02:50):
whole walk changes.