Episode #245 One Minute to a Better Walk

Is your dog dragging you out the door the second you clip on the leash? In this episode of The Puppy Training Podcast, Amy shares a simple one-minute habit that can transform your daily walks. Learn what engagement exercises are, why they matter, and how this quick routine sets the tone for calmer, more connected outings. Whether you have a young puppy or an older dog with some pulling habits, this tip will help you prevent problems before they start and make walking together more enjoyable.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Sometimes we tend to overcomplicate things.
Today, I want to share with youone simple tip to make your
walks with your dog better.
Welcome to the Puppy TrainingPodcast.
I'm Amy Jensen, founder ofBaxter Bella, the online puppy
school.
Here we are all about helpingyou create the best possible

(00:21):
experience raising a puppy, fromtraining tips to practical
tricks, all aimed at fostering ahappy, well-behaved dog who
truly feels like part of thefamily.
So if you are ready to enjoythe journey and strengthen the
bond with your dog, let's getstarted.
Hey everybody, thanks for beinghere.

(00:42):
Today.
We are talking leash walking,and I know this can be something
that frustrates a lot of people, but it's also something that a
lot of people want to be ableto do with their dog.
I think we get a dog and wethink, oh, I have to take it on
a walk.
It's like this responsibility Ifeel inside of me to do, and so
we put a lot of pressure onourselves that we can do this.
We can do it well, and there'sa lot of work involved in leash

(01:05):
walking, but today I'm going totry to just offer you one tip
that will help your walks gomore smoothly.
Now, before we dive in, I justwant to remind you that we do
have classes and courses beingtaught live via Zoom at Baxter
and Bella.
So I know it's back to schooltime.
If you need something addedinto your routine or schedule
and you have a little more timebecause kids are back at school

(01:27):
now, please check out ourclasses and courses.
We offer six-week basic puppykindergarten.
We offer six weeks ofintermediate training.
We offer an AKC Canine GoodCitizen prep course so that you
can go and test your dog fortheir CGC.
We offer tips and tricks and wetalk about leash walking.
We have an entire class onleash walking.
So if you're just gettingstarted with a brand new puppy,

(01:49):
today's tip is not really foryou.
This is going to be once yourdog is out and able to walk on a
leash.
But if you need help gettingstarted, definitely head over to
our classes and courses page tocheck out our leash walking
class.
That'll get you up to speed andand then this tip will
absolutely be helpful.
All right, we also have classesthat you guys on biting,
jumping, reactivity, resourceguarding any dog topic you can

(02:12):
think of.
Really, we have created a classfor that to educate you on how
to handle that and to get yourdog behaving better.
Okay, so leash walking Now.
Leash walking is one of thosethings that takes a lot of time.
It takes a lot of patience andpersistence.
This is not something that justhappens.
This is something that our doglearns how to do, just like a

(02:34):
kid learns how to do math.
Right.
So they start out in elementaryschool and they don't even know
what a number is.
We have to start there, andthen we teach them how to
combine the numbers withaddition, subtraction, and then,
you know, by high school,they're doing calculus, which is
amazing.
Now, leash walking is that way.
Sometimes we get this puppy andwe think, oh, I have to take it
on a walk right away.
No, no, no, no.
First we have to teach it whatis a leash, how to look at us,

(02:56):
all of those things, and so Iwill teach you that in our leash
walking class.
But today, if you already havea dog and you've done a lot of
work on leash walking and it'sstill not going exactly as you
would like, here's one tip thatmight help you out.
Okay, so the next time you grabthe leash and head out the door
, I don't want you to just rushoutside.
Instead, pause, take one littlebreak for one intentional

(03:19):
minute of engagement exercises.
Now, what are engagementexercises exactly?
These are simply when your dogis tuned in and focused on you.
Now, before you leave the house, spend just one minute.
Even Two would be ideal.
One, okay, that's better thannothing, right?
One minute?
You guys practicing things likeeye contact on me, a simple

(03:41):
watch me or look at me, whateveryour cue is.
Anytime your dog gives you eyecontact as you're walking around
the house, reward them.
So just a few of those.
Some hand touches we teach youhow to do touch the touch cue in
our program.
That's where you just pop outyour hand and your dog nose
bumps your palm with their nose.
That's a check-in, right.

(04:02):
We like that.
You could do a couple of easythings like sit down or spin.
Some tricks that are fun.
You're just getting your dog torespond to your cues.
We really want that to happenbefore you head out the door,
right, you're kind of teachingthem.
Hey, we're about to go on awalk, but before we do, I need

(04:23):
us to be a team, I need us towork together.
Even a short recall, right,calling them from a few steps
away.
They come to you.
Reward them, move a few stepsaway, repeat that process.
So again, one to two minutes isall.
You're just getting your dog tocheck in with you by doing
simple exercises that theyalready know.
They're easy for them andyou're rewarding them for
working together with you as ateam.
These little games get yourdog's brain warmed up and remind

(04:46):
them hey, walks are a teamactivity.
You and I are in this togetherbefore you head out the door.
Now why does this work, youmight be wondering.
Can a single minute really makea difference?
Yes, I really think it can.
And here's why, when we clip onthe leash, our dogs already
know what's coming right.
They love patterns, so they seethe leash and they are excited.

(05:07):
And that excitement can lead topulling, lunging or ignoring us
the second the door opens.
But if we pause and we buildengagement first, we can prevent
pulling before it starts.
We can teach our dogs to checkin with us, not just the
environment.
We set the tone for the entirewalk and it strengthens our bond

(05:28):
because they're practicingworking with us instead of
rushing ahead.
Now a note on that.
If your dog does just rush outthe door, my question to you is
are you following them.
If your dog is rushing out thedoor and you're rushing out with
them, your dog is learning thatrushing out the door works, so
we can talk about that too.
That's probably a whole notherpodcast on how to get your dog

(05:49):
to wait at the door and topatiently exit, but just be
aware of okay, what am Iactually rewarding?
Because if things arecontinuing to happen, if your
dog continues to pull on theleash, then something that's
going on in your leash walkingis working for your dog.
Okay, something to think about.
Now.
This is like a warm-up before aworkout.

(06:10):
Athletes don't just sprint outthe door.
They prepare their bodies andtheir minds.
Our dogs need that too.
There are a few common mistakesthat we can make as handlers.
So let's be honest.
Sometimes we are in a rush.
We just want to get out thedoor, but skipping this step
often leads to frustration onthe walk.
Some handlers also ask too muchtoo soon from their puppies.

(06:30):
So keep it short and fun.
Don't try to squeeze in a fulltraining session.
Just one or two little games isenough.
As these engagement exercises,you don't need to stretch this
out too long.
We want your dog to enjoy itand to like it right.
Also, on that note, keep thewalks short and fun.
Sometimes we stretch them outtoo long.
Maybe we're halfway around theblock and that's where our

(06:51):
puppy's attention span ends,right, especially if you have a
younger dog.
Their attention span grows overtime as they mature.
So if you're starting too longof walks too soon, it's going to
be an uphill battle and wedon't want power struggles on
walks.
So also, remember, use rewards.
You guys Treats, praise, play,make checking in with you

(07:13):
worthwhile.
Engagement doesn't happenmagically.
If you take your dog out intothe world and they see a
butterfly or a squirrel or alizard, you guys know all of the
things, right, you're like, yep, I know, I know what my dog
loves.
Then we're competing with allof that.
We've got to have somethingthat makes us interesting as
well.
Right, and we teach that inside, in a non-distracting

(07:34):
environment these check-insbefore we ever head outside,
because it's way harder for adog to pay attention outside
than it is inside.
So, yeah, it just doesn'thappen magically.
This is work that you guys haveput in before.
You started outdoor leashwalking and we teach you all
about that in our class that Imentioned at the beginning.
So this is something.
Check-ins are something that webuild through positive

(07:55):
reinforcement and repetitions.
Now, what if my dog is tooexcited to focus?
You say that's a great questionand I hear it often.
Some dogs, especially puppies orhigh-energy breeds, can hardly
sit still when they know a walkis coming.
They are so excited.
If that's your pup, we want toagain start inside Practice
engagement in the living room.
Before you even pick up theleash, you can use high-value

(08:21):
food, rewards, something extraspecial and keep it super short.
Even one successful watch me orlook at me as a win.
Adding movement helps too.
Sometimes it's hard for ourdogs to sit still right.
We know they have a lot ofenergy and they just need to
move.
That's where some of thosespins comes into play.
Or tricks right High fives,shake touch my hand, right the
little touches or the recallpractice.
That's a great way to get a dogwho needs to move.
Because they're so excited theycan move as they check in with

(08:41):
you, which is great.
It's very productive, all right, so here's your challenge for
the week.
Next time you're ready for awalk, I want you to clip on the
leash If your dog is too excitedwhen they see the leash.
I want you to work on that asan exercise.
Can they sit, or can theycollect a food reward off the
floor, a little food scatterwhile you clip their leash on?
And then we set up this pattern, this future pattern of oh, I'm

(09:04):
calm when the leash goes onright.
So clip that leash on Beforeyou touch the doorknob.
I want you to set a timer forone minute.
I want you to do a fewengagement exercises, like we
discussed, and then head out thedoor and see if there's a
difference.
Exercises like we discussed,and then head out the door and
see if there's a difference.
Over time and with repetition,I think you'll be surprised at
how much calmer and moreconnected your dog feels, right
from the start.

(09:24):
All right, you guys.
Thanks for listening.
Remember, training doesn't haveto take hours.
Sometimes it's just these smallhabits make the biggest
difference.
Just one intentional minutehere or there before your walk
can prevent pulling, buildsconnection and it makes walks so
much more enjoyable for bothyou and your dog.
So give it a try this week.
One minute to a better walk,let's see how it goes.
Thanks for tuning in.

(09:45):
I hope you have a great rest ofyour week and happy training.
Thanks for tuning in to thePuppy Training Podcast.
I hope today's tips help youfeel more confident and excited
about raising your dog.
Remember, with a littlepatience and consistency, you
can create a loving bond and awell-behaved pup who's a joy to
have in your family.

(10:05):
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leave a review and share it withfellow puppy parents.
For more resources, visitBaxter and Bella online.
Until next time, happy training.