Thanks for the articles. They are great and I will start immediately. However if you have to walk your dog on a lead for hours e.g. where there are sheep; you need to let them sniff and investigate things. But then at times you need to keep walking. How do people manage that?
I have two cues for when mine are on lead. One is "heel", where I expect them to stay close and heads up (this part is a work in progress!) and I release them with "go sniff", where they are allowed to go to the full extent of the lead and do what they want, as long as they don't pull. You can use the "go sniff" as a reward for a little while of "heel". I hold the lead differently for the two ways of walking, which is an additional cue; for walking to heel, the loop is in my right hand and I take up the slack in my left. For "go sniff", I just hold the handle in my left hand, so they can move farther away from me. Mine have also picked up that they're never allowed to "go sniff" when they're on pavements, so seem to have taught themselves that tarmac when on lead is its own "heel" cue. If I ever needed to restrict their exercise to on-lead only, I'd introduce a "go sniff" on pavements, too, but for now it's quite nice for them to anticipate this one thing. To have your dog come away from a smell and back to heel is simply a case of proofing your heel cue against sniffs.
I have a six foot lead and have trained a 'this way' with both my dogs which means they need to come with me but don't need to stay close. I also use this way instead of a recall if they're off lead and I want them a bit closer. It helps keep my recall clean.
Personally I have one behaviour I expect for on-lead. Walking, head up and loose lead - no faffing or sniffing! It makes things simple for them and me. All sniffing is for free runs
I have a cue as well, it's FREE. Somehow he knows it means only to the end of the leash but anywhere he wants when off the leash. As well, most of our walking is off leash and I only have one route we do on leash at times of the year. That route runs alongside the bush we are often off leash in and lots of dogs walk along that section. On that section I allow sniffing. He must mind his leash manners on the short leashed walk to get to the off leash places. I don't demand a HEEL at those times though, just near my side and no pulling.
We have two modes of walking, taught separately. One is 'loose lead walking' where Obi (Labrador) can go anywhere he wants and sniff what he likes as long as he keeps the lead loose. The lead is about 2m or so. I don't allow indefinite sniffing though - I move him on with a 'let's go' and a treat reward if it goes on too long. The other mode is 'heel' where he has to stay close to my left leg without sniffing or stopping, and we use this for passing cyclists, prams, on narrow paths etc, usually for a short distance only, to get past some hazard. It's totally up to you to decide the rules - just be consistent
I have a similar system to Rachael where our lead is a 2-3 metre lead with sniffing allowed as long as the lead remains loose. I have a "let's go" if sniffing goes on too long. When passing cyclists, prams, pushchairs, joggers I just shorten the lead to around half it's length and we continue on a loose lead with no other comment. In town I use an adjustable lead but have it at it's longest length - held in the right hand and some slack in my left. I give a "walk close" to Juno and the lead has to remain slack and no sniffing is allowed.
Saba is just learning loose-lead walking, and I allow him to stop and sniff, using 'walk-on' as his command to get a wriggle on. On lead, I want him to walk in a relaxed and controlled manner rather than strictly to heel. I've started on some heel work off-lead, using the 'heel' command, and an arm movement to indicate where I want him to present and sit. He needs trickle-treating to keep him alongside when walking, and we do between five and ten steps before I release him for a free run. Saba has good recall off-lead responding nicely to 'come'; not original but it works for us! I don't use an adjustable lead, preferring to use a longish lead held in my right hand with the slack in my left. We're getting the hang of working together - he seems to enjoy our morning jaunts, and they're doing me the world of good!
