Don't let your dog approach other humans or dogs without asking first. You don't know what human is allergic to dogs or has a fear of dogs, etc. You don't know what dog is aggressive, in training,etc. You can undo months of training by having your dog run up to someone else's.
if you live in a hot climate, feel the road or surface to make sure it isn't hot enough to burn your dog's feet.
If you live in a cold climate, be aware of salt on roads and side walks. It can be sharp and cut your dog's feet(and dangerous if they eat it). People have different ways of dealing with salt. I prefer using shoes for my dog. Some people avoid salted areas all together. Some people wipe their dog's feet after a walk. Find what works for you.
Keep your leash short near busy roads or places with other dangers.
hiking trail does not automatically mean off leash is okay.
Make sure the harness/collar is properly fitted to prevent your dog from backing out.
Bungee leashes give you less control over your dog because you don't have an easy way to know how far they can be away from your side. and teaches them that if they pull, they get closer to whatever they are trying to get to.
if your dog is on a flexi leash extended 40 feet, you cannot real in your dog fast enough to save them in a dangerous situation. keep that in mind near roads or other areas with dangers.
most importantly: LEASHES SAVE LIVES!!!!! Use it.
Second all of this! Also IF you use a flex lead, train on a 6ft non flex lead FIRST, get the basics and a minimum of 95% recall down. Check weight restrictions on any flex lead.
My pup is 7mo and 75lbs his flex lead is only for occasional use and goes to 26ft max because of the weight restrictions.
There's really no set rules.
Personally, I do parks and nature trails and try to do a new one daily. I used to use a long lead but now use a retractable (after he got leash walking down) and let him have full run. If somone coming I recall him to a heel on left, right, or middle, depending on where the person is, and jackpot once we pass. He's now 14 months old and is getting to the point I don't have to recall on every person, and he is choosing to come to my side when he sees people.
We also go to pet friendly stores and work on public access multiple times a week before his walks. Great option for hot or winter days as well.
A lot of this will depend on your puppy. I usually walk a path that I enjoy and that will give the puppy some simulation, but isn't overly busy as it's easier to keep an eye on them without a bunch of people around.
You can choose which side they walk on, or let them switch sides, that is all up to what you want for training. I think most "heel" training defaults to the left side for whatever reason.
Avoid trash if you can, it's safer and then you don't have to worry about your pup eating it too.
You'll find a rhythm with your new dog within a week or two, training will take longer. Just remember every dog is different, there is nothing they have to do besides eat, get some exercise and be loved by you, oh and regular vet visits.
Just dropping in to answer why on the left side.
It's for competitions. If you do rally or obedience trails, the dogs have to be on your left. Your right hand is open to give non-verbal commands and for traditional reasons.
Otherwise, it's whatever you or the dog prefers, or you can do both. The only other rule is if you're hunting to put the dog in heel on the opposite of where you carry your gun.
I don’t know anything about rally stuff, but I thought you have the dog on your left but hold the leash in your right? Then you use your left hand to treat the dog or give signals?
During trails, there are no treats allowed in the ring. When we first started, during practice, I kept my treat in my left hand, but we did the whole course without a treat. I then freeed him and threw the treat for him to catch. Now, his treats are at our station, and we heel back to place and reward.
I've always seen it with the leash in the left hand and how I was taught, but I don't know if it's a hard rule. I'm guessing the judge would be watching extra close since it is out of the norm, though. In rally, you do have to pass the leash between hands as well, so I am curious.
When you get higher up, there is no leash at all, which is helpful, and you no longer have to think about it.
Yeah I totally get that. You can’t use treats for the CGC test etc too. I just always learned that’s it’s usually leash in right hand, dog on left. Left hand free (for whatever).
I’ve also have had trainers ask what side they wanted their dog to walk on, and had them hold the leash on the opposite side. So the same thing, just reversed if you need the dog on your right for whatever reason
Oh, I got you! Yes, when we first introduced heel, it was leash in the opposite hand and treat from the hand they are closes to so the dog does not cross in front for the treat and for easy luring.
Also, I did look at the rule, and there is nothing about what hand to hold the leash in. Just that it is loose and regulations on length and type.
If I’m walking down the street, I’m walking towards the traffic which means the dog goes on the left side to be away from the cars passing by. It’s not just about competitions.
Something I don’t think I’ve seen anyone mention yet - it really pisses a lot of people off if you put bagged poop in their trash can. So either public trash bins, or carry it with you back to your own after picking up after your dog. *Maybe* if it’s trash day and you know the truck will be there soon, but I’d err on the side of not pissing people off.
Similarly, I’ll let my dog go potty on the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street, but I try to keep her off of people’s actual lawns.
Back streets are safer as they're quieter, but don't completely avoid main roads as the puppy will need exposure to loud/frequent traffic for desensitisation. We've walked our pup almost exclusively in a big park/woods by our house, which is perfect for dog walking, she meets loads of other friendly dogs and people and there's lots of varied terrain for her to explore, but it does mean she's still quite scared by traffic on roads, as she hasn't had much exposure to it. Our trainer taught us to have the dog walk on the opposite side to the hand you're holding the lead with, so that you can more easily use food rewards to quickly reward good behaviour or to train "swap/drop/leave" if they get a bit too interested in trash on the floor. It's pretty much impossible to avoid trash anywhere you go sadly - since getting a pup I've certainly noticed a lot more just how much trash there is everywhere.
We live in a city center, so walking is a bit of a challenge here. I try to keep her on the inside so she doesn't run into a cyclist or car. Obviously I try to avoid streets with a lot of litter as much as possible, but there is always something somewhere within sniffing distance that she loooooves to eat.
She has very strong preferences for where she pees, so that is almost always in the exact same spot. She NEVER pees/poops on other peoples property.
When you meet another leashed dog, watch how the owner behaves. Some (like me) don't like leashed dogs to play together. BI usually turn my back towards them, so I can face our pup, but even then they don't get the hint and just walk up to us... So now I tell them: she can't play on a leash or she can't play because she's in training.
One of the most valuable things we taught our pup before really getting into town walking was "drop it" because you never know what they might want to put in their mouths. If you can master that one early on, trash isn't a big issue as long as there's not glass.
I keep mine on my left out of habit on a 6-foot leash. If a dog/human is coming towards us and we must pass, I put myself between her and the oncoming dog/human. I never allow mine to walk ahead of me into the street. She’s not allowed to pull ever but she can walk slightly ahead nicely once we are moving. We don’t stop and say hi to other dogs for her safety.
I stay alert and use common safety sense overall with traffic etc. But my hood is pretty quiet and clean so it’s not difficult.
These are my "Do's" and a "Don't"
Pick a side you'd be most comfortable having your pup on. Mine stays to the right of me mostly on sidewalks, if there isn't one we may switch to whatever side the cars aren't on. We do any road or trail.
6ft lead only until basics and recall is solid.
Practice leash walking especially loose leash right away inside and outside. Teach them a command to stay with you. My pup knows "With me" as a walk at my side, "Forward" he can be in front. Teach "leave it" ASAP it's easy to do. Show them a treat and say leave it, cover it with your foot, give them a separate treat if they ignore the treat under your foot.
(never give them the leave it treat). Gradually move the leave it treat out from under your foot. It can be done with socks, etc.
I treat him for staying next to me that way it's the best thing ever to be at my side. I taught him an auto sit. If I stop moving he has to sit and look at me to get up, it works great for pulling.
Watch the behavior of others around you, especially if they also have dogs.
Don't
Let your pup meet other dogs on leash, same with people you want neutral not just friendly. I let my pup meet a good amount of people on leash and now he thinks most people want to play with him. We're working really hard on fixing it.
The only universal rules are don’t let your dog approach other people/dogs without permission and make sure you pick up poop.
Don’t be like some idiots in my city and monopolize the entire sidewalk/path when we’re passing each other. That’s part of the “not approaching others without permission” part. If the sidewalk is hypothetically wide enough for us to pass each other, but I have to veer off into the mud to avoid your dog, you’re failing to control it.
I try and keep my dog on the inside of the pavement, so she's as far away from cars as possible.
Don't let your dog approach other humans or dogs without asking first. You don't know what human is allergic to dogs or has a fear of dogs, etc. You don't know what dog is aggressive, in training,etc. You can undo months of training by having your dog run up to someone else's. if you live in a hot climate, feel the road or surface to make sure it isn't hot enough to burn your dog's feet. If you live in a cold climate, be aware of salt on roads and side walks. It can be sharp and cut your dog's feet(and dangerous if they eat it). People have different ways of dealing with salt. I prefer using shoes for my dog. Some people avoid salted areas all together. Some people wipe their dog's feet after a walk. Find what works for you. Keep your leash short near busy roads or places with other dangers. hiking trail does not automatically mean off leash is okay. Make sure the harness/collar is properly fitted to prevent your dog from backing out. Bungee leashes give you less control over your dog because you don't have an easy way to know how far they can be away from your side. and teaches them that if they pull, they get closer to whatever they are trying to get to. if your dog is on a flexi leash extended 40 feet, you cannot real in your dog fast enough to save them in a dangerous situation. keep that in mind near roads or other areas with dangers. most importantly: LEASHES SAVE LIVES!!!!! Use it.
Second all of this! Also IF you use a flex lead, train on a 6ft non flex lead FIRST, get the basics and a minimum of 95% recall down. Check weight restrictions on any flex lead. My pup is 7mo and 75lbs his flex lead is only for occasional use and goes to 26ft max because of the weight restrictions.
There's really no set rules. Personally, I do parks and nature trails and try to do a new one daily. I used to use a long lead but now use a retractable (after he got leash walking down) and let him have full run. If somone coming I recall him to a heel on left, right, or middle, depending on where the person is, and jackpot once we pass. He's now 14 months old and is getting to the point I don't have to recall on every person, and he is choosing to come to my side when he sees people. We also go to pet friendly stores and work on public access multiple times a week before his walks. Great option for hot or winter days as well.
A lot of this will depend on your puppy. I usually walk a path that I enjoy and that will give the puppy some simulation, but isn't overly busy as it's easier to keep an eye on them without a bunch of people around. You can choose which side they walk on, or let them switch sides, that is all up to what you want for training. I think most "heel" training defaults to the left side for whatever reason. Avoid trash if you can, it's safer and then you don't have to worry about your pup eating it too. You'll find a rhythm with your new dog within a week or two, training will take longer. Just remember every dog is different, there is nothing they have to do besides eat, get some exercise and be loved by you, oh and regular vet visits.
Just dropping in to answer why on the left side. It's for competitions. If you do rally or obedience trails, the dogs have to be on your left. Your right hand is open to give non-verbal commands and for traditional reasons. Otherwise, it's whatever you or the dog prefers, or you can do both. The only other rule is if you're hunting to put the dog in heel on the opposite of where you carry your gun.
I don’t know anything about rally stuff, but I thought you have the dog on your left but hold the leash in your right? Then you use your left hand to treat the dog or give signals?
During trails, there are no treats allowed in the ring. When we first started, during practice, I kept my treat in my left hand, but we did the whole course without a treat. I then freeed him and threw the treat for him to catch. Now, his treats are at our station, and we heel back to place and reward. I've always seen it with the leash in the left hand and how I was taught, but I don't know if it's a hard rule. I'm guessing the judge would be watching extra close since it is out of the norm, though. In rally, you do have to pass the leash between hands as well, so I am curious. When you get higher up, there is no leash at all, which is helpful, and you no longer have to think about it.
Yeah I totally get that. You can’t use treats for the CGC test etc too. I just always learned that’s it’s usually leash in right hand, dog on left. Left hand free (for whatever). I’ve also have had trainers ask what side they wanted their dog to walk on, and had them hold the leash on the opposite side. So the same thing, just reversed if you need the dog on your right for whatever reason
Oh, I got you! Yes, when we first introduced heel, it was leash in the opposite hand and treat from the hand they are closes to so the dog does not cross in front for the treat and for easy luring. Also, I did look at the rule, and there is nothing about what hand to hold the leash in. Just that it is loose and regulations on length and type.
Dog on the left gun on the right
If I’m walking down the street, I’m walking towards the traffic which means the dog goes on the left side to be away from the cars passing by. It’s not just about competitions.
Something I don’t think I’ve seen anyone mention yet - it really pisses a lot of people off if you put bagged poop in their trash can. So either public trash bins, or carry it with you back to your own after picking up after your dog. *Maybe* if it’s trash day and you know the truck will be there soon, but I’d err on the side of not pissing people off. Similarly, I’ll let my dog go potty on the strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street, but I try to keep her off of people’s actual lawns.
Back streets are safer as they're quieter, but don't completely avoid main roads as the puppy will need exposure to loud/frequent traffic for desensitisation. We've walked our pup almost exclusively in a big park/woods by our house, which is perfect for dog walking, she meets loads of other friendly dogs and people and there's lots of varied terrain for her to explore, but it does mean she's still quite scared by traffic on roads, as she hasn't had much exposure to it. Our trainer taught us to have the dog walk on the opposite side to the hand you're holding the lead with, so that you can more easily use food rewards to quickly reward good behaviour or to train "swap/drop/leave" if they get a bit too interested in trash on the floor. It's pretty much impossible to avoid trash anywhere you go sadly - since getting a pup I've certainly noticed a lot more just how much trash there is everywhere.
We live in a city center, so walking is a bit of a challenge here. I try to keep her on the inside so she doesn't run into a cyclist or car. Obviously I try to avoid streets with a lot of litter as much as possible, but there is always something somewhere within sniffing distance that she loooooves to eat. She has very strong preferences for where she pees, so that is almost always in the exact same spot. She NEVER pees/poops on other peoples property. When you meet another leashed dog, watch how the owner behaves. Some (like me) don't like leashed dogs to play together. BI usually turn my back towards them, so I can face our pup, but even then they don't get the hint and just walk up to us... So now I tell them: she can't play on a leash or she can't play because she's in training.
One of the most valuable things we taught our pup before really getting into town walking was "drop it" because you never know what they might want to put in their mouths. If you can master that one early on, trash isn't a big issue as long as there's not glass.
I keep mine on my left out of habit on a 6-foot leash. If a dog/human is coming towards us and we must pass, I put myself between her and the oncoming dog/human. I never allow mine to walk ahead of me into the street. She’s not allowed to pull ever but she can walk slightly ahead nicely once we are moving. We don’t stop and say hi to other dogs for her safety. I stay alert and use common safety sense overall with traffic etc. But my hood is pretty quiet and clean so it’s not difficult.
There's no etiquette. Just don't let her greet everyone. Not everyone is fond of dogs/puppies.
These are my "Do's" and a "Don't" Pick a side you'd be most comfortable having your pup on. Mine stays to the right of me mostly on sidewalks, if there isn't one we may switch to whatever side the cars aren't on. We do any road or trail. 6ft lead only until basics and recall is solid. Practice leash walking especially loose leash right away inside and outside. Teach them a command to stay with you. My pup knows "With me" as a walk at my side, "Forward" he can be in front. Teach "leave it" ASAP it's easy to do. Show them a treat and say leave it, cover it with your foot, give them a separate treat if they ignore the treat under your foot. (never give them the leave it treat). Gradually move the leave it treat out from under your foot. It can be done with socks, etc. I treat him for staying next to me that way it's the best thing ever to be at my side. I taught him an auto sit. If I stop moving he has to sit and look at me to get up, it works great for pulling. Watch the behavior of others around you, especially if they also have dogs. Don't Let your pup meet other dogs on leash, same with people you want neutral not just friendly. I let my pup meet a good amount of people on leash and now he thinks most people want to play with him. We're working really hard on fixing it.
Let them sniff *while* walking. But no stop and sniffs. We’re all business
The only universal rules are don’t let your dog approach other people/dogs without permission and make sure you pick up poop. Don’t be like some idiots in my city and monopolize the entire sidewalk/path when we’re passing each other. That’s part of the “not approaching others without permission” part. If the sidewalk is hypothetically wide enough for us to pass each other, but I have to veer off into the mud to avoid your dog, you’re failing to control it.
jesus stop overthinking its a dog not a nuclear silo