Dog Walking Question

[Ivy]

Do you really think that by letting a dog ahead of you on a leash will set that dog as the alpha?

I am not talking about a dog that is not leashed trained pulling like a maniac to move ahead. I am suggestiong a dog that is walking calmly on the leash and it picks up a scent is simply tracking for instance and it simply moves ahead to keep tracking the scent. Or the dog is simply looking for a place to do it's business.

Just wondering what people out there think about this concept.

 

[Dekka]

I think it is silly. Even if the dog is pulling its not being alpha (the popular 'dominance' ideas have no places with dogs anyway as they are often described)

I encourage Dekka to walk in front of me when we stroll in cities. I like to see what she is doing etc. And I don't have to worry so much about her being stepped on.

 

[colliewog]

I think making a dog walk behind you to establish its "place" is just plain silly. (Edit: I posted at the same time ... silly must be a consensus!)

When out for a recreational walk, my dogs walk ahead of me, but there is no tension in the leash. When we're in the obedience/rally ring, they are at my knee (heel position) because that's what's required at the time.

The only time it's an issue for a dog to go ahead of you is when it's forging ahead and doesn't heed your directions. Then you need to work on control while walking, but that doesn't mean the dog needs to be behind you.

 

[Cheetah]

Mine are required to walk by my side if we're in a crowded place or by a street, but when we get to a field or something, I release them and they're allowed to walk ahead of me on the entire leash as long as they don't pull. No dominance issues here.

 

[corgipower]

The dog in front, behind, next to you or on your head - pulling, pushing, completely ignoring or fully attentive - has nothing to do with pack status...Pack theory is way overrated anyway.

I like having my dogs in front of me - it allows me to see what they're doing.

 

[PoodleMommy]

Elle was actually trained to walk behind and it drives me insane... I dont know what she is doing and I am always checking to make sure she is still there.

Bella walks in front calmly and is the most submissive dog ever.

 

[adojrts]

Agreed, its silly lol.

I allow my dogs to walk in front of me all the time, what is important is when you ask them to come into a heel position that they do and loose leash always, no matter where they are in relation to you. Actually its a good training exercise to work them that way.

Just the other day, my one stud dog knew I was taking him for a car ride, but I had to go back into the house for my keys. The second time we came out of the house, he started to bark in excitment and forged ahead. I stopped a waited him out, when he stopped barking and when he came into heel position on a loose leash is when we proceeded to the car...........lesson learned. I didn't correct him (never do), I didn't speak to him but when he made the right choice, he got what he wanted and the reward was the car ride. He knows what is expected of him, but in his excitment he forgot for a moment lol. And what a great way to re-enforce my training on him.

 

[bubbatd]

I always started at a " Heel " and after while gave a " free' signal . Always back at a Heel " when I saw people , traffic or dogs .

 

[Maxy24]

Dogs walk in front of us because they are faster than us. The end.

A dog who drags you everywhere is still not being dominant, he's just very fast. Not that it should be allowed, both of you should be able to be comfortable, I do think dogs should be allowed off leash running in a safe place for this reason, when they are made to walk without pulling they are going SO slow for them. I don't like when dogs walk behind me, I can't see where they are and might step on them or have them come around on the opposite side getting me tangled in their leash and I can't see what they might be doing, if they pick something up off the street I would not notice and if they stop to go the bathroom I am likely to keep walking and end up yanking them forward half way through their pee or poo which I find unfair to the poor dog.

I also don't think it's fair for a dog to heel for the entire walk (every once in a while for practice or when people/dogs show up is perfectly fine), I mean not only are we making them walk super slow (unless you are running, different rules for running) but now we take away their opportunity to sniff so there goes most of the mental stimulation of the walk. I take my dog on a walk for my dog, not for me.

 

[bubbatd]

I do agree on not a " heel " for the whole walk ! It's for their fun too ! Now Ollie's a different story !

 

[Zoom]

Sawyer will go between walking at perfect heel and a step or so ahead, depending on where we're walking. In a crowd, I want him at heel so I'm not tripping on him. Otherwise, he's walking just fast enough...so long as he doesn't pull.

 

[corgipower]

I do agree on not a " heel " for the whole walk ! It's for their fun too !

Well, for Ares and Tyr, heeling is their idea of fun.

 

[Doberluv]

Not to sound like a broken record, but.......yeah, just plain silly. These people (ie: Cesar Milan) who believe in pack theory and rank as having everything to do with how a dog behaves with us are forgetting one basic rule of science: to look for simpler reasons first. How 'bout, dogs are faster than we are and excited or exuberant about going for a walk after waiting for hours for the highlight of their day to begin?

Since we can control whether they get to continue walking or not, contingent on their not pulling on the leash, that's all she wrote.

I like my dogs somewhere in my vicinity when we walk on a leash. (unless we're practicing heeling, which I don't do so much with my Chis) I don't care if they're a little behind or a little ahead or right along side. Just don't pull or strain on the leash or it all comes to a screeching halt. They usually tend to be a little ahead for the first part of the walk and by the end, they tend to stay more along side as they may be getting tired or even a tad behind me. So if being ahead of me makes them the "alpha," then they must be feeling like the omega on the way home. :rofl1: Does that mean I'm not a clear enough alpha that they're so mixed up? Oh no!

 

[Ivy]

3 out of my four dogs walk out in front of me. They are not pulling on the leash. I prefer for them to be out front so I can make sure they are not eating something they shouldn't be or if a car happens to be passing by I can make sure they don't decide to say "hello" to the car (there is not much traffic where I live but it has a high speed limit)

 

[colliewog]

3 out of my four dogs walk out in front of me. They are not pulling on the leash. I prefer for them to be out front so I can make sure they are not eating something they shouldn't be or if a car happens to be passing by I can make sure they don't decide to say "hello" to the car (there is not much traffic where I live but it has a high speed limit)

Sounds perfectly fine.

 

[ihartgonzo]

Yes... because, in wolf packs, the other wolves NEVER EVER EVUHHH walk in front of their alpha.

Many of CM and other "dog psychology" follower's alpha theories are complete assumptions, and most of them make very little sense. My dogs are allowed in front of me, as long as the leash isn't taut. If it is, I stop dead in my tracks. They learned in no time that if they want to go somewhere, they have to go calmly. I can watch them think about it and slow down when they're nearing the end of the leash. To me, insisting that walks are calm and that they pay attention to how taut the leash is makes me much more of a leader than giving them 1' of leash and jerking them around behind me. In situations where other people/dogs/bikes/cars are passing, I do have them heel, but that is a command and they do get rewarded for heeling... it isn't the only acceptable way to walk.

 

[v-girl]

Not to sound like a broken record, but.......yeah, just plain silly. These people (ie: Cesar Milan) who believe in pack theory and rank as having everything to do with how a dog behaves with us are forgetting one basic rule of science: to look for simpler reasons first. How 'bout, dogs are faster than we are and excited or exuberant about going for a walk after waiting for hours for the highlight of their day to begin?

Since we can control whether they get to continue walking or not, contingent on their not pulling on the leash, that's all she wrote.

I like my dogs somewhere in my vicinity when we walk on a leash. (unless we're practicing heeling, which I don't do so much with my Chis) I don't care if they're a little behind or a little ahead or right along side. Just don't pull or strain on the leash or it all comes to a screeching halt. They usually tend to be a little ahead for the first part of the walk and by the end, they tend to stay more along side as they may be getting tired or even a tad behind me. So if being ahead of me makes them the "alpha," then they must be feeling like the omega on the way home. :rofl1: Does that mean I'm not a clear enough alpha that they're so mixed up? Oh no!

I think you hit the nail on the head!!

 

[puppydog]

Well, whether that is true or not is up for debate. I know I am omega, because they walk in front of me AND Ben farted on my head last night! LOL!

Nah, like everyone else said, utter codswhallop!

 

[corgipower]

Ben farted on my head last night! LOL!

Now that is a sign of true dominance. :rofl1:

 

[puppydog]

Now that is a sign of true dominance. :rofl1:

Yeah, he got me with my mouth open. That is what I get for letting the little rotter sit on my head so he can look out the door! :rofl1: