Scott Linden Outdoors

There is a phenomenon we all know but can’t name: that reaction a dog has when we pull on their leash. They pull back.

I was battling that recently with Flick as we sorta heeled along a desert path, until I remembered the sage advice of so many professional trainers and quit the steady pulling and went to short, gentle tugs. It helps keep a pup in line, literally. It also helps a stubborn older dog get off the dime, so to speak, and move from the couch to the crate. It also beats the “reeling in” we often do with young dogs on retrieves. You might try it too.

But thinking about the other end of the leash really went to another level when I put it in my pocket. It’s a risk, sure, and not for all dogs all the time, or even some dogs some of the time. At early stages of teaching heel, whoa, come, and other commands, it is vital. But once there, why not unclip it periodically?

I’m seeing some interesting developments, from a better walk-at-heel, to steadier holds on pointed birds and flushes. It may be related to the pulling reaction I noted. It may be totally distinct. I’m going to experiment some more.

Have you?