Walking in Stride

Lately, we have taken Bee on more walks, and we received a lot of questions on how I trained Bee to walk next to me. A common woe with dogs is pulling during a walk. Being a golden, I knew Bee would get big, so I wanted him to walk in a heel position. I also knew that Bee was my emotional support animal and would fly with me. So, him walking appropriately would be important in our travels together as well. Due to these two factors, I was highly motivated to teach him good walking practices at a young age. I discuss exactly how I accomplished my walking goals below.

Step 1: Choosing a Location

We lived in Southern California until Bee was 16 weeks old. However, due to his age, Bee was not able to walk everywhere because he was not fully vaccinated yet. Also, being a puppy meant he was not supposed to walk long distances. So, starting at about 12 weeks old we began our walk training. We lived on a cul-de-sac street that was relatively short (400 feet). Only a couple dogs ever walked on our street, and we knew the dogs were vaccinated. This unique situation gave us three important things. Since the street was small and private, it was very quiet and calm. This made teaching a lot easier. Second, we knew the dogs on the street and it was a controlled area that gave us safety. Lastly, the street length was short which gave us enough room to teach without wearing Bee out or risking his joints/growth. I understand that not everyone can find a space like this, but I suggest finding something similar as it enabled the best “classroom” for teaching.

Step 2: Walking in Heel

To perform well in airports as an ESA, Bee could not be a dog that pulled me on a leash. It would be a bad reflection on ESAs if Bee acted in this way in an airport or formal setting. So, I used a treat-reward system to teach him to walk in line with me. First, I would fill a pouch with treats before we set off for a walk. I would hold the treat about a foot above his head and next to my hip as we walked. Since he knew the treat was in my hand, he naturally walked next to me. Every few feet that he stayed in line with me, I would give him a treat while still walking. This taught him that if he stays in line with me, he would be rewarded consistently. If he did start to pull me, I would stop walking and use the command “heel.” Then, I would walk up to meet him, reset our position and continue our walk. This taught him that if he began to pull me, the walk would pause and he’d need to reset. I was very diligent about this practice, and we used this routine anytime he was on his leash walking. Repetition is the key to learning, so I needed to never receded in my training. We’d walk back and forth on my street a couple times in the evening each day. By teaching him in small, frequent bursts, it reinforced the lesson through repetition. Please note: during the summer, always check the pavement temperature before walking your dog.

Step 3: Ignoring Things on the Ground

Another important skill for a dog when walking is the ability to ignore things on the ground. This is crucial for health because you never know what a dog could pick up (for example, a chicken bone, a cigarette, etc). Lucky for us, there were a lot of leaves on the ground when training Bee. We used the leaves (which Bee loved to eat) as a way to train him to ignore things on the ground. As we walked, I would purposely put our stride in the path of leaves. If Bee, tried to eat the leaf, I would redirect him, ask him to sit and reset our walk. If he ignored the leaf, I would praise him and give him a treat while still walking. This showed him that if he ignored the leaves on the ground, he would be rewarded with an even better treat. I’m happy to report that this training translated easily for him in the city when we moved here. While walking, he only stops if he picks up a scent, which is normal. He has never attempted to pick something up off the ground while walking since our California training.  

Step 4: Not Seeking Attention

Another common problem for dogs during walks is constantly looking for attention from strangers. This can occur in the form of pulling you towards another person. Since Bee would be walking through airports filled with people, we could not risk this habit from forming. I trained Bee to not expect pets from every stranger by not allowing every stranger to pet him as a puppy. It sounds sad, but it was necessary to teach him to walk with purpose, not with the intent to meet people. Training in this way sometimes meant telling people “no” when they asked to pet, which was sad. But, mainly, it meant walking with purpose so people got the impression to not interrupt. By walking with Bee on a tight leash while praising him and keeping a fast pace, very few people tried to interrupt our walks. However, I still wanted Bee to be social, so I did let him meet some people on our walks. I just didn’t allow him to meet/approach every person we passed. This meant that he knew how to stay focused on walking but that he also knew how to be social to strangers. When on walks now, people approach us at stoplights and ask to pet Bee. Bee wags his tail and makes a good introduction; but when I say ready, he knows it’s time to start walking again.

Looking back, there was a considerable effort made to teach Bee how to be a good walker; however, it never felt like a lot of work. It was easy because we did short, consistent training rather than long tedious ones. My motivation also made it feel like a necessity rather than an option. Yet, the hard work certainly paid off. Bee is a great walker, and I never have to stress when bringing him out for a walk. In airports during travel, I completely trust him. It may feel like a lot of steps, but these are the steps that worked for us. I hope our experience can provide people with the tools to succeed.