So many of us are very impressed with dogs that are off leash. We see advertisements for "Off-Leash Training", or envy the person we drive by with their dog walking freely by their side. Many of us even set a goal to be free of our tethers too! While it is a worthy goal, please people, take it with a grain of salt- not all that glitters is gold.
It can be an advantage to have a leash on a dog. Some public areas require a leash by law. Other places may be inherently dangerous without one- such as heavy traffic areas, to help protect a dog from sniffing or eating hazardous materials, or to keep your pet safe from other outside influences.
One of the side effects of being off-leash the majority of the time, is the dog will not react favorably to being on leash when it must be. The dog may sulk and show it's non-acceptance by walking with it's head down low, laying down and refusing to move, or darting (back and forth, up and down, or all directions!). I often see this non-acceptance in puppies who have been allowed to roam off-leash for several weeks while they are young.
Walking on a leash without darting or tangling is one of the most valuable and underrated skills dogs can master. It involves many layers. The dog must accept that the human is in charge of where they are going, and how quickly they will arrive. The dog must have the muscle control and understanding of where to place it's feet to avoid tangles. Both of these are part of a recipe for successful long lasting training. To skimp on this conditioning is to make life more difficult and stressful for the pet and the owner. A dog who fully accepts a handler's role will look to the handler in a brand new situation, or default to a position that training has re-enforced as opposed to barking, growling, lunging forward, or hiding.
As always, happy training!
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