Did you know that January is ‘walk your dog’ month?
And even though it sounds simple enough, thousands of dog owners in the UK struggle to walk their dogs.
Everything from pulling on the lead, frustrating recall, jumping up at people or barking and lunging at other dogs, can make the daily dog walk something to dread.
And so what happens is that walks get shorter, less exciting, and you feel guilty that your dog may not be getting enough exercise or they’re bored or underestimated, not having the exciting fulfilling walks you see other dogs having. You may even feel resentful that the stress-free dog walks you imagined never happened for you.
Firstly, if you’re experiencing this, you are not alone!
One of the most common problems I encounter talking to dog owners is taking their dog for a walk, and all the stresses that come from that.
So what happens when we make a new year’s resolution to ‘fix’ our dog’s behaviour
Inevitably, around this time of year, people want to fix that problem. They make a commitment in their heads to get it sorted and finally train their dogs so they can go on stress-free walks.
But what happens in 80% of those cases? It fails. I see this time and time again. And there are a few key reasons why.
Why does it fail?
Okay, first off, I want to say that it is not your fault if you’ve struggled in the past to train your dog.
It isn’t easy. But I promise you, for every owner that can walk in a busy park full of noise and distraction with their dog still firmly at their side, there are another five dog owners who struggle!
The reason you fail is not that you’re not committed but because of your approach. Luckily, that’s the easiest part to fix!
So here’s why it probably hasn’t worked for you in the past and how you can fix it.
1. You have the wrong mindset
If you’ve read the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, you’ll understand that habits are compounding. You make small tweaks regularly, and over time things change.
This is true for anything, from dieting to marathon training and, yes, even training your dog for relaxing walks.
You can’t just roll out of bed on January 1st, make a TON of changes and expect amazing results. It’s too much.
In the same way, you wouldn’t expect someone who’d spent five years living off pizza and chips and sitting on the sofa, to suddenly only eat salad and run five miles a day. It’s too much of a shock, too difficult, and too unrealistic. Inevitably, that person would fail and end up feeling worse about themselves and fall back into their old habits.
It’s the same with our dogs and us.
How to fix it
Choose consistency over cramming!
The habits your dog has picked up (and us humans, too) have taken a long time to ingrain themselves, and that means they need a little time to unlearn too.
So the first thing you need to do is change your mindset. Start by implementing a new technique into your dog’s routine every day (instead of all at once!) and slowly build up from there.
If you need help with that, you can join our FREE Stress Free Dog Walks Challenge. 5th-10th January I’ll send you 1 new quick and simple training technique every day that you can start using on the very next walk. Get started in just 15 minutes per day, designed to fit into your busy schedule.
This is why we have fantastic feedback from participants who have taken the challenge, including Catherine. . .
“‘I just want to say how much I have enjoyed this week, and I have learnt so much about my dog. I have spoken to several trainers who just “train” and don’t appear to look at the deeper reasons for their behaviour which is why I love your training so much more than others.’”
2. Lack of support from a qualified expert
Do you know what the worst thing about training your dog is? Confusion!
Everybody and his dog has an opinion on how you should train your dog (I couldn’t help the pun, sorry.)
It can be so, so difficult for you to know what advice to follow, which means that you end up with an assortment of techniques, some of which completely conflict with each other. No wonder it’s not working!
How to fix it
I’m not here to say that my method of dog training is the best (although, I do base it on tons of scientific research and practical everyday experience with my over 10,000 clients and my own dogs 😉)
But, I do advise that you find a dog trainer who you like, and whose style and approach you agree with.
Then, simply, block out everyone else! Otherwise, you’ll end up confused, trying lots of different conflicting techniques and not succeeding.
That’s why our FREE Stress Free Dog Walks January Challenge will be led by me and will give you clear, actionable advice and simple practical techniques to follow every day. Confusion, be gone!
“‘‘It feels amazing to have some structure to our training and not feel overwhelmed all the time. It’s such a minefield finding the right help. A huge thank you to you all.’’”
3. You’re all alone
How hard is it doing something challenging on your own?
It’s so difficult because you can’t celebrate your wins or get advice when things don’t go quite right. What if you get stuck? How will you know how to solve the problem? Yes, you can chat with the dog, but it’s not exactly the same as good old human interaction, right?
How to fix it
When a group of you is all working towards the same goal, it’s so much more motivating and exciting.
So when it comes to dog training, find a group of people who can keep you motivated.
That way, you gain valuable support and ideas from each other, and feel a sense of community and belonging as you take on the challenge.
THOUSANDS of dog owners join our FREE Stress Free Dog Walks January Challenge to start the New Year off with a big burst of community accountability.
Plus, we have our expert team of dog trainers and behaviourists on hand to give you personalised feedback and advice too!
“‘’Thank you to you all for your support, confidence in us and complete community spirit the past 7 days! I have learnt some amazing new skills which I will continue to work on with Fifi to help build her confidence and spirits back up.’’”
4. BORING DOG TRAINING
Okay, so the standard style of dog training isn’t up there as the most fun task in the world (for you or your dog), and if you haven’t found it enjoyable in the past, chances are you haven’t stuck to it.
So you need to make it enjoyable. Luckily a lot of modern dog training is exactly that.
How to fix it
To keep training interesting, you need a variety of different activities to keep your dog engaged with you (rather than with the other dogs, squirrels, or strangers that are currently ruining your walks).
Variety is the spice of life, and just like humans, dogs can get bored with the same old repetitive training happening all the time. They need something new and exciting.
In our FREE Stress Free Dog Walks January Challenge, we are giving you a new, fun technique to learn and implement every day. Absolutely no boredom here!
“’’I couldn’t imagine where we would be without Katie, the fantastic Scentventure Guides and the most supportive community on the planet! We’re so excited to do another 7 Days of Scentventure to start the year off right! I can’t wait to see you and all of your dogs achieving goals together and having fun!’’”
What can you do?
If you want to make 2024 the year, you finally DO make a success of dog training and enjoying those stress-free walks that you see other people having, then join our FREE Stress Free Dog Walks January Challenge.
It starts on the 5th January and you’ll get:
The fastest & easiest ways to get your dog’s attention fast - use these every time your dog pulls, barks or lunges.
A simple trick to calm your dog before stepping foot out the door (because calm stress free walks start at home!)
What’s really causing your dog to pull, bark and lunge - and the counterintuitive way to avoid it.
3 specific techniques to use on walks that prevent excited or reactive meltdowns before they happen.
5 PROVEN techniques that make it easy to succeed regardless of your level of experience.
A clear plan for how to use the techniques beyond the challenge for a lifetime of calm canine behaviour.
There will be people who transform their dog’s behaviour this January. And they will be the ones enjoying long, relaxing walks, days out, holidays with their dogs, meeting up with friends, sitting in cafes or pub gardens this Spring and Summer.
Take the first step towards becoming one of them by registering for the free challenge.