Leveling Up Leash Skills: Your Distraction Toolbox
As puppies get comfortable walking on leash, we will work up to navigating the hustle and bustle of society, stress-free. Dogs who are easy to engage and responsive to cues in a variety of distracting situations will be well prepared to enter formal guide training where they will learn to perform guidework in these busy environments.
Puppy’s Position
When we first introduced walking on leash, we didn’t worry too much about where the puppy walks in relation to you. As they mature and show confidence on leash, encourage the pup to generally stick around your left-hand side by keeping the leash shorter and feeding the puppy in position beside you. Aim for the puppy’s shoulder to be aligned with yours, but don’t worry if they walk slightly ahead (puppy’s hip aligned with your shoulder) – a guide dog will need to lead, after all!
Navigating Distractions
Once the puppy can walk by your left-hand side in a quiet, familiar place, it’s time to add distractions! When you first begin working around distractions, set yourself and the puppy up for success by using high value food rewards instead of, or in combination with, the puppy’s kibble (like a puppy-safe trail mix!).
The world is full of exciting novelty for growing puppies and things can become extra exciting as they go through phases of social and hormonal changes. Also remember that puppies are individuals – something that one puppy finds irresistible may be totally boring to another and vice versa! Some puppies are most distracted by things on the ground while other puppies are more socially distracted and would like to make friends with every person or dog they see. Others (especially when hormones get involved!) become absolutely enthralled by the “pee-mail” left by other pet dogs on bushes or lampposts. Common distractions include: dogs, people, other animals, moving objects, food/other debris on the ground, sounds, and interesting smells.
Review your Rules of Three to make sure you’re setting the puppy up for success and adjusting your training plan based on how they do! As we increase the level of difficulty, keep your sessions short. Impulse control gets harder and harder as puppies get more tired.
Help! Loose Dog!
In most cases, you can control your distance from a potential distraction. Loose dogs often don’t give you this luxury. Choose walking routes without frequent loose dog sightings. If you see a loose dog before it sees you, try to avoid the situation by changing directions.
If you can’t get away:
- Try to act relaxed to help the puppy be relaxed too.
- Don’t yell or yank the puppy’s leash. This may startle one or both dogs and cause a fight.
Here’s a Tip: Throwing a handful of kibble on the ground for the loose dog to eat will often distract it long enough that you can get away!
Your Distraction Toolbox
Use a head collar to prevent puppies from pulling on their flat collar while they are learning how to focus around distractions. As they progress, start working around some easier distractions on the flat collar too!
The following techniques are tools to help puppies navigate distractions of varying difficulty without becoming frustrated, disruptive, or pulling you off your feet. All of these tools can be used with high value foods and/or the puppy’s kibble. Be sure to try these out at home before you take them on the road! The tools in your toolbox are:
Pezzing While Moving
Continuously feed the puppy pieces of food and use lots of verbal engagement while you move past the distraction. Keep your food hand “glued” to the puppy’s nose as you pezz.
Best for situations that are MOST challenging, and the puppy is unable to offer attention or listen to your cues. Pezzing is also an appropriate tool to use in places where you must keep your volume and energy low to avoid being disruptive (like the library!)
[AUDIO DESCRIPTION]
Pezzing. A person walks her black Labrador puppy down a sidewalk past someone with a small dog on the grass. The person holds a handful of kibble and feeds continuously past the distraction.
Fast Food
Talk to the puppy in a happy voice and reward them for focusing on you while you move past the distraction. Feed food at a very high rate and use lots of verbal engagement to keep the puppy’s attention on you.
Best for situations where the puppy can briefly check in with you, but their attention is split and they might engage with the distraction if there is too much time between food rewards.
[AUDIO DESCRIPTION]
Fast food. A person feeds a yellow Labrador puppy single pieces of kibble at a high rate as they pass a small dog in a narrow space.
Social Engagement
Tag, you’re it! Use verbal and physical engagement along with changes in pace and direction to help the puppy focus and move with you away from the distraction. Sprinkle in the use of some high value food rewards, but the focus should be on the fun of “dancing” together!
Best for situations where you have plenty of space to be flexible in your speed/direction, and the puppy can focus on you with this level of supportive handling.
[AUDIO DESCRIPTION]
Social engagement. A person walks with a yellow Labrador puppy. The puppy veers off to the side to visit someone off camera. The person leans down uses their happy voice and changes direction to encourage the pup to follow.
[MUSIC]
Rewarding Check-ins
Reward the puppy with a happy voice and food rewards for looking at a distraction and choosing to check-in with you. A solid history of fun with you and delicious food rewards around distractions will encourage puppies to begin seeking engagement with you when a distraction appears, and you can fade out the other tools around everyday distractions and save them for more difficult situations.
Best for easier situations (or after the novelty of a distraction has worn off) if the puppy can independently choose to control their impulses and offer engagement in the presence of distractions.
[AUDIO DESCRIPTION]
Three clips of raisers rewarding puppy check-ins. A person stands with a yellow Labrador puppy. Someone leans over wiggling and clapping their hands at the puppy. The puppy looks up at their person, and receives a food reward. A person walks with a Golden Retriever past another person and dog. The Golden Retriever looks at the dog and then looks up at their person. Another person walks a Golden Retriever puppy on a path past a person and dog, standing on the grass. The puppy watches the dog on the grass as they approach, then looks forward. The person rewards and the puppy wags their tail!
Collar Correction
A mature dog may benefit from the use of a small “pop” on the leash to interrupt their attention from a distraction. Collar corrections may only be used on the flat collar, not a head collar. They are most effective when immediately followed by another opportunity for the puppy to independently offer a check-in and earn a reward.
Best for confident dogs who persistently initiate interaction with familiar distractions despite a long history of R+ around these distractions.
[AUDIO DESCRIPTION]
A person walks with a Yellow Labrador. The dog veers off to check out a dog shaped stuffed animal on wheels. The person gives a quick pop on the leash. The dog looks up at their person. A person walks a black Labrador past another person and dog. The dog leans into the collar. The person gives a quick pop on the leash, and the dog looks forwards.
Puppies that are difficult to keep focused, develop a strong interest in certain distractions, or never progress to independently offering engagement around distractions may need additional support. Reach out for help with troubleshooting if you are having trouble re-engaging the puppy around certain distractions or if you are feeling stuck. Early intervention is key to set puppies up for success in their future working roles!
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