Walking our dogs is one of the simplest pleasures in life, serving as motivation to enjoy the outdoors, and a great way to get some exercise. Adding your pooch to the mix of your daily exercise can help relieve stress and anxiety - a study from Rover found that 93% of owners agree that walking their dog is one of the best ways to de-stress!
For your dog, walks are the highlights of their day! Many are content to walk by your side, but some of our more excitable pups simply can't wait to reach the park. They want to explore, to engage with the world around them, but for some dogs, us humans are verrrrrry slow...
This leads to the pulling behaviour we see in some dogs - they simply want to get to their destination faster! This can make walks a little more difficult, especially if you own a bigger dog.
Luckily, there are a number of training tools available to help alleviate this behaviour, including our own-brand Summit Double-Ended Training Lead!
Learning the in's and out's of what a training lead can do is a little overwhelming, but not to worry, we're happy to help using the Summit Training Lead as a guide.
Please note that we aren't dog trainers, and a professional will be able to best advise on pull-training.
The Lead
Here we have one of our Summit Training Leads! (Beautiful, isn't it?)
We've added handy bullet points to the image to show what each feature of the lead is. These features help this lead be multi-purpose, being usable in 3 different modes.
This is Paul
Paul is our store manager. He fits dogs in brand-new harnesses, coats, boots and more in our showroom all day, everyday!
He has hands-on experience with using the Summit Training Lead, helping owners "wrangle" their pulling dogs.
He's going to be our model for today, demonstrating the many uses of the Summit Double-Ended Training Lead!
Long-Lead Mode
The first mode the Summit can do is what we call Long-Lead Mode, sitting at approximately 1.8M in length including the clip and handle.
As seen above, one of the trigger-hooks will clip to the D-ring nearest our DNA logo, allowing for use as a handle.
Then, simply clip the other trigger-hook to the harness or collar and you're ready to go! This mode is great for everyday use, or for a little more freedom than usual in open spaces.
Short-Lead Mode
For the other two modes, you will need to feed the lead through the O-ring to create a makeshift handle. The Short-Lead mode sits at approximately 1M in length, including handle and clip.
Then, you will need to clip one trigger-hook to the D-ring that's very close to the opposite trigger-hook.
Then, attach the other trigger-hook to your dog's harness or collar and you're off! Short-Mode is ideal for extra control in busy urban areas, or for smaller dogs and puppies.
Training Mode
Now the part you've all been waiting for...
Training Mode allows for mild anti-pull training, using one end of the clip on the main attachment point on the back of a suitable harness, and the other end to the chest clip of the harness.
The handle is as before with Short-Lead mode. You won't be clipping trigger-hooks to any D-rings, and instead will be clipping directly to the harness or collar.
This allows for use as a training lead, which has a total length of approximately 1M.
How to use a Double-Ended Lead for Anti-Pull Training
Firstly, ensure that you have a harness with two attachment points - one on the back, and one on the front. The back attachment should be taking most of the pressure from the dog pulling here.
The end that's attached to the back should be used almost like an everyday lead, and is used almost like a brake to help keep your dog from pulling. The key is the even pressure coming from the front clip; if the dog pulls, the attachment to the front clip will turn your dog towards you. Think of this like a 'steer', being able to quickly bring your dog under control and by your side.
With just a standard lead, it's difficult to stop your dog from moving forward without yanking, which can cause injury.
We're Here to Help!
If you need any further advice or clarification, you can reach us via email at bark@mountaindog.uk.