Best Gear for Running with Dogs (Read 145 times)

Lildostar  I trained my German shepherd to stay by my left side, in position by my leg by using treats.  I used a soft cookie (actually homemade, but any tiny treat works) that I could break into small pieces so he could eat them quickly without stopping.  At first I gave out lots of treats, every three or four steps.  Then I just started to stretch it out.  Ten steps, 20 steps.  If he forgot where he needed to be, I stopped dead and let him self-correct when he reached the end of the lead.  Once he got to be about 80% reliable, that's when we began to run.  At this point I only needed the treats if there was a distraction like a car, or an animal, or person.  I still carry treats with me when I run with him, because out and backs are hard for him.  We get to our turn around spot and he wants to do negative splits all the way home. So he needs a positive punishment cue to let him know his mistake (I stop and he gets a self correction) and then I motion for him to return to my side, and he gets a cookie when he is back in position.  I remind him to "go easy" and I usually only need to repeat this a couple times before we find our rhythm again.

There are basically two questions you need to address.  Does the dog know what you want him to do?  And is he sufficiently motivated to do it?  Get the answers to be yes and you have a fine running partner.