I knew about long lines but, it wasn't until past foster dog Royal that I started taking advantage of the long line! Here's the past post Royal on a long line talking more about how it was used with Royal. Many thanks to force free trainers Lori Steven & Ruth LaRocque who suggested trying the long line with Royal as it really helped us work off and manage his anxiety. As many know Royal was adopted and he's doing great in his forever home!
Fast forward to now and I'm still using the long line! This is a great tool and it can have a variety of uses. It is often used for teaching recall, it can be used with fearful/skittish dogs who need a longer connection away from the human & it can be used to exercise your dog in large open areas. The long line allows a dog more freedom - all while giving the human the ability to stay connected to the dog.
I'm currently using it with D'light and we are having a great time. D'light loves to look for critters in the woods. So, we've been taking advantage of the wooded trails at Seward Park. I had no idea that these trails existed so thank you Erica Wells for telling us about them! The trails are not busy and they are wide trails - both are perfect for D'light and the long line. Because of D'light's high prey drive I do not trust him off leash in areas where there might be critters. So as you will soon see, the long line is a great compromise.
 |
| D'light & the long line. This is a 25 foot light weight long line |
Using the long line has provided another valuable advantage with D'light. The more we use the line the more choices he makes on our walks. When we walk I let him pick where he wants to go and this has really boosted his confidence. D'light has always struggled with making independent choices so the more we can encourage him making choices the better. By doing this, his confidence continues to grow and he develops lots of positive emotional responses!
He opted to stop and check out all the trees
Lots to smell and see
He hears the little birds
And off we go!
We move at his pace and both of us enjoy these walks. Using a long line takes practice and my sole focus on these walks is on D'light and the long line. It's a pretty relaxing time for me which is much needed given the hustle and bustle of life.
D'light off to investigate
Up a big root system - this is really good for his body and brain
"I can see so much up here"
Watching and taking in his environment - it's a good time!
Happy rattie boy!
Off we go!
And of course no walk is complete without getting into the brush to flush out critters!
Diving right in!
A great trip! Both D'light and I love our long line walks
The long line I currently use is a 25 foot light weight long line which I purchased off Amazon.
No comments:
Post a Comment