Free guide · Walking
A loose leash: what to mark, and when to pause.
A line that hangs softly, a dog starting to move ahead, and a tight leash are three different moments. These excerpts from On the Leash show the part of the practice that belongs to each.
From the book: the quoted actions below are from situations 13, 15 and 17. The headings and links are website navigation. “Nice” is the household’s reward marker; it is not a command to pull the dog into position. See the shared vocabulary →
Do this · Book excerpt · Situation 13
Mark the moment the line goes soft
“Keep your eyes on the line and speak the instant it drops.”
“Deliver at your knee within a second, never out ahead of you.”
Do this · Book excerpt · Situation 15
Turn before your dog gets ahead
“Turn as soon as his shoulder draws level with your knee, not later.”
“Pivot away from him and walk five steps in the new direction.”
“Say Nice the moment he catches up and the line curves again.”
“Practice where nothing is happening before you try it near traffic.”
Do this · Book excerpt · Situation 17
If the line has already tightened
“Stop the moment the curve disappears, mid-step if you have to.”
“Say Nice and walk on the instant it does, without comment.”
Where these steps come from
Same Words for Your Dog: On the Leash by Ivan Nikitskiy · Book 4, situations 13, 15 and 17. The full situations include the context, what to avoid and when to ask for help.
This is a short reading guide, not an individual behavior plan or a promise of a result in five minutes. Persistent distress, repeated lunging or freezing is outside this short exercise’s scope.
Read the reward-based approach and its limits →