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3 Methods to Eliminate Leash Pulling

August 7, 2017 /

I’ve utilized three methods for dealing with Ellie when she refuses to stop pulling on the leash during walks:

  1. Some success: keep the leash shorter than normal and require your dog to sit every time they pull. Do this continually until improvement and then slowly lengthen the leash. I would avoid giving treats after they sit so they don’t accidentally equate pulling to sitting + treat = good.
  2. More success: stop walking and wait for your dog to give up trying to move forward. Shorten the leash any time they move closer. Use boredom to regain their attention and require them to do something obedient like sit next to you. Require eye contact before moving forward again.
  3. Most successful: stop walking as soon as they pull and use a “back” command to turn and reverse direction. I’ve noticed consistently that Ellie walks more politely in a sudden reverse of direction. She wants to go the other way and so she doesn’t pull in the new direction. We do this back and forth until she’s thoroughly confused about where we’re going and then tends to walk more politely.

Green Mountain Hiking Area

June 6, 2017 /

Location: near Denver, Colorado

Size: very large

Quality: high – this park seems well maintained in a safe area

Ease of Access: easy – the main parking lot is right off a main road and easy to find

Features: 1 parking lot, porta potties, trash, 1 creek, 1 pond with no easy water access (water quality low), many miles of hiking paths, little shade, low traffic, difficult terrain

Cost: free

Notes: this is a fun place to hike with some excellent views of the mountains and city of Denver. This is not technically an off-leash park, however the side trails are very low traffic. The trails are fairly difficult terrain and require some level of fitness to hike (except the main path which is easier).

Recommended: yes – there are plenty of opportunities to let your dog run free without disturbing other hikers, however, you will most likely have to leash-and-unleash occasionally.

Stapleton Dog Park

June 6, 2017 /

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/beuF7vqN4KH2

Size: medium

Quality: high – this park seems well maintained in a safe area

Ease of Access: easy – the park is right off a main road and easy to find.

Features: 1 small parking lot, porta potties, trash, 2 gated entries, fully fenced, no small dog area, benches, water fountains, some shade, 0 ponds/rivers, less than 1 mile of walking paths, popular, mixed gravel-sand, no agility course

Cost: free

Sam’s Field Notes: this is a medium-sized dog park in a nice neighborhood with a sandy-gravel base. It has 1 water fountain, a few places to sit, and some shade to cool off in. It’s a popular dog park so you will always have dogs to socialize with. Overall it’s one of the better city dog parks to visit.

Fuller Dog Park

April 8, 2017 /

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/VZHqwhPRwVP2

Size: small

Quality: medium – this park is fairly well maintained, but because of its size and traffic can become dirty, smelly, and dusty

Ease of Access: medium – this little park is buried in a neighborhood on the grounds of a high school so if you’re unfamiliar with the area it may take a moment to find

Features: street parking, no bathrooms, trash, 1 high-energy large breed dual-gated entry, 1 low-energy small dog gated entry, fenced, access to fresh water in the summer, some shade depending on time of day, benches, lots of dogs and people

Cost: free

Sam’s Field Notes: this can be a fun dog park if your dog likes high traffic, high intensity play and socialization. There are times of the day when it is quiet, but after work and the weekends can be packed. This park has frequent scuffles requiring owners to intervene and forcibly separate dogs. There is no parking lot or bathrooms, but there is fresh water accessible in the park with a spigot to fill large jugs of water. There are often many water bowls and extra jugs of water available for us. This dog park can also be very dusty compared to others so avoid on windy days and avoid on rainy days and after snow as it can become very muddy.

Westminster Hills Dog Park

April 8, 2017 /

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/DaDRgL5HTTL2

Size: large

Quality: medium – this park feels less maintained and doesn’t have many facilities, but is in a safe area

Ease of Access: easy – the main parking lot is right off a main road and easy to find. There is a second overflow parking lot in the south east corner of the park (below the main lot on the Google Map, but not shown in June 2017 imagery).

Notable Features: 2 parking lots, porta potties, trash, no gated entries, not fenced, benches, very little shade, 1 pond with easy access, 2-3 miles of walking paths, somewhat popular, amazing scenery, no agility course, allows bikes or other modes of transportation

Cost: free

Sam’s Field Notes: this is a fun, easy hiking experience for you and your dog, but it does have some drawbacks. It is not a traditional dog park so it is NOT fenced in. It is very large and open with a great view of the mountains. There is a large pond which has 1 good spot for swimming. Beware of hidden cacti off the sides of the trails. There is also one spot between the pond and the main park that asks you to leash your dog. Most people tend to ignore the sign since it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Plan ahead for hot, sunny days as there is no real shade for your dog to cool down in.

Cherry Creek State Park Dog Park

April 8, 2017 /

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/rhFwZRho2NC2

Size: large

Quality: high – this park is well maintained in a safe area

Ease of Access: medium – the main parking lot is easy to find and off a main road, BUT there can be LONG lines to get in so plan accordingly. I recommend arriving early in the day, visiting on a weekday, or buying an annual pass to skip the line (only via some entrances).

Notable Features: 2 parking lots, 2 bathrooms, trash, 3 gated entries, fully fenced, benches, water fountain, some shade, 1 river with multiple points of easy access, 1-2 miles of walking paths, popular, amazing scenery, no agility course, allows bikes or other modes of transportation

Cost: $9 for parking, $2 for dog park – you can optionally purchase annual passes for both, $70 and $20 respectively.

Sam’s Field Notes: this is a fun dog park because of the river that runs along its edge. Dogs can easily access the water in most parts with at least 1 section having rocks that dogs can leap off of into the water. It’s fairly flat with a long loop around the edge so it’s a decent amount of exercise as well. There is a horse area on the east edge that the dogs can see, but not get near. There are some very muddy areas with a clay-like mix that can make a mess, but washes off easily. Some parts of the park have a good view of the mountains off in the distance. You can also bring your bike and ride the loop with your dog which is a great way to get even more exercise!

There are three high priority training items I am focusing on with Ellie:

  1. Ellie goes crazy for certain people and dogs (her neighborhood friends). I need to work with her on sitting calmly and letting them approach. She should be able to contain herself better.
  2. There are numerous areas in my neighborhood where I can leash up Ellie and walk away. I would like to leave her sight and have her remain calm and quiet. I sometimes do this at the grocery store and roughly 50% of the time I come out to a barking dog.
  3. I have a bad habit of saying commands multiple times. “Ellie, can you sit? Sit. Sit Ellie.” I need to stop this first and then work with Ellie to respond one the first and only try.

Chatfield Dog Park

August 7, 2016 /

Location: https://goo.gl/maps/CPSp8hwZkwk

Size: large

Quality: high – this park is well maintained in a safe area

Ease of Access: medium – the main parking lots are marked and easy to find, BUT they are somewhat buried in the Chatfield State Park so if you’re unfamiliar with the area you might get turned around. There can also be LONG lines to get into Chatfield State Park so plan accordingly. I recommend arriving early in the day, visiting on a weekday, buying an annual pass to skip the line, or using one of the southern entrances.

Notable Features: 2 parking lots, 2 bathrooms, trash, 4 gated entries, fully fenced, benches, water fountains, plenty of shade, 2 ponds with easy access, 1-2 miles of walking paths, popular, great scenery, no agility course

Cost: $8 for parking, $2 for dog park – you can optionally purchase annual passes for both, $70 and $20 respectively

Sam’s Field Notes: this is one of my favorite dog parks. The water is easy to access with multiple beaches and is a great place to teach your pup to swim. The terrain is varied and the walking loop is decent. Everything is well maintained, there’s shade, and it’s popular. The biggest drawback can simply be accessing it because of the long lines getting into Chatfield State Park on nice days. We’ve had luck entering through the southern entrance and, despite the extra distance you drive, it is often much faster than waiting 20-30 minutes in line.

Progress

August 6, 2016 /

I’m a worrier and I often take little things too seriously because I fear where they may lead if not corrected. Adopting a puppy has been challenging because of this and it’s why I’ve worked hard to train Ellie. At roughly 6 months old she started to show signs of fearfulness towards strangers, traffic cones, Halloween decorations, and many other seemingly random things. Over the past 8 months I’ve helped her face these fears one after the next and we’ve made a lot of progress.

The other day, on our way to Petco, I was reminded of those walks and the worry I had that she might not overcome her fears. She is now 1 year and 2 months old. I glanced down at the calm and happy puppy next to me and realized those worries never came to fruition. It was just another challenge we needed to face. The point of this message is that you’ll worry about things like a good pet owner should, but don’t stress it too much. Your dog will surprise you and grow with your training over time. Stay positive and hopeful and just keep working hard!

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