How to create a calm leaving the house routine

One of my top tips for a calm, stress-free walk with your dog starts in the home BEFORE you even start the walk! Creating a calm leaving the house routine will set up your dog walk in the best way so that both you and your dog can enjoy your time on the walk together. In this issue, I am going to walk you through the four steps to setting up a calm leaving the house routine.

In my experience of walking hundreds of dogs, I've found that the calmer the dog when they leave the home, the easier they are to manage while on the walk.
No one wants to chase their dog around the house to get the lead on or to try to get it on a dog who is jumping all over the place. No one wants to be dragged out the door by an overly excited dog, well I know that I definitely don't!  Creating a calm leaving the house routine is the key to an easier, more relaxing walk with your dog.

A note before we start . . .
For this process to work, it requires patience and consistency from the human which is not unlike most aspects of training your dog actually! This activity can be time-consuming at the beginning but I promise if you stick with it, the difference will be well worth the time and effort. And you will see progress very quickly.

At the beginning allow yourself 10-15 mins to practice this task and include this as part of your walk time. This is a good mental activity for your dog so they will be tired afterwards even if they are not out walking for as long!