12/06/2026
You've done the loose lead course. You've got the harness everyone recommended, treats in the correct pocket, and you stop every single time the lead goes tight.
And in the garden, or on the quiet field behind the house? He's lovely.
Then you walk through the gate at the country park and it's like the course never happened.
Here's the bit nobody mentioned: loose lead walking isn't really about the lead.
A dog who's calm enough can walk beside you. A dog who's too wound up, too many smells, too much going on, too much excitement before you're even out of the car park, can't. Not won't. Can't.
You've seen it yourself. It's the moment he stops taking the treats. The chicken that works beautifully in the kitchen might as well be a pebble. That's not him ignoring you. That's a dog so full up with everything around him there's no room left for you.
That's what the video of Ember earlier this week was really showing. Not a dog trained to walk slowly - a dog calm enough, in the right place, that walking slowly was easy.
So no, you don't need another course. You don't need a different harness. You don't need a slip lead. And you don't need to be more interesting than a rabbit.
The dog on the end of your tight lead (the one you've maybe started to dread walking) isn't being difficult. He's full up. And when someone shows you what he looks like with room to spare, you might not recognise him.
We see that moment happen here every week - it's our most favourite part.
