When I start my first walking sessions with board & train dogs, I use it as a discovery period and a time to figure out what works with the dog and what doesn’t. It’s a great way to set a foundation and see how the dogs respond to leash pressure, what their level of engagement is, etc.

Luna was picking up on the leash pressure, but the level of distraction she showed and amount of work it took to keep her engaged told me that she would do better on a figure 8 Ioop. The next walking session, we did the figure 8 loop and it has worked much better for her.

If it ever feels like you are pulling teeth to get your dog engaged with you, then you might need a ew approach, tool or plan.