Imagine this. Imagine two fish swimming and then they die. This is how it feels when your dog doesn’t listen to you. Anybody with a dog knows that they are really just stubborn, naturally-drunk humans with four legs that look for affection. At face value. Seriously, I’ll debate anybody about the accuracy of that aforementioned statement. I’ll fight anyone who disagrees too, seriously.

Going to the dog park used to be so stressful. Well, let me back track. I have a dog that I proudly named, Bagel The God. I know what you’re thinking, but to clear the air: I’m not religious and I’m not a douche. (At least I don’t think.) He just looks how his name sounds: a holy breakfast delicacy, that’s a bit toasted around the edges. It’s like when someone… never mind. Anyways, he will be four this upcoming September. The 12^th to be exact. He’s a purebred Catahoula Leopard Dog and weighs in at 85 pounds. If you don’t know what a Catahoula Leopard Dog is, I’ve been kind enough to provide you with a photo that I took of him. I got him as a pup to alleviate my diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder I had developed the summer prior to getting him.

So where were we? Oh, okay, going to the dog park used to be sooooooo stressful. Bagel is a hunting dog, so he is loud and assertive by nature. He also is a natural herder, so any dog running faster than him, he would chase down until they stopped. This, of course, is a huge issue. A very, very problematic issue, because his herding instincts would lead to aggression and dominance. The reason why I introduced Bagel by way of description, is to better inform you of how I handled this unwanted behavior. With him being of a larger size, I had to find ways to more efficiently correct him. Ways, that at times, felt more like failure than progress. The key here is to keep going.

I didn’t socialize Bagel with other canines the first year that I had him. That was mistake one. Mistake two, was that I wasn’t consistent in how I rewarded and punished him. For lack of a better phrase, this pretty much means that I would let him get away with things all the time. Things such as barking at me, giving in to him, digging in the trash, etc. All that bad stuff. I was so tired of telling other dog owners at the dog park, “He’s an angel at home, it’s just when he comes here, something gets into him and he acts up,” in attempts to apologize and cover up my mistakes as a dog owner. I truly believe that in choosing to be a dog owner, you must be prepared to take responsibility for any possibility resulting from your decision.

What I had to do was; one, be consistent. Two, have patience. (Progress is nothing without patience.) Three, exercise him mentally and physically. I am a big fan of Cesar Milan. I began binging episode after episode of The Dog Whisperer. I even took notes while I watched. The behavior of dogs, and dogs in general, was something that was naturally intriguing to me. Though at times I felt frustrated, it’s important to remember that you both, you and your dog, will mutually benefit from what seems like excessive, though necessary, training. Watching Cesar, one important thing he stresses, is to always take your dog on a walk. A structured walk. If you can master walking your dog, then the rest will come very easily in terms of obedience. It took over two years for Bagel to really get the gist of walking.

A few things you must remember when walking your dog

1. Lead your dog, do not let her lead you.

Your dog should be walking beside you, not in front of you. You can correct this by a quick tug on the leash when they get ahead. If this doesn’t show any progress, make your dog sit by your side, also known as heeling, before progressing forward with the walk. This is where the patience comes in. It gets easier with time though, I promise.

2. Make him go at your pace.

Do not try to keep up with your dog, your dog should be going at your pace.

3. Do not let them sniff or pee at will.

This is a big one, establish your pack leader role by setting boundaries and rules. When walking a dog, the dog’s focus should be on the walk, not other animals or places where they want to release.

This takes a good bit of time and a good bit of effort. Remember when I said that Bagel’s herding instincts led to aggression and dominance? The same could be said for walking your dog, except with opposite results. Pretty much what I’m trying to get at here is that learning to walk your dog is a gateway into resolutions for many other problems. Establishing boundaries with consistent reinforcement will lead to results in many other areas of unwanted behavior. Bagel has definitely gone through an extreme makeover of some sorts these past few years thanks to the walk. I’ve noticed that he gradually stopped digging in the trash, he stopped barking for attention, and he also became more obedient in foreign territories such as the dog park. A walk should be anywhere from 30 minutes at minimum, to beyond an hour. I know, it sounds like a lot, but trust me, those 30 minutes added up can subtract from all the time you spend stressing and frustrated with the unwanted behavior of your dog. Wouldn’t that be exceptionally convenient? Imagine that, nice isn’t it? Now imagine this. Imagine two fish swimming, and then they go unbothered as they swim to hang with all their friends in the sea. Better? Keep being committed to your dog, you both will appreciate it, I guarantee.