Training with Nicole:

Parallel walking allows
dogs to make choices

Parallel walking will allow your dogs to meet when they feel comfortable about meeting, and to choose whether they would like to share walks in the future.

PARALLEL walking is a good way for puppies (or any dogs that are not familiar with each other) to meet quietly with more mature and calm dogs and to learn the protocols of meeting without offence. Have the dogs on long slack leads with their owners at the same end of a large field but a good distance between them, say about 30 metres (depending on how much space the dogs need), and begin walking, keeping the same parallel distance apart.

Begin walking very slowly. If one dog stops to sniff, the other stops to keep parallel. Try to stay in a straight line so that you do not drift any closer to one another. Continue this walking up and down the field a few times. If the dogs are coping well and not worried about each other, then move a few metres closer. Go up and down the field again a few times and then take a break for at least an hour, letting your puppy rest during this break, or come back another day for the next step.

The next session can start as for the first session but just walk up and down the field once, then move in a little closer and walk up and down a couple of times. If your puppy is not coping, go back to making more space between the two dogs, walk up and down a couple more times and take a break.

When your puppy is coping well with the distance, then you can move a little closer. Gradually move in closer and closer, but not too quickly and keeping a close eye on your puppy’s calming signals. If he starts to get a little worried, i.e. lungeing, barking, lip licking, head dipping, hiding behind you, then make more distance between them again, giving them more time and space to become familiar with one another.

When the dogs are getting close enough so that there is only a few metres between them, take them out of the situation and take a break. Do not force a meeting.

During this next session your puppy and the other dog may or may not wish to meet. Respect what your puppy wants and do not push the issue. The focus should not be to make the dogs meet. This choice should be given to the dogs. The parallel walking is to find out if the dogs want to walk together.

Start your parallel walking again at a good distance and slowly move in as you walk up and down the field parallel to one another. When you are just a few metres from one another and your puppy and other dog wish to meet (look at the calming signals) you can allow them a very brief meeting, keeping the leads slack, and then call them out of the situation. Take a break.

During the next session the dogs can begin the parallel walking at a close distance so they can meet if they wish but do not push them to meet. Walk up and down the field side-by-side on a slack lead, giving them the opportunity to make their own choices whether or not they wish to greet each other or just walk, sniff and explore the environment. If they are happy to walk calmly with one another, explore and sniff, they will most likely get on fine and should enjoy walking together regularly.

If your puppy or both dogs are barking, lungeing, jumping on one another, using barriers to get away, cowering etc, then it’s too soon for them to meet. Go back to the beginning and stay there for a few weeks until they are ready to move closer again or use a calmer, more mature dog to walk with your puppy.

Excerpt from Nicole's new book Living in harmony with your puppy. To order, email: canine@shalvaholistics.com

Issue 36Page 9