First time dog owner. I have an adult terrier that loves to pull on the leash to follow scents and explore. He has a regular collar and leash. However the nylon leash has no give. So when he pulls me to smell something, it's abrupt. Because he likes to go on sniffing walks, it can be constant like every tree or corner. I noticed my chest tenses up and gets really stiff when it's repetitive. I get stressed out and my body hurts. They are like micro triggers.
My dog loves exploration, and it's one of the things I love about him. I give him daily off leash, play, and walk time. When he was younger, I worked with him to transition from a harness, to a martingale to train him, to a regular collar and leash. He doesn't just pull for pullings sake. He's well behaved, smart, but very tenacious and strong willed, like many terriers.
I will periodically do walks where I let him take the lead. I think it's inherently healthy for them to follow their nose. Am I just contradicting myself? He understands loose leash walking and we've also worked on gentle pulling vs abrupt pulling. I've thought about going back to a harness, or buying a leash with bungee, or just tying him to my waist so I can absorb the shock better. I will continue to work with him and reinforce stop when he pulls too hard. Thoughts on how I can make it less stressful for me while also giving my dog some freedom to sniff?
submitted by /u/moonroux
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