03/05/2026
Your dog’s walk actually starts BEFORE you leave the house.
Most people think the walk begins when they step out the door.
But for your dog, it starts much earlier.
Dogs pay attention to everything:
your shoes, your jacket, grabbing your keys, putting on sunglasses.
All of those little routines become predictable signals that a walk is coming.
Over time, it becomes muscle memory.
This means your dog’s energy is often already rising before the leash ever comes out.
One of the most important moments of the entire walk is actually when you put the collar or leash on.
In this video, I’m taking the time to meet Biscuit where he is.
He’s excited about the walk — and that’s okay.
I don’t want him to be a robot with zero energy.
But I do want to help him come down to a more thoughtful, calmer state of mind.
When a dog is calmer, we have more access to their brain.
And, when we have access to their brain, we can give better guidance before, during, and after the walk.
That’s how you create a dog who walks with you, instead of a dog who pulls ahead, making all the decisions.
If you watch closely, you’ll see me slow everything down.
I’m paying attention to Biscuit’s body language, his energy level, and my own.
At one point, I even take a deep breath — and he mirrors it.
Dogs are incredibly sensitive to our nervous systems.
Once the leash is on and he’s settled, I allow him to release a little energy, and then I guide him back to my side.
When he looks up and gives me focus, that’s relevancy.
This is a great time to start moving to the door.
