The pictures below show how to place fingers into the second handle and to place the leash into the hand on the Dual Handle Leash. The other picture shows how the closing of the fingers along with twisting of the wrist the hand to do the tug part and then the releasing of the fingers. This is done in a quick manner to grab the attention of pet. 

I my hand is down by my hip when I am using the Leash.  (the pictures show my hand in a raised position to demonstrate the finger placement on the second handle of the Dual Handle Leash).  **Never walk with your hand straight in front of you…Your body is off balanced. You will land on your face or down on your knees when your dog jumps forward at something he/she sees.  I have seen this happen many times.

Tired of having your shoulder be pulled out of its socket?  May I suggest…put your hand down by your hip…RELAX YOUR ARM & SHOULDERS…CALM YOUR MIND.  Please…Think about what I am going to be sharing with you. This technique works every time!  At Shows, I fit the harness on the dog, then I take the dog for a quick walk to introduce the harness to the dog.  I walk about 30 to 50 feet out from the owners at the booth and back to booth with their dog. I have the dog walk out slightly in front of me…I need to see the head of the dog in my lower vision. All I do is do a few stop and goes with the dog.  When I turn around and look back the customer, they always have a shocked look on there face.  I stop about 10 feet from the owners, ask them to call the dog.  The dog starts to move and I immediately stop the dog, they call the dog again, I do the same thing, stop the forward motion again…this time the dog sits out of frustration.  The owner just stare at their dog, then look back me. Then the dog and I walk over to the owners, the dog is very happy to be back with the Love of his/her Life. The first thing they want to know is how I control their dog so easily??

Okay, Let me show you, I hand the leash to them. Eight times out of ten this is what I see…  The owner take hold of the leash, the arm is in bent towards the middle of the body with a death grip on the leash. Their body is tight and stiff. Their mind and body is ready for the battle of the walk and looking down at the dog as they start out on the walk. I realize they trying to be prepared for the pet to start pulling and yanking on the leash.  Understand that your pets can read all of your emotions, they look at you face, they smell your stress and feel the tension of your body. Pets Love their Owners, so all of their senses have been put ‘On Guard’. The need to protect their owner is strong, that is the dog’s job! 

The first thing I need to do is get the dog’s owner to relax as we move away from the booth. I explain about body, mind and ask if I can touch them so they can feel how I work fingers and wrist together. Then I get them to relax shoulders, then arm, breathe, head up and look forward … don’t look down at the dog…look forward see where you are going. It only takes a few minutes to see a difference. Usually they are so focus on me they don’t realize what is happening with their dog, until I ask them to take a look at their dog.  The dog is no longer pulling on the leash but walking along quietly and well behaved.  Now both are enjoying the walk. 

Let me tell you a story about a little young lady who had a dog that was almost as big as she was. Her dog dragged her to my booth, he want to investigate my stuffed dogs. She wanted to try out the harness that others were telling her about. Put an XX Large Easy On/Off No Pull Harness on him and took him out for a walk. We turn around…she had the most shocked look on her face. She was short on time and want some home training. We met several days later. We worked going through the front door both ways. He did real good, then we went for a walk in the neighborhood and talk about things to do with the dog to reinforce what we accomplish earlier. I gave her the leash for her to start working the dog. After about 5 minutes, I ask her to walk ahead of me I just needed sometime to see a few things. I could see the walking styles of the dog and her were different.  She was meander type of walker and the dog want a stronger pace…so she was checking him every few seconds for him to slow down. It was not working for either. So I ask a question. When you go out for a walk with your dog is it for a bathroom run or because you also want to get some exercise? She told me she wanted some exercise for both her and the dog. I had to be blunt…I know your dog will work with you, but you need to work with your dog. If you will pick up your pace, I think he will slow his pace for you. Then you will not have to keep checking him to slow down. You have to find a happy medium for the both of you. It took about 5 minutes to get them into a good working pace. I suggested she start out with the faster pace of walking at the start of the walk through the point of turn around time.  Then do your turn and set your pace for a little slower pace. It worked out perfect for them.  So the lesson learned here is if you have a dog that wants some exercise start out with a faster pace…good for both of you…the slower pace at the half way mark or turn around and start the pace a little slower it will work out good too. When you have a meeting of the minds you will not have to consistently correcting the dog to slow down. Remember if you are fighting about type of pace…pick your up pace a little and see how your dog responds to you.    

Most people don’t realize how well dogs use all their senses to read their owners. So you start out for that walk…Take some slow and easy deep breaths, relax your body, drop your hand down to your side.  Head up, look forward, adjust the distance your dogs to where you can see the head in your lower vision as you are looking forward. Combine your voice and fingers with wrist action. Watch out for that tightness to creep back with your hand on the leash, when it done start with the breaths. Soon it will be second nature with you.

• Relax body and mind
• Head up … Look forward
• If your dog’s head moves quickly – tug n release – bring pet closer to you –  say ‘leave it’ – pick up the pace if needed- Let’s Go – Stay in Motion.

Never stop your forward motion if your dog get focus on something, if you stop and try to hold the dog in one place. The dog goes out of control due to becoming so totally focus on something. Nip it in the bud and just follow the steps that are above and walk faster around the problem while talking to them and using the fingers and wrist. As you bring them close to you.  Your are over loading the mind of the dog because they now bring that focus on what you are saying and doing to them. With in seconds you are away from the distraction and enjoying your walk again. The ‘Leave It’ and ‘Let’s Go’  command is your best friend.

Remember Calm Mind and Relaxed Body = Calm and Listening Dog.