Contact Practice at Home
There's a riding exercises you can do at home with your dog!
This is something my trainer had me start doing, and it works!
Practice contact, half halts, and direction cues while walking your dog!
I have two dogs, so I practice two hands independent at once ooorrr Ill use a longer leash with one dog and hold the leash with the extra just like I would reins. Since doing so, I can keep contact easier, know how to presignal and garner attention from my pups with a half halt, and give them very subtle directional cues to say left or right. It's done phenomenal for keeping light contact and learning to move with my horse. "Close your fingers" is much easier to do without thinking with the extra practice and youre practicing without a bit!
Give it a try!
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