When you start the walk ritual, always have your dog sit and stay first. You need to put them into a calm-submissive state where their energy is being directed into following your commands. Remember, something as simple as „sit‟ and „stay‟ takes a serious amount of mental energy and concentration from a dog – especially when they are that excited. By channelling that energy, you can eliminate the bouncing around that they perform before taking them out. What is important here is that you put the leash away if they exhibit excitement and jumping. Don‟t reward the behaviour.

Once you‟ve attached the leash, make sure the dog awaits your command entirely. They should not move toward the door or try to pull you in any way until you‟ve given them leave to do so. You should be able to make it to the door without the leash pulling tight. The second the dog begins to pull, return to the original position and start over again. It can take time to teach a dog that they cannot pull excitedly, but if you return to that position over and over again, they will get it eventually. Excitement won‟t get them out the door. The same goes for opening the door. Do it slowly and calmly and stop if the dog starts to get too excited.

You should never have to punish your dog. After all, you have the one thing in the world they want most – a walk. By withholding that, you have a powerful reward for them when they finally follow your commands correctly.