One of the best skills you can teach your dog when walking together is to automatically come to a stop when you do. This will help you to navigate busy areas or wait safely to crossroads.

Start by practicing loose lead walking with your dog. As you are walking slow to a stop and see what your dog does. If your dog stops moving before their lead goes tight, mark and reward them beside you. If they don’t stop before the lead goes tight, simply change direction, wait for your dog to move towards you before walking on again together.

Soon your dog will be paying close attention to you and stopping promptly as soon as you do.

If you would like your dog to automatically sit next to you when you stop walking, you can add this in by cueing your dog to sit when you stop. After a few repetitions your dog will get the idea and you won’t need to cue them anymore - simply wait for your dog to sit automatically.

Make sure you practice in a variety of locations to perfect your dog’s new skill.