By Jen Flatt Osborn

One of the best things I learned, during the 12 years I served as director of an animal sanctuary, was how to train a dog. But I’m not just talking about basic commands, I’m talking about the mother lode. The Golden Goose. The Pot of Gold. The hands-down best way to train your dog.

Our darling canines are only as good a companion as we set them up to be. Just how deep your lifelong bond gets can depend on how you handle training them.

You might already know how to introduce your dog to “Sit,” “Stay,” and “Down.” But did you know there’s a foundation you can lay that will make your dog’s behavior the envy of the neighborhood?

How to train your dog to stay by your side –

So you have a new bundle of love and need to start training him before he turns into Cujo. The process of teaching your dog how NOT to be a heathen can teach you as much as it teaches him.

The great news is, the training exercises we talk about will work on an older dog, too. No need to age discriminate here since our 4-legged best friends can learn at any age.

So let’s get into the secret sauce that will have your friends asking, “Who are you, the Dog Whisperer?”

The training technique that works like magic –

There are some universal truths about dogs. Things like them being direct descendants of wolves, that they have an incredible sense of smell, and their uncanny ability to lift their leg on things they shouldn’t.

There’s another truth carved in stone that will lead us to the elusive answer to the question, “How can I get my dog to stay beside me?” And that truth is…They want to be with us. It’s that simple.

They want to please us and get mud and hair on every piece of our clothing they possibly can.

So here it is – 

The hands-down best way to begin training your dog is to tether him to you at all times.

1. Grab a leash. Make sure it’s not too short.
2. Tie one end to your belt loop and the other to your dog.
3. Live your life as usual.

It can get tricky. They’ll get tripped over, you’ll get pulled down, and sometimes it will seem like the entire process is ridiculous.

But the setup doesn’t need to be in place 24/7. They need time to be dogs, too. If they’re playing with other animals or people, need to stay in their crate for training purposes, eating and drinking, or need to take a potty break, untether them. You can also release them at night to go to their crate or to snag their cushy spot on the bed with you!

This process is perfectly humane and won’t hurt your dog in any way. On the contrary, at the end of tether-training you’ll have the most well-adjusted, happy dog you could ever want.  

This overlooked, low-tech answer to getting your dog to stay by your side teaches him valuable lessons. Things like…

> Who’s the boss. (Hint. It’s you.)
> He learns to recognize and enjoy the feelings of safety and security that comes from being literally attached to you.
> Where you go, they go. Think about a kangaroo and her joey. The little one innately knows that he belongs in Mama’s pouch. It’s just the way things work. This is similar to the mindset your dog will have. 
> They don’t need to be entertained, fed, or played with all the time. There are more times when the only thing that’s happening is you staring at the computer screen.

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL –

> They learn patience.
> They recognize that being in this position isn’t scary which builds trust.
> They pick up on your moods and will learn when you’re calm or happy and what makes you agitated.
> They learn the physical distance needed between you to stay comfortable.
> They’ll begin to read your body language which may be the biggest lesson of all. The better the non-verbal communication is between you, the deeper your relationship will be.

This training technique isn’t only something your dog can use, there are lessons coming your way, too…

> You get to see, on an ongoing basis, your dog’s personality traits.
> You’ll learn what makes him tick. What sounds he responds to and barks at, how he reacts to people coming and going, and what creates anxiety or stress for him are just a few savory bits you’ll get to chew on.
> You’ll start to be hyper-aware of when he’s not tethered to you. Although they do need a sense of autonomy to function at their highest level, a dog’s relationship to his guardian trumps everything.

AND THERE’S MORE…

> The times when you’re on auto-pilot during your day will become more glaring to you. Dogs don’t let you phone it in.
> You’ll start to see more rapid results as you go through regular training sessions with him while you’re tethered. Your dog will have extra incentive to want to please you since he knows your every move.

As your cutie-pie learns to physically move in sync with you, he’ll learn much more than if he were just being taught basic commands. His growth, physically and mentally, is dependent on you and he knows that.

So be as gentle as you can be as you move about with this human-dog tether on, but don’t let it interfere with the way you do things either. If you’re watching TV, he needs to be expected to chill out as well. If your new phone game is causing you to hoot and holler sporadically, he needs to know it might be a good time to try out his new chew toy.   

Unspoken emotions can be felt by others, especially dogs, so make sure to stay supportive and to keep things in check as much as you can while you’re tethered.    

Dogs just want to be with us. There’s nothing complicated about it. And by being physically connected to you, it gives them a crystal-clear feeling of exactly what you want from them.

On your mark, get set, go tether-train! Your only regret will be that you didn’t try it sooner.