I’ve noticed for a long time when walking Apollo that he seems unusually aware of where the leash is in relation to him and me. He never walks on the opposite side of a tree, pole or bush, unless the item is shorter than he is.
Occasionally I see him glance back at me, as if to determine where I am in relation to him, before he decides on which side of a tree to walk.
My hypothesis is that huskies were bred and selected for their ability to pull a sled without tangling the lines, and that some intuitive understanding of how a leash works would be an important part of that ability.
Or do all dogs do that, and am I just noticing something that isn’t special?
1 response so far ↓
1 Donna // Mar 7, 2013 at 5:38 pm
They can be trained to “heel” on one side or the other. I’m currently working with Hanna on keeping her right beside my leg as we walk. She does pretty well if I keep the leash taut.
As far as running around the wrong side of something, I don’t know if that’s learned or intuitive, but good for Apollo! That’s very annoying when they get tangled up.
Leave a Comment