You can’t have loose lead walking without outdoor engagement. If she doesn’t check in with you, nothing else matters — she’s just being pulled along by architecture, not walking with you by choice.
This stage is about one thing: making her voluntary attention toward you the most rewarded behavior in any outdoor environment.
The Foundation: Check-Ins
A check-in is simple: she looks at you voluntarily. No cue, no prompt, no bribing. She chooses to look at your face.
Teaching Check-Ins
Phase A: Capture it (low distraction, outdoors)
- Go outside to a quiet area. Have treats.
- Stand still. Don’t say anything. Just wait.
- She’ll sniff, look around, pull, do dog things. Let her.
- The moment she glances at your face → YES → treat
- She’ll go back to doing dog things. Wait again.
- Another glance → YES → treat
- Repeat until she’s checking in every few seconds. This usually happens within 5-10 minutes.
Phase B: Name response
- Say her name once. Just once. Not “Melon. Melon! MELON!”
- She looks at you → YES → treat. Big reward.
- She doesn’t look → wait 5 seconds → try again. Still nothing? Move to a less distracting spot.
- Never repeat the name in rapid succession. One shot. If it doesn’t work, the environment is too much.
Phase C: Movement check-ins
- Start walking. Slow pace. Quiet area.
- Every time she voluntarily checks in (looks at your face while walking) → YES → treat
- Don’t lure. Don’t ask. Just reward every time she offers it.
- She’ll start checking in more and more as the payout accumulates.
Making Check-Ins Explosive
The reward for a check-in should be disproportionately good compared to other behaviors. She needs to learn that NOTHING she does pays as well as looking at your face.
Treat check-ins: YES + treat (standard) Jackpot check-ins: YES + 3-4 treats rapid fire (for check-ins during difficult moments — other dogs visible, something exciting happening) Play check-ins: YES + pull out the tug and have a quick 10-second tug session right there on the walk (this is the nuclear option — reserve for amazing check-ins) Fetch check-ins: YES + ball throw (if you’re in a safe area)
The principle: The harder the check-in was for her, the bigger the reward should be. Checking in during a boring moment = treat. Checking in while another dog walks by = jackpot + party.
Engagement in Increasing Distractions
Level 1: Your Yard / Quiet Outdoor Space
- Stand still exercises (capture check-ins)
- Name response practice
- Walking check-ins at slow pace
- Minimal competing stimuli
Level 2: Quiet Street or Path
- Walking check-ins with mild distractions (distant people, cars, birds)
- Name response with distractions present
- Practice: every time she orients toward a distraction, wait for her to choose to look back at you → YES + treat
Level 3: Busier Environment
- Walking check-ins with moderate distractions (other people closer, dogs in distance)
- The “look at that” game: she notices a distraction → you say “yes” the moment she looks BACK at you (not at the distraction)
- She learns: noticing things is fine, but checking in with you afterward is what pays
Level 4: Challenging Environment
- Close proximity to other dogs, busy sidewalk, park with activity
- She should be checking in even here, though less frequently
- Every check-in is a jackpot in this context
The Engagement Walk (Not a Real Walk Yet)
During this stage, your “walks” aren’t really walks. They’re engagement sessions that happen to be outside.
Structure:
- Leave the house. Walk 10-20 steps.
- Stop. Wait for a check-in. Reward.
- Walk 10-20 more steps. Stop. Wait. Reward.
- Change direction randomly. She has to pay attention to follow.
- Stop at interesting spots (fire hydrant, tree, bench). Let her sniff for 10-15 seconds as a reward for checking in.
- Total: 10-15 minutes. You might only cover half a block. That’s fine.
The goal isn’t distance. It’s connection.
Using Sniffing as a Reward
Sniffing is hugely reinforcing for dogs. Use it strategically:
- She checks in nicely → “Go sniff!” (release her to a bush or interesting spot for 10-15 seconds)
- When she’s done or when you’re ready → call her name → she checks in → YES + treat → resume walking
- She learns: checking in with you doesn’t end the fun. It leads to MORE fun (sniffing, treats, play).
Premack principle: The more desirable activity (sniffing) rewards the less desirable activity (paying attention to you). Over time, paying attention to you becomes desirable on its own.
Session Structure
Warm-up: Quick tug or treat scatter in the yard (2 min) — get her engaged before you leave the property
Main work:
- Engagement walk: 10-15 minutes
- Focus on check-ins, name response, direction changes
- Reward generously. You’re still building, not testing.
Cool-down:
- Final check-in → jackpot treat + calm praise
- Let her decompress with a free sniff before going inside
- BREAK
Common Problems
She won’t look at you at all outdoors:
- The environment is too stimulating. Go to a less distracting spot.
- Use higher-value treats. If she won’t take treats, she’s over threshold — go somewhere easier.
- Try right outside your front door. Literally. Just stand there and wait for a glance.
She checks in for treats but pulls between check-ins:
- That’s fine for now. Don’t worry about the pulling yet — Stage 2 addresses leash mechanics.
- Keep rewarding check-ins. The density of check-ins will increase naturally.
She only looks at the treat pouch, not your face:
- Hold treats behind your back or in a pocket she can’t see.
- Wait for actual eye contact (your face), not just orienting toward the treat source.
- When she looks at your face → YES. The treat appears AFTER the marker, not before.
Ready to Advance
Move to Stage 2: Leash Communication when:
- Melon checks in voluntarily at least once every 30 seconds in a low-distraction outdoor environment
- She responds to her name and orients to you 8/10 times in moderate distraction
- She can do a 10-15 minute engagement walk without completely checking out
- She looks at your face, not just the treat pouch, when checking in
- She’s shown she can disengage from at least one challenging distraction (another dog, person, smell) and check in with you
All criteria met across 3 sessions in different environments? Time to work the leash.