Project
Our goal is very simple and wildly ambitious: to change an idea in people’s minds.
We tend to perceive what we see most often as normal and do not question it much. That can be applied to the way we treat our dogs. More specifically, about how we walk (with) them.
If what most people see most often are dogs having stressful, low-quality walks, hurrying along and pulling on short leashes and collars, that is what they think of as a normal dog walk. But what if we could change that image in people’s minds? What if we could show them many examples of loose - smiling - leash walks, with good harnesses and long leads, a slow enough pace for sniffing and exploring and both dog and human enjoying their time together?
If this image finds a way into the brains of more people and they try it themselves, we could change the lives of so many dogs for the better. This is the simple, yet wildly ambitious idea behind the Smiling Leash Project.
On the Smiling Leash Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, you will find photos and videos of people having slow, relaxing walks with their dogs on a long, smiling leash. Along with those, you will find useful tips on leash handling, walking equipment and canine wellbeing. Smiling Leash is dedicated to showing the best examples of walking and enjoying time together with our dogs.
The project is run by an international group of friends and dog trainers: Lyubov Elupova, Ena Kobentar and Leticia Sanchez-Moral.
Participate in the Smiling Leash Project!
Send us photos and videos of your Smiling Leash Moments!
The Smiling Leash Team
Lyubov Elupova
Lyubov’s introduction into the dog world happened through her first rescue ex-street dog Vita, who - as many streeties do - used a wide range of body language signals and was a real teacher for Lyubov. In 2018, Lyubov started learning from Turid Rugaas at the International Dog Trainer Education in Spain. Lyubov joined the Pet Dog Trainers of Europe in 2019 and completed her dog trainer education in 2020. Lyubov has been a teacher in the Nordic Dog Trainer school since 2022. Lyubov offered individual consultations and classes in Sofia, Bulgaria until she moved to Estonia in June 2022 together with her rescue dog Heidi who you can see on this photo.
Ena Kobentar
Growing up in Slovenia, Europe, Ena’s fascination with dogs started early on. Her interest deepened when she joined the Ljubljana Society for the Protection of Animals, where she volunteered as a shelter dog walker and started assisting in dog classes. After several seminars and workshops at home and abroad she enrolled in the International Dog Trainer Education with Turid Rugaas. She is a dog behaviour consultant, full member and Slovenian country representative of Pet Dog Trainers of Europe. Her canine companion Šar was adopted from the same shelter where her dog training path began.
Leticia Sanchez Moral
Leticia is a Canine Myotherapist and educator from the North of Spain where she runs her canine business, Preparadogs. Leticia has a senior border terrier with mobility issues, Ripley, who has been her best teacher and motivation to continue learning about pain in dogs. She has another senior dog called Barney and an adopted hunting dog Rufus, who came to her very troubled and has been pivotal in developing Leticia's knowledge further than she ever imagined. Leticia has also completed the International Dog Trainer Education program and is a full member of Pet Dog Trainers of Europe.