Michelle Spencer says:

Leash Walking

Most of us need to walk with our dogs on leash, at least occasionally. And if walks are your dog’s primary outlet for exercise, you’ll be taking your dog out on a leash every day.

For this reason, when training a puppy it’s important to train your dog to walk safely and calmly while leashed. The goal is a loose leash, meaning that during leash walks, your dog doesn’t pull or strain. Here are some tips to help.

Getting used to a collar

Before you can begin the basic puppy training tips, your pup first has to get used to wearing a collar and being on a leash. Dogs generally become accustomed to this quite quickly. In the first instance, buy a soft collar – one made of woven nylon or soft leather, for example. Do not buy a collar for the dog to grow into, but buy one that fits now.

Put it on for an hour at first and gradually increase the time. It is a great help to put the collar on just before you take the puppy out or, if your dog is sensitive to this, just before you give it its food. Your puppy is then so busy with eating or playing that it will forget the collar.

How to train a puppy to walk on a leash

Once your dog has got used to its collar, you can fasten this to a leash. Do not pick up the leash yet, but allow your puppy to walk around with it, so that it can get used to this. When it is acclimatized, take the puppy outside and encourage it to walk with you. Do not pull on the leash, but coax your dog with kind words or a tasty tidbit. Some puppies react very strongly when they notice that their freedom is being restricted and they keep trying to struggle free. Praise the dog lavishly when it does not resist.

Reward the right position

The main thing you need to do to train a loose leash is reward your dog for staying in a position that is close enough to you that the leash isn’t taut. Food treats are a great tool for this: anytime your dog is walking nicely – the leash is loose – say, “Yes” and give your dog a treat.

If your dog puts pressure on the leash, stop and wait for her to look at you and come closer to you again. When she does that, say, “Yes” and give her a treat.

You can also use the yes/treat combination when your puppy glances at you during the walk. Doing that is a nice way to reinforce her “checking in” to see where you are.