Imagine yourself walking down a street on a normal day and you meet a pet owner in distress. They have their precious pup on a leash and rather than walking side by side like a happy family, the dog is frantically tugging and whining for dear life.
It looks funny for
everyone else but for the pet owner, it is really embarrassing. Now imagine if
this person holding the other end of the leash was actually you.
The last thing you want is a canine that does not cooperative during leash walks. But here is the thing, leash walking is not a natural gift that all canines are born with.
You have to train
your dog on how to walk on a leash. If they have never been on a leash before,
they won’t understand why they need to be in one now. This is why you should
start training your furry friend on leash walking while he is still young.
How to train a
puppy to walk on a leash is a step by step process that requires loads of
patience. Do not get discouraged if your dog refuses to cooperate from day one.
With positive reinforcement, he will eventually come around.
Before we get to
the nitty-gritty, let us first look at the advantages of training your puppy to
leash walk.
01Advantages of training your puppy to walk on a leash
- You introduce your puppy to new
sites and smells. This helps in their physical and mental stimulation. The more
your puppy goes on walks, the better socialized they are.
- You are teaching him trust and
obedience. Get your dog to wear a harness and you can get them to do anything
you wish.
- You have total control of your
dog. We all have seen dogs that bolt away once the leash comes off from them. A
dog that obeys the leash is much easier to control.
- Zero behavioral issues. Your dog
will not stop and back at everything that is moving. He also won’t embarrass
you with a loud whine and relentless tags on the leash.
- It is a special way of bonding with
your dog. Leash training a puppy takes time and patience. The period you spend
together learning also establishes a strong bond between the two of you.
- It keeps your puppy healthy. Going
out for walks every day helps your puppy stay in shape. Because you are not
raising no couch potato.
- Keeps your puppy contented of the
world they are in. A puppy that goes out a lot seldom has an interest for the
outside world. The opposite of it is an unsocialized Beagle that burrows a
tunnel out of your compound. You do not want that!
Without further
ado, here are proven tips on how to train a puppy to walk on a leash.
Step 1: Peek a boo! I see you
Puppies have the
attention span of a millennial. You can only keep them focused on you if you
have something that interests them. Like a tasty chicken nugget or freshly made
peanut butter dog biscuit.
At this point, you
are just spending quality time with your pooch. Toss him a treat to start the
training session. Now move away from him and let him come to you. If he
successfully does this, reward him with a treat.
Continue rewarding
them until they know that sticking around means continuous rewards from their
favorite human.
Step 2: Surprise! It’s a Harness
Now we have your
puppy’s attention. It is time to introduce the harness or collar. For puppies,
a harness is the best choice because he wears it on his body as opposed to the
neck alone. Should he decide to pull at the leash, a harness will not harm him
like a collar.
Bring out the
harness and place it next to your puppy. Of course, he will stare at it, he
does not know what you want to do it. But that does not matter right now, keep
him distracted by tossing another treat his way.
When he sees the
harness still lying around, he will want to explore it. Let him sniff, scratch,
or bite it if he wants. Some pups will equate the harness to another new toy
from their beloved human. As he gets accustomed to the harness, we can now move
to the next step.
You should be prepared when your puppy decides to fight the collar at first. It is understandable, we all did not like our first day of school either. But we slowly got sold into the idea of school because our folks had a candy bar in their hand whenever they picked us up from school.
Step 3: Sniff, sniff! What does it do?
Don’t jump into it
right away. You might spook your pup.
Gently pick the
harness up and put it down. When your puppy raises a brow, throw a treat his
way. Repeat this process until he sees that action as harmless. Eventually,
pick up the harness and hold it in your hand while rewarding your pooch with
treats.
Step 4: How do I look?
Now it is time to
wear the step-in harness. Lay the harness flat on the ground with the buckle
and D-ring stretched out. The harness should form two triangles where the dog’s
legs will step in.
Call your puppy to
come to you. Reward them with a treat as you get them to step into the harness.
Your pup might get startled and give you that ‘Wait a minute’ look. If he looks
too spooked stop the training and toss him a treat.
Now try and get him
to wear the harness again. This time he should be a bit more receptive. If he
agrees, toss a treat his way. Repeat this until your puppy is comfortable with
getting into the harness without resisting.
Step 5: I’m Walking Funny?
Let your puppy walk
around showing off his new harness. He might get bored of wearing it the first
few minutes and biting and pulling at it. If he does, get it off him
immediately. Reward him with a treat as he got this far.
Try this step one
more time and see how long your puppy holds out. If he does not fight the
harness anymore, reward him with a treat. Let him wear the harness for the
entire day. It will make him walk funny at first but soon he will get used to
having a harness on him.
Step 6: Wait, there is more?
It is time to sneak
in the leash. Bring out the leash and place it right next to you. Let him have another treat as he eyes the
leash beside you. You have him interested, he is wondering why you keep
bringing out new strange toys.
Lay the leash on
the flow and let your pup sniff at it. Leave it to him just like you did with
the harness. He will bite and toss the leash around which is okay. He is
growing accustomed to it and even transferring his scent to it. Dogs tend to
trust objects that smell like them or their owners.
Pick the harness up
and drop it. Suspicious eye from Bingo? Assure him with another tasty treat.
Pick the harness up and this time hold it in your hand. Not spooked yet? Good,
now attach the leash to the harness.
Step 7: Let me pick this up really quick
Do not start walking your dog right away. Any sudden tug at the leash might send the poor pup into a yelping frenzy.
Let him continue
playing with the leash attached to the harness. He might end up getting himself
tangled in a ropy mess. It is allowed, he is having fun and growing to the
trust the leash even more.
Now pick up the
leash and move away from your pup. Call your puppy and let them come to you
whilst still holding the leash. Reward the bold chap with a pick-me-up treat
for making it this far.
Step 8: Care to walk with me?
Finally, it is time
to walk the talk. Practice walking with your dog around the house. Repeat the
process of walking before the puppy and calling them to you. It is better this
way rather than let them lead the way.
Walk from one room
to another still calling on your pup to follow you. Go up a few flights of
stairs and encourage them to come to you. This trains the puppy on how to
navigate through obstacles when you start doing outside leash walks.
Step 9: Sit this one out
You should also let
your puppy lead sometimes. This prevents you from having to fight back at the
leash if your puppy decides to go explore. Also, it is a great time to practice
tagging on the leash without spooking your favorite furry friend.
So let the little
fellow lead the way around the house through the nook and crannies. If you want
him to change direction, tag at the leash gently while you call him. Once he
turns to you, let him come over and enjoy the treat you have in hand. This
technique will come in handy when you finally go out together.
Step 10: Time to see the world
‘Tis the day of reaping the rewards of your efforts. Your puppy has a harness on, leash attached, and ready to go out exploring. Start with moderate walks first and we will tell you why.
Remember your puppy
has not explored the outside world much. The moment you step out the door, the
furry fellow is bombarded by millions of stimuli coming from different
directions. Begin with brisk walks first.
On day one of
exploring, walk around the block as you call your puppy towards. You will also
notice he is a bit shy of the outside world (unless he is a beagle). Reward him
with treats as you encourage him to follow you.
Your dog will catch
different kinds of scents he will want to explore. Allow him to lead as he
explores the new sights and smells. If your dog’s scent escapades lead him
towards a garbage bin, it is time to restrain him. Gently tag on the leash,
call his name and cheer him on as he comes for a treat. You have successfully
redirected his attention.
That same technique
will work when your dog encounters another dog. Distract him with a treat as
you move away from the other dog. Pick him up and carry him to the other side
of the street if need be.
Always anticipate
various encounters when you are out leash walking your puppy. The more you take
your puppy out for walks, the more he grows accustomed to people and other
animals.
Which dogs are great for leash-walking?
The breed of a dog
can determine how great that dog is in leash-walking. By rule of thumb, the
most intelligent of breeds should learn leash walking faster. While this is
true, smart canines also tend to be know-it-alls. They can easily become
destructive if they feel you are not authoritative enough.
Then there are dog
breeds that tow the rope with no qualm. Though they are not as smart, their
willingness to please their master makes them the best students for leash
walking. Some of these dogs include;
- Beagles (obedient but can be a
smartass)
- Labrador retrievers (most loyal)
- Border collie (super intelligent
and obedient)
- German shorthair pointer
- Siberian husky (stubborn at times)
- American Staffords terrier (gentle
giants)
Conclusion
If you were
clueless on how to train a puppy to walk on a leash, you are not alone. A lot
of pet lovers are scratching their heads too. Lucky for you, we have simplified
the process of training your puppy to walk on a leash in 10 easy steps.
Do you still feel leash training your puppy is a lot of work? No problem, you can always hire a pet sitter to help leash walk your dog.
Away Home & Pet Care is Ogden, UT’s premiere dog walking service. They specialize in walking puppies and are eager to help ease this burden.
