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Puppy Leash Training
Having trouble with puppy leash training? Learn how to leash train your dog so she stops choking and gagging when you take a walk. A good dog leash and a bit of patience will take you a long way toward success.Often wonder who is walking whom? Dog leash training doesn't have to be complicated. Start training early and follow some simple guidelines, and your dog will walk nicely beside you when you go walking together.
Photo by Jesiehart
Introduce Your Puppy
to Her Collar and Leash
Believe it or not, you can start the process of puppy leash training the very first week that you bring your puppy home! Your
puppy's first collar
should be lightweight, and you should begin introducing him to his new collar right away. Your puppy must be comfortable with his new collar before you start serious training for his leash.
Getting Puppy Used to the Leash
For puppy leash training, the very first lesson is simply to get used to the leash. The best size to use and give you good control is a leash that is 4-6 feet long. Show your puppy his new leash. His natural reaction will be to sniff it, mouth it and perhaps give it a few bites.
What if Your Puppy Chews His Leash?
That part is OK as long as he is just becoming acquainted with his new leash—you just don't want it to become something that he routinely chews. The reason for this is that chewing on his leash is not a game for your puppy. To your dog, the leash is an extension of you, his handler. If he chews on his leash while it is attached to his collar, he is actually challenging you and your authority! To your dog, it's the same as allowing him to chew on your shirt sleeve or your arm. If you allow this behavior, you are relinquishing your position as “leader of the pack”--to your puppy! However, to be fair, you need to give a young puppy a little slack. If your puppy is still getting used to his leash (and he is less than 4 months old), work at getting used to the leash first. Most important, when your pup is still quite young, you want him to have a positive experience with his new leash. A few weeks later, you can correct the biting problem. So, after you have had a few sessions for your pup to get used to his new leash, it's time to attach the leash to his collar.
Getting Used to a New Puppy Leash
After you have attached the leash to his collar, let your puppy drag his new leash around the house for 5-10 minutes at a time. Supervise him closely while he is doing this. You don't want him to get caught on furniture or stuck somewhere. Do this for several days in a row so that you know that he is getting used to it. If your puppy has trouble with this step, try attaching his leash only while he eats. He will learn to associate his leash with a pleasurable activity—eating and food. And when he is used to his leash while eating, you can then proceed with the next step. When your puppy is pretty comfortable with his leash dragging in the house, pick up the end of the leash and follow your dog around the house. Keep the leash loose when you do this. After a few days of practicing with the leash in the house, take your puppy outside with his leash attached. This lesson will be slightly different.
How to Correct a Leash Biting Problem
It is very important to correct a leash biting problem before proceeding with puppy leash training.Puppies are all different. They have unique personalities and so, based on what you observe about your pup, you will have to decide on the approach that you should take. If your young puppy is pretty spunky and energetic, you can startle him and then say “Nahh” when he starts to bite on the leash. If he is a more submissive dog, it's best to wait until he is a little older to work on correcting the problem. Just let him get used to the leash for now. When your puppy reaches 4 months of age, it's time to get more serious about the leash biting. With dogs, the best time to correct a behavior, is when they are just thinking about doing something--not after they have done it. So, what you need to do is watch your pup closely, and when you see that he is “thinking about” putting his mouth on the leash, you should loudly and vigorously startle him and say “Nahh”. If he listens and does not bite the leash, praise him enthusiastically and pet him. Dogs respond much better to positive reinforcement than to negative. On the other hand, if your puppy ignores you and continues to bite the leash, your next step is to jerk the leash from his mouth. This should not be a rough or aggressive action—it should be a gentle but unexpected and quick movement that retrieves the leash. The motion is straight up and should release the leash from the puppy's mouth. An aside is that puppies lose their baby teeth between the ages of 4-6 months. On occasion you might end up with a baby tooth coming out with the leash. If this happens, remember that it was coming out anyway, and it's not an emergency! Since dogs learn by repetition, you might practice “not biting the leash” by dangling the leash in front of him. If he goes to bite it, correct him by startling him and saying “Nahh”. If he ignores the leash, praise him (and perhaps give him a treat as a reward).
Photo by Wanda Gould, Toronto, CA
How to Practice Dog Leash Training
After your puppy has become used to his leash and his dog collar, it is time to proceed to the next puppy leash training lesson.Start by letting your puppy drag his leash around outside for 5 minutes at a time. When he is used to this, pick up the leash end and walk with him for short distances. Stay with him and try to keep the leash loose for now. After you have done this for a few days, your pup will be ready for the next step. Pick a location in the yard that is a short distance from where you start. Walk toward the chosen spot. If your puppy comes with you, praise him enthusiastically. When you reach your destination, squat down and reward your pet with praise and petting. At this point, it's also OK to give him a training treat! Try using
Pepper's Training Treats
or my
mini bones
recipe for starters!
What if Your Puppy Doesn't Walk with You?
So, what if your puppy does not walk with you? It's very possible that this will happen. The first thing to remember is that you should never praise your dog to get him to come with you. The reason for this is that he will interpret the praise as being your happiness with his not walking with you on his leash! Dogs are very concrete, and they associate praise or punishment with the very last behavior that they remember (and they don't have a long memory). Secondly, don't pull on the leash. This will only start a tug of war, as your puppy's natural reaction is to resist and to “win” the contest. Dragging him will only make him afraid of the leash or apprehensive about going with you when his leash is attached. Here's what you should do for effective puppy leash training. Encourage your puppy to walk with you by holding a treat or favorite toy (squeaky toys work nicely) in front of your puppy as you walk toward the chosen spot. You may have to shorten the length of leash, as you want to be able to hold the toy or treat slightly in front of your puppy's nose. Walk slowly toward your destination and praise your puppy enthusiastically the whole way. Praise him repeatedly and when he has gone for a short distance, reward him with a treat, petting and lots of praise. Practice this lesson for a week or two and then your puppy will be ready to move ahead with his puppy leash training. So far, it is OK if your dog lunges ahead or pulls at the leash a bit. Your main object so far is just to get him used to his new leash. Be patient and remember that you need to do this in steps.
Tips for Puppy Leash Training Sessions
I'm not using the term “heeling”, because a family dog, that is never going to be a show dog, does not need to have the rigid and specialized puppy leash training that a show dog requires. Your dog will need to know how to walk nicely beside you and will have to obey some basic commands so that you have control and he behaves appropriately. But he doesn't need to meet the standards of a dog in the ring! If the puppy leash training is done correctly, you will have complete control of your dog, and this will be true—whether or not he's on a leash. In addition, it's a way that you and your dog can work together. Remember that dogs are pack animals—they like to think that you are both on the same team. As the handler, you assume the position of “pack leader”, and your dog becomes a follower.When you first get started with these lessons, there are a few tips that can make the process a whole lot easier for you: - At first, choose a quiet location that is free from distractions. As your dog gets better with his puppy leash training, you should work with him in varied locations, gradually getting to the point where he will perform appropriately, even in crowds or with other dogs close by.
- Be patient with your dog. Puppy leash training sessions should be fun for both of you. Never yell or strike your dog during lesson time!
- Know about your breed of dog. Some dogs learn more quickly than others, and, believe it or not, some dogs have a better aptitude for learning particular activities than others. If your dog is not a fast learner, be especially patient.
For example, a weimaraner, an Irish setter or a Chesapeake Bay retriever will learn to retrieve quickly. A great dane, an old English sheepdog and a Saint Bernard will learn at an average rate—they can do it but they won't learn as fast. And a Siberian husky, an akita and a Pekingese, having a low aptitude for retrieving, will be slow learners for this task! - For some breeds, you will have to work without distractions for a longer period of time. If you have a beagle or a dachshund, you will do best to work in a quiet back yard or park setting.
- If you have a hyperactive or very energetic puppy, you will find it easier to teach her if you involve her in some active playtime before the puppy leash training lessons. If she is a bit tired, she will probably be more cooperative for you.
Puppy Leash Training Lessons
We've all seen how it looks when a dog has not learned to walk appropriately on a leash. The owner is pulled along, the dog is gasping for its last breath and pulling with every ounce of strength in its body!Unfortunately most of us have not just seen it—we've been there! And training your dog to walk nicely is not so easy, mostly because it is counter-intuitive. By that I mean that your first reaction is to pull (to keep your dog from pulling forward), and your dog's first reaction is to pull (to get to where he wants to go). With everyone pulling, and no-one winning (well, maybe your dog), it gets to be one heck of a mess! Nothing short of a tug-of-war! Fortunately there is a way to stop the competition and gain control of your dog. It will take a couple of weeks, but, using this method you should be successful. You can start to work with your dog on puppy leash training in the house (less distraction) and gradually spend more and more time working outside with her. Here are the steps: - Attach your dog's leash.
- For the first few puppy leash training sessions, you won't be going anywhere in particular. You will just be trying to keep the leash loose. So, don't wait for the inevitable tugging. Walk around the house (or yard) with your dog, keeping the leash loose.
- Place your leash-holding arm in the following position: Your upper arm should be close to your body with your elbow almost touching. Your elbow should be slightly bent.My background is that of an occupational therapist, and I can verify that you will have better control (for the move that I will describe shortly) than if you held your arm straight and away from your body.
- The Move: This takes some practice, because it is exactly the opposite of what you will want to do (pull or tighten the leash).
Straighten your arm so that the leash actually slackens or goes limp and then change direction. Go to either side or back up, moving at the same speed that you were originally moving. When you do The Move, do it quickly because you want to surprise your dog. He may feel a quick popping or jerk on the chain, but he will realize quickly that he missed the change in direction. When you do The Move, you are teaching your dog that pulling hard on his leash does not get him to his destination. In fact, he always ends up going in another direction. Eventually he will learn to walk without pulling.
- Alternatively, you could achieve the same result by practicing and using a retractable leash. As above, your goal is to always keep the leash slack. With a little practice, this method of puppy leash training works well, too.
Your dog will get better with this, over time. However, you will always have to be prepared to do The Move, no matter how old your dog gets. A retractable leash has a button that will halt the string. In this way you can stop the flow of the string and use the button to teach your dog. I used a retractable leash with Skipper for her puppy leash training, and I love it! Occasionally there will be another dog or an incident that causes your dog to pull on its leash. If you are prepared to act quickly, you can easily bring the situation back under control.
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