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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nMost puppies don\u2019t like the feeling of a collar or harness<\/a>. And, when a leash is attached, many will buck against the constraint and even try to chew on the restrictive leash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My Aussie mix puppy Millie, who\u2019s always<\/em> full of energy, didn\u2019t adapt well to a collar or leash at first. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She rolled around trying to remove the collar and harness. And she bucked against the leash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So I worked with her and taught her to love <\/em>not just tolerate her walking equipment. I showed her that great things happen when she has them on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When working with your puppy, keep the training sessions short\u2013no more than five or 10 minutes. Some may even be just a few minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You literally want to take \u201cpuppy steps\u201d in your training. Always end on a successful note. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, learning each step individually may take at least days to be successful. Don\u2019t rush the process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Patience is important. As they say, slow and steady wins the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m sure that you\u2019ve seen someone being walked by their dog. Some dogs literally drag their owners down the street. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not a pretty picture. And it\u2019s not fun to walk a dog this way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dogs who aren\u2019t trained to walk on a loose leash often aren\u2019t walked enough because it\u2019s so unpleasant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This lack of exercise and socialization can result in many problem behaviors such as reactivity and aggression. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though a dog can be physically exercised in other ways such as playing fetch, there are many reasons to walk your dog<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Walking him will help him become acquainted with the world and its sights, sounds, and smells. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This socialization will help him during his entire life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, walking will help him not be bored and will stimulate his body and mind. It will even help him maintain a healthy weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And, of course, the old adage that \u201ca tired dog\u2019s a good dog\u201d still rings true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In all of your training, you should teach your puppy what behavior is correct. You can teach this by using a word that means \u201cYou did a great job!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n A good word to use is \u201cYES!\u201d It\u2019s short and happy sounding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When your puppy performs a behavior that you like, such as sitting, use your cue and immediately give him a treat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By doing this, you\u2019ll teach him that performing desired behaviors is very rewarding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n PRO-TRAINER TIP: <\/em><\/strong>Always have your <\/em>yummy treats<\/em><\/a> ready before you give a command\/cue to your puppy. You don’t want to be fishing for it or you won\u2019t reward the desired behavior at the right time. Use treats that your puppy finds rewarding and that doesn\u2019t upset his tummy. Treats should be very small no matter what your dog\u2019s size is. They should be no larger than a pea. A small size ensures that the puppy isn\u2019t getting too much. Also, if given larger treats, he\u2019d have to take a lot of time chewing them and he may forget what he was rewarded for\u2013and the training session would be too long. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Before you even contemplate taking your furbaby for a real walk, it\u2019s important to get him accustomed to the equipment that will keep him safe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After all, he\u2019ll be wearing them for life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And you want him to have a great attitude towards his collar, harness, and leash<\/a>. So make it fun to wear them.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, get him used to wearing his collar. This is important not only so that he can\u2019t run away, but it also usually contains identification should he accidentally get lost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I get collars embroidered<\/a> with my dog\u2019s name and my telephone number for safety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Practice inside first. After you put the collar on your puppy, give him a few great treats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Play with him. Squeak and toss his favorite toy. Play fetch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Show him a treat and take a few steps away from him, praising him (Yes!) and give him a great treat when he reaches you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even praise as he starts to move towards you. This will help his recall and also teach him that having the collar on is a blast!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lessons that he learns now will remain with him for a lifetime. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Do the same type of training exercise you did for his collar when teaching him how to love wearing his harness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After he\u2019s used to his collar and harness, you can teach him to become accustomed to his leash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While he\u2019s first learning, take the harness and collar off him at the end of his training, so that he realizes he has a lot of fun\u2013especially while wearing them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Be patient. It may take him at least a few days to get used to wearing a collar or harness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Each dog\u2019s an individual. Some take longer than others to adjust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It took my sheltie Murphy only a few days to just wear them with no problems. But it took my Lhasa apso Ralphie over a week to adjust to wearing his harness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The first couple of times he had it on, he would freeze and not want to move. So I brought out especially yummy treats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I lured him forward. I tempted him with it while moving a step away. When he got to me, I gave him a jackpot\u2013a few treats in a row. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I also made it a party coming to me. I praised him in a happy voice and petted him, since he enjoys being petted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I lured him with the treats too by playing a \u201cfind it\u201d game. I tossed a few treats a couple of feet away from him, telling him \u201cfind it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n This was another way of making wearing the harness fun. He isn\u2019t the most toy-oriented dog, so toys weren\u2019t as big of an incentive as treats were. <\/p>\n\n\n\n An added bonus to giving him treats when he reached me? His recall became better!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I think that Murphy accepted his collar and harness more quickly because of his breed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Shetland sheepdogs were bred to herd. So moving towards me was fun in and of itself\u2013with the added bonus of treats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Murphy also loves toys, so that provided an additional incentive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So if your dog\u2019s toy-motivated, playing with a toy can really serve as an incentive to wear a collar and harness. And use high-value treats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep sessions short. Five to 10 minutes at most. Remove the collar and harness after the training session. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At any time, it\u2019s best for a puppy not to wear a collar when he can\u2019t be observed. It can catch on things and the pup can be accidentally injured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pro-Trainer Tip: <\/em><\/strong>Don\u2019t forget to teach your puppy his name and to pay attention to you. And basic commands like sit and come. Learning to respond to his name and pay attention to you will pay dividends for the rest of his life!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n After your puppy\u2019s learned to enjoy wearing a collar or harness, it\u2019s crucial to teach him to wear a leash attached to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many dogs don\u2019t like the feeling. Of course, you should never yank on the leash or drag the dog by the leash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At first, though, when getting your puppy used to the leash, you won\u2019t even hold it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After he\u2019s used to the collar and harness, attach the leash to the collar and let him drag it around. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, the leash should be in proportionate to the puppy<\/a>. A large golden puppy would wear a wider leash than a Shih Tzu would. Use a four or six-foot leash to practice with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can use a lighter leash than you would when you walk him just for him to get used to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep him near you in an open area in your home. You don\u2019t want the leash to catch on to anything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Otherwise, he could be injured. And the leash will become a very negative experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When a few feet away from you, lure him towards you and call him. When he reaches you, praise and reward him with a few yummy treats. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can even play a game with a toy. It should be a \u201cparty\u201d when he reaches you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you make it so much fun, he\u2019ll want to come to you next time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And your puppy will think that great things occur when the leash is attached. Also, he won\u2019t be hyper-focused on the leash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After he\u2019s used to wearing the collar with the leash attached, do the same training exercise with the leash attached to his harness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After your puppy is used to the collar\/harness and leash attached to one of them, it\u2019s time to hold the leash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure that your puppy has had some exercise before attempting this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If he has too much energy, he will probably focus too much on the leash and try to buck against it or even chew on it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, play a game with him to take the edge off. You always should set your puppy up to succeed when working with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do your beginning training sessions inside, without distractions. Train in different rooms and areas of your house, so that your puppy generalizes that he has to perform wherever he is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep the leash loose and lure him towards you with a treat. Praise and reward when he reaches you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Just do this a few times and end on a successful note. Puppies have very short attention spans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After your pup is used to coming towards you with you holding a loose leash, start to teach him to move with you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hold a treat next to him and take a step. Praise and reward when he moves with you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If he\u2019s jumping for the treat, hold it lower. Add steps gradually, rewarding only after more steps moving with you. This may take many sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually, fade the lure (don\u2019t show him the treat first) and just give him the reward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After he\u2019s able to walk for at least 20 steps next to you, start getting him used to walking outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you first start training him outside, start without many distractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Start in your backyard if it\u2019s free of distractions. Or start in front if there are no distractions. Of course, the goal is to get him used to walking on a loose leash wherever he is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, just as you did inside, hold the leash so that it\u2019s not tight on the puppy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Start by calling him to you while taking a couple of steps away from him. Praise and reward when he reaches you. You may need to do this for a few days or longer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After he\u2019s successful coming towards you on a loose leash, start with a few steps next to him, praising and rewarding him when he walks with you just as you did while inside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually, add more steps as long as he moves along with you. Use a treat and lure him if you need to. Praise and reward each success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually, fade the lure (don\u2019t show him the treat first) and just give him the reward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After he\u2019s able to walk well around your property, start walking him other places. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Always start without distractions. Add distractions as your puppy\u2019s able to handle them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where you can take him will depend on what vaccinations he\u2019s had. Before going places where other animals may have been, make sure that he\u2019s been sufficiently vaccinated. Your vet can help you with this decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, some problems may occur along the way. But don\u2019t despair. There are ways of managing them or eliminating them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After all, your puppy\u2019s just learning and he\u2019s going to need help understanding what behavior you want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many puppies want to sniff as they walk along. They have a \u201cnose brain.\u201d It\u2019s natural for them to sniff and explore their environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But in teaching your puppy to walk on a loose leash, it\u2019s best to teach him to not sniff. Sniffing can lead to pulling and a lack of attention to you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After you teach him to walk nicely on a loose leash, you can teach him a \u201csniff\u201d cue so that he can have fun and sniff for a short portion of his walk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To help manage sniffing, teach your puppy an attention command. If he\u2019s looking up at you, he won\u2019t be looking down and sniff. You can also have a toy to distract him. Sometimes a \u201cleave it\u201d cue can be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow To Train A Puppy To Walk On Leash<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why Teach Your Puppy To Walk on a Loose Leash?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Basic Training 101: Teaching a Marker Word<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Beginner 101: Collar, Harness, and Leash Training<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Hold On: You\u2019re Ready To Walk<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Taking It on the Road<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Problem Solving<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Sniffing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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