Dog Leash Training
Getting a puppy used to a leash for the first time can be stressful. Some dogs take to the leash quickly, while others will wriggle, jump and roll around in a desperate attempt to remove this alien thing off them.
Dog leash training is easy to master if you are patient, determined, and willing to use positive reinforcement. The earlier you start the better. However, puppies shouldn’t venture out on walks until they are full vaccinated. Complete vaccination is usually done when they are around ten weeks old, sometimes even later.
Preparing Your Dog for a Leash
Start while they’re still confined to your home and yard. Place the collar on your puppy and see her response. Leave it on and let her do all the antics she wants, but keep an eye on her. Puppies are known to get their lower jaws or paws stuck in the collars.
After a few days, progress to attaching a leash to the collar, but don’t start holding onto the leash yet. Let the leash drag behind the puppy as she gets used to having it attached.
Try this a few days a week until you are able to hold onto the leash without your dog stressing out. Now it’s time to start your dog leash training.
Time to Train
Your goal is to have your dog walk nicely on a leash without pulling. This takes time, patience, and proper training on your part. There is nothing worse than having a large dog that pulls on the leash. It makes walks unpleasant, and can leave you exhausted as you are dragged all over the place.
Click Here For The Best Selection Of Dog Training Leashes
Perhaps you heard the saying, “Are you taking your dog for a walk, or is your dog taking you for a walk?” A canine that has dog leash training will let you take her for a walk, and these walks will be pleasant, since you don’t have to deal with the constant pulling.
Teaching Your Dog to Heel
One of the first things you will learn at dog training classes is how to teach your dog to heel. The same applies for dog leash training, if your dog knows how to heel; you won’t have a dog dragging you around on walks. This simple command can have your dog walking nicely at your side without any problems.
If you are dealing with a dog that pulls or runs on the end of her leash, you need to stop. While your dog walks nicely next to you or behind you, you can both enjoy the walk. The minute she starts pulling, you stop walking, call her to you and tell her to heel. Only after she calms down and walks nicely again should you continue your walk. If she continues dragging you, then keep stopping until she gets the hint. This is where your patience and determination come into play, but is well worth it in the end. Teaching a dog to heel is crucial.
In closing, another important part of dog leash training is not allowing your dog to walk you. This starts from the minute you leave the home. A well-trained dog will walk next to or behind you, but never in front of you. If your dog charges out the front door dragging you behind her, go back in and start again. You must always be in control, and that means you must always be the first one out of the door.
