The Right Leash Training Puppy
So you’ve just bought an adorable little puppy, and you wish to take him around the block for a little walk(or to show him off to your neighbors). But as soon as you strap on that brand new collar and leash, your puppy begins to act all moody and refuses to listen to anything. He throws a tantrum, or even worse he tries to bite the collar and leash. If you don’t cure this disease now, then after he grows up he will be biting you instead of his tasty leather collar. So exactly how do you put a leash(no puns intended) on this erratic behavior of your canine friend? The truth is that there is no single answer or process that you can apply to all puppies and expect immediate results. The key to making your puppy obey lies in patience, trial-and-error, and calm behavior. In this article we will be taking a look at how you can begin training your puppy to follow you around on a leash, step by step. So sit tight and pay attention because we are about to turn your angry little pet into one of the most disciplined, and well behaved animals you will ever see.
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| The Right Leash Training Puppy |
One of the biggest mistakes made by puppy owners while buying a new puppy is that they don’t use a proper leash and end up making the training process even more difficult than it should be. Remember- always get a collar that is both small and lightweight so that your puppy barely even knows there is something wrapped around his neck. Try to get a snap-on type of collar rather than a belt and buckle collar, so that your puppy doesn’t get scared while you are busy tightening a leather noose around its neck. The thing with strap-on collars is that you can just distract your puppy for a moment with a toy or a treat and while the little fellow is busy chewing the distraction, you can sneak up around him and neatly snap a collar around his neck. Just make sure it is not too tight or else he will feel irritated and end up scratching and biting his neck. Also don’t make the collar too loose or it could get snagged in furniture and injure your puppy. Also get a leash that is medium length and lightweight so that you put as little weight as possible on your little puppy’s neck. If the puppy feels less weight on his neck, he will spend less time trying to take it off.
The first stage of leash training is all about making sure that your puppy is accustomed to the new ornament strapped around his neck, and doesn’t treat it like a threat. After you practice for a few days, your puppy should be able to wear the collar and leash for an extended duration without throwing any tantrums. The first thing you need to do is make sure your puppy gets to know the collar. Don’t put the lead on just yet, try to distract the puppy with a tasty treat or toy and sneak the collar around his neck. Keep it slightly loose at first, then if he tries to take it off, capture his attention with a treat and make a vocal cue asking him to come to you. After he comes to you and accepts the treat respond with an emphatic “Yes!” and pet him. Now, whenever you put the collar on your puppy make sure to feed him a little treat. This way he will learn to associate the collar with food and goodies. The next step is to introduce him to the lead. Once you are sure that your puppy is comfortable with a collar, go ahead and snap on a lead on the collar. Hold the lead in your hand and maintain a few steps from your puppy, while keeping the lead in a relaxed arc. Do NOT tug on the leash, that’s the last thing you want to do at this stage. Keep the leash loose and hold out a treat at the puppies head level, don’t hold it high up or you will unknowingly be training him to jump at you. Once he comes over to you and accepts the treat, congratulate him. Repeat multiple times until your puppy
learns to follow your hand while you are holding the leash. Then slowly reduce the frequency of treats, and increase the amount of steps walked before each treat. Gradually your puppy will learn to follow you around while you hold the leash. In case he stops or begins to pull, all you have to do is stop dead and behave like a statue. If your puppy stops pulling and comes to you, reward him with a treat and a vocal cue that you are impressed with his behavior. If he doesn’t come to you, then simply walk in the opposite direction that he is trying to pull you. Eventually he will realize that pulling only slows him down, and walking calmly is the fastest way to reach the destination. Yet another trick you can use is laying down some treats along the path that you want him to follow, with a big treat at the end. Don’t make the treats any bigger than a tiny morsel or else your puppy will be spending too much time chewing on them.
Now that you are absolutely sure that your puppy is comfortable with the leash, spend some daily time walking him around in the house and backyard. Make sure that it is you leading him, not the other way around. After a week or two, try a test run by taking your puppy outside into a moderately populated area or park. See how he reacts to all the noise and smells, if he tries to lung or pull at the leash, repeat the statue pose and make sure he stops pulling or comes to you. Then reward him with a treat and continue this process till he finally learns to walk calmly by your side even in the busiest and noisiest of streets. Keep on decreasing the frequency of treats, and eventually you can just reward him with a vocal cue so that he finally gets it into his mind that having a leash on is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes your puppy will be unable to control himself when he sees a speeding scooter or a cat. In those moments, keep a few treats in the pocket to instantly distract him and try to focus his attention on YOU instead of the cat or bicyclist. One of the best ways is to create a distance between you and him while still firmly holding on to the leash. Then call him aloud and dangle the treat as he looks at you. When he comes and receives the treat reward him with a caress on the back and a little “Yes!”. There you go, that is the best leash training puppy can get, now you know how to train any future poppy if you are getting any.
STOP! Before You Spend MORE Money On Expensive Dog Trainers or Products, Watch This Video First!