Dog Training - Walking on the Leash
Dog Training - Walking on the Leash
One of the most difficult aspects of dog training is the seemingly simple matter of making the dog walk nicely on the leash. The problem of pulling seems to start in late puppyhood. At this stage the dog tends to become very excited and desperate to get out there. He wants to sample all the sights, sounds and more importantly, smells of the outside world. He becomes very keen to get ahead on walks, which makes the owner respond by pulling him back on the lead. He’s pulling forward and you’re pulling back. It’s not the best of situations.
If your dog is not taught from an early age to walk nicely on the leash, walks can turn into a nightmare. Not only is it dangerous if a large dog is pulling its owner all over the place, but it is detrimental to your relationship with your pet too. You feel as if the dog is in control, you feel humiliated. Whist you are walking, or being dragged, passers- by often can’t resist the comment “Who’s taking who for a walk?” Ha ha. It’s not great for your self-esteem.
Find a ten minute walk from your home, where the dog will be relatively free of distractions, a “round trip”. Put the dog on a long line and allow it some slack. Try to keep the leash as loose as you can. Use it to rein the animal back in if it’s going somewhere dangerous, like wandering towards the road, for instance. If the dog bolts or lunges as it gets to the end of the line, call him back sharply.
When you come to a kerbside, use your sit instructions and use the lead to bring the dog towards you and to the kerb for a sit. Praise him/her for sitting and encourage to stay or wait until you use your release phrase, such as “let’s go”.
After you’ve been doing this for a week or so at a rate of two or three times per day, you might try to encourage the dog to walk by your side. Just do this for a short period of time, keeping the lead loose and getting the dog’s attention by voice or body language. As this dog training progresses, you can gradually increase the time you expect him to be close. You could use a command like “Fido, close” to indicate what is expected of him. Praise the dog gently and quietly while he is by your side, persuading him that this is a lovely place to be. You might occasionally give him a little titbit to reinforce this feeling.
Once you’ve managed this and you are both gaining confidence with the long lead, you can start using a regular lead. Keep the situation positive, don’t get into a punishment scenario if the dog pulls away from you. Remember, more carrot than stick. If this gentle dog training method is used on a young, impressionable dog you it will serve you well. You shouldn’t ever have to resort to check chains, harnesses, head collars and other physical methods of restraint. If you’ve a pet who’s already a puller, though, some of these, particularly the harnesses or head collars, can be very useful.