subject: Teaching a Puppy to Walk on a Leash [print this page] Teaching a Puppy to Walk on a Leash Teaching a Puppy to Walk on a Leash
There are a lot of things to think about when raising a dog. One of the key things is teaching a puppy to walk on a leash. Because you will probably use the leash almost every day for the rest of your dogs life. So it's important that the dog gets used to walking on a leash. And he should be following you and not being in front of you or pulling.
Older Dogs Can Help
So how do you teach a puppy to walk on a leash? One great way to do it if you can, is to use an older dog that already comfortable walking on a leash. If you got another dog, or maybe one of your friends or relatives got one that is well behaved on the leash.
The older dog will help the puppy to adjust and feel better about him self. You can start with just walking around inside with the puppy, and just have the leash hanging. Because then he will associate the leash with freedom, and not restrain.
Try to get something that will motivate the puppy to move forward, it could be a treat or a toy or something. With that and the older dog helping him, he will get adjusted to the leash in no time.
After you have trained a bit inside you should move outside to your yard and do the same thing, and make sure that he is following you and that he is not in front of you.
You Don't Need a Leash
But I don't think that you really need to use a leash until the dog is around 8-9 months. Because before that he puppy is not so confident to run around on its own. So it's a perfect time to learn the dog to walk off leash. And teaching him to still follow you, and do what you want him to.
But you still have to be using the leash from time to time so that he gets used to it. Because if you never use the leash until he is like 8 month. And then you put the leash on and try to start walking him. He will probably be scared, and start pulling and doing weird stuff on the leash, just because he have never been taught that it's the same rules on the leash as off the leash. And he has never gotten to learn that being on the leash is nothing dangerous.
At first when you have the leash on the puppy and picking it up for the first time. The puppy might try to protest against the physical restraint that he feels. Because walking on a leash is not something natural for dogs, it's something we humans have invented. And when the dog is starting to protest you need to stay calm so the dog learns that it's nothing strange or dangerous about being on the leash. This is one moment which will be perfect to have the older dog present. Because he will help your puppy to work through it.
