subject: Training Your Dog To Behave On A Lead [print this page] So your puppy pulls on the lead? You've shown him well. The initial time that was mentioned to me it crossed my mind, "I didn't show my dog to struggle on the lead, he/she did it all of his own accord". But then it was pointed out that I reinforced his struggling by advancing when the puppy struggled. His brain was saying "pulling is gettin me results, that's how I'm meant to be on the leash".
Ater learning this, it became obvious that the best moment to show leash etiquette is from the dogs ealy days. But if you've missed this period,theres still time to better your dogs behaviour, but you'll require time, persistance and a slightly alternate angle of approach.
Baby puppies don't require to be given much excersis at all, they get plenty of activity time simply from their active lifestyle anyway, and growing is very exhausting too. But this is the period when you should get them used to the leash and show your dog how to walk properly while attached to it. Start in your backyard with your pet on a lead and just walk around. When dog struggles, stop all motion. The message to the puppy will be pulling = no more walking. As the dog looks back at you or stops pulling on the lead, reward him and then start the walk again. The process may only take minimum training sessions obedience lessons for the puppy to be continuely walking on a loose lead, then all you have to do is reinforce as the dog matures into a mischeivious teen!
In order to enhance an aging puppy you use exactly the same type of training as above, the only change is that an aging puppy still needs to get their . If you attempt this way of training on your normal walks, you probably won't make it to the top of the drive before you're ready to give up. Also, if you give your dog obedience time separetely to you walk, then let your puppy to pull on the lead while on normal walk, you're throwing away all your hard work. So every time you and your dog are in the obedience phase you will need to find a different way to exercise your puppy. Allowing him to mess about with another dog, a game of fetch, or driving to the local puppy park for off-leash run around are the favourite chioces. The idea is that it will take 2 weeks of solid training to transform a struggling puppy into a non-struggling puppy.
If this all seems like too in the way of hard work and you don't think you'll have the persistance to see it through, there is another way. The Halting collars were made for such a time. These products slip on the dog's muzzle and neck and work on the puppy's natural instinct to not be able to move forward with their muzzle to the side, to stop pulling. They work just like a head halter for horses. Be very careful not to jerk suddenly on the lead or you may injure the dog's nose and lower head. These devices are not the best option for canines that have small snouts, the meterial can damage their vision as they begin trying to struggle. I recommend that you use two leads " one on the Halting collar and one on the puppy's collar " so the puppy gets used to the feeling of a loose leash and you can still be encouraging for not pulling, then eventually wean the dog off the Halti.
