Tips to Train your Puppy to Walk on Leash

Taking your little pup for a walk is a routine task that needs to be done every day. It helps them to discover the wonders of the outside world, get ample sunlight, recognise different smells, socialise and respond to various stimuli. However, they need to be on a leash to avoid wandering away or getting aroused or anxious because of strangers and new surroundings. Most new pet parents need to understand that walking on leash doesn’t come naturally to dogs. It takes training to get them used to the leash. Also, the dog walker needs to learn the skill of controlling their direction and behaviour while walking. So here are some tips that will help you train your pup faster.

Familiarise Your Pup with the Leash

Before taking your little buddy out for a walk, you need to practice at home to walk on leash. The training must start as soon as you bring the furball home, usually between 8 to 12 weeks. Begin the process by familiarising the little one with the collar and the leash. They should be able to recognise it as a favourable thing and should not find it threatening. Allow them to drag the leash around and sniff the collar to become comfortable and avoid resistance while wearing it. To ensure positive associations with the collar, take your puppy to a part of the house where there are no distractions. It will help them focus, and you can make them wear the collar. When they start wearing it with ease and without opposition, you can reward them with a treat.

Making Them Pay Attention

Pet parents need to realise that their little buddy is still learning his way through the world, and you need to be in control while taking them out for a walk. To make them walk the line, you need to get their attention. It requires making them look at you at cue. Since the outside world will be a huge distraction, you will have to teach your pooch to focus on the cue. It can be taught with the help of a clicker (a small device that makes a sound on being pressed). When you press it, your dog will look at you. At this point, reward them with a treat and this will develop the habit of paying attention to the sound of the click. If you do not have a clicker, you can make a sound from your mouth or give a command like ‘look here’. You need their attention to make sure they are not pulling away and listening to you when you want.

Practice Heeling

Heeling is when your dog learns to walk along with you. For example, if you go backwards or forward, they match your steps. To practice heeling, you must start in a small area with the least distractions and smells in the house so that the little one can focus. Teach them to walk beside you with a treat in your hand and when they follow, offer them their reward. If the puppy is more playful and is not focused, you need to make them sit first and then start the process again. However, do not exhaust them and take only a few steps to help them heel. Use positive reinforcements to achieve the desired result.

Making them Come Back

You may have introduced heeling to your fur buddy. However, you should be ready for pulling and lunging when you go outdoors. It is natural for them to get excited by all the new sights and smells and they may want to run to them. To make sure that you do not lose control in this situation, you need to teach them to come to you. You can again rely on the clicker technique or positive reinforcement to make them come back to you. It can be challenging in the external environment to draw their attention. Thus, you must be ready with the most favourite treat, such as a toy. Once they are back, you can move them in the opposite direction to avoid distraction. Since their attention span is too short, they will quickly move along with you.

Leash Controlling

Heeling and calling the pup back are significant parts of dog walking. However, pet parents also need to use leash control when the dog pulls and lunges. When the puppy starts pulling, you need to stand firm and avoid pulling the leash back or jerking. You need to stay still until your pup comes back. Barking or lunging is a result of distraction, such as kids, squirrels, another dog, etc. Thus, you must move your pet away to keep their attention on you. If you cannot increase the distance with the distraction, you must use a high value treat and hold it close to the nose of the pup until you are far away. To avoid such behaviour, you need to take them out often to reduce anxiety and involve them in other physical activities, which help in channelising their energies positively and reduce aggression.

Endnote

Dog walking and leash training are essential parts of the formative years of your puppy. It is best to start early and use the tips mentioned above to restrict lunging, pulling or lagging.