Leash training: how to teach your dog to walk on a leash. You and your four-legged best friend will spend a significant amount of time together on a leash. So you’ll want to start off on the right (and left) foot when it comes to this crucial aspect of your daily activities. Here are a few pointers we’ve picked up throughout the years:
1. Always be in charge.
Despite the fact that there is plenty of evidence to the contrary, you are the boss. While we’re confident you have the smartest dog on the planet, we’re also confident you’re smarter than your beloved pet.
Although dogs can be stubborn and independent, they enjoy going for walks with you and, for the most part, want to please you. You can use a variety of enticements (any form of sweets or food), but Buster is a creature of habit. Once you start rewarding him for his good behavior, he’ll anticipate it all the time.
When you’re attempting to get your dog to walk the way you want them to, be tough but gentle. Stopping, regrouping, and then starting again is a wonderful approach to discourage undesirable conduct. You can do this as many times as necessary to get your point home. Dogs have a strong will, but they also learn quickly. They don’t have to know how to do something just because they don’t want to. Keep track of who’s walking who.
2. Make it a habit to exercise.
Dogs, as previously stated, are (very valuable) creatures of habit. They’re good students who also have a knack for remembering what they’ve learned. While Bella is inside, you should begin to acclimate her to her leash.
Take advantage of your living space to teach your dog simple commands and habits that you’ll want them to follow outside. Chances are, your house is a lot quieter and more controlled than outside, especially if you live in the city. Use this to teach them simple commands and habits that you’ll want them to follow outside.
If you want FeFe to walk on your left side, begin and end by teaching her how to do so while walking her around your house on her leash on your left side. It will become second nature to her once she has become used to it. She will learn to do it instinctively on the street.
Simple commands like “stop” and “start,” “with me” and “heel,” “yes” and “no,” are easy for all dogs to learn. Use them while teaching your dog what to do and what not to do. They’ll pay considerably more attention to you talking to them inside than they will to the excitement outside.
If they begin to learn “bad” behaviors, it will be more difficult to stop them than it will be to begin teaching them the “correct” ones. Show them how easy it will be to walk outside on a leash while you’re inside.
3. Maintain a calm demeanor while remaining firm.
No one enjoys being yelled at, and this is true for both dogs and humans. You may make your argument by remaining firm while remaining friendly. When you’re teaching your dog, it’s better if you have their entire attention.
Because there are fewer distractions inside than outside, your house is the greatest area to teach your dog new tasks. Even if they are as simple as stopping and starting. Take advantage of the fact that dogs are most at ease in their own homes.
You can correct your dog’s undesirable conduct while remaining strong and not hurting their feelings. And you won’t have to resort to ranting or screaming yourself hoarse to get your point across. If they do something wrong, inform them right away so they understand why they are being punished.
Dogs, unlike humans, will not comprehend why you are angry with them two hours later because they did something wrong while you were walking them.
4. Instead of their regular collar, use a harness or a walking collar.
Dogs have a tendency to pull. This is tough to avoid due to their basic act of walking while tied to a leash. While this isn’t a significant worry if you own a small dog, the larger they are, the more problems you’ll have. If you can’t get your dog to quit tugging using commands, you’ll have to make some changes.
Getting a harness with a front clip might be a smart idea if you want your dog to wear a harness as you walk them. With one of these, you have more control, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to teach them what they should and shouldn’t do.
After your dog has become accustomed to walking with their leash attached to the front, you can move it to the back and they will continue to walk in the same disciplined manner. If they don’t, simply reattach the leash to the harness’s front and try again. It’s not a pass/fail situation in dog school.
5. Only use your dog’s name in a good way.
One of the first words your dog will learn is their name, and you want their name to have a good meaning, so use something like “Good Jasmine” when complimenting her on learning to walk on a leash.
It’s also a good idea to offer her a loving pet or scratch while you’re doing it, so she knows you’re thinking of her. If you want to inform her she’s doing anything wrong, you may just say “bad” or “no” instead of her name.
If you want your dog to respond positively to their name, use it only to praise good conduct rather than to punish negative behavior. To begin, while walking her around, try to say “Good Jasmine” every time she performs anything you taught her. Dogs benefit greatly from positive reinforcement.
6. Why is it so crucial to keep your dog on a short leash?
Dogs have an insatiable desire to sniff out everything. You’ll probably want to keep your dog on a short leash while walking in the city. Cats get all the publicity for being curious, but dogs are right up there with them—and because they’re outside, there’s a lot more for them to get into. Keeping your dog close by allows you to maintain control.
If there are ten objects on the street, and only one of them is something you want your dog to avoid, odds are they’ll try to get at that one. You have more control over them the closer you get to them.
You can stay away from misbehaving dogs and their owners.
Walking a dog is similar to driving a car or riding a bike in that you have complete control over what you do and not what others do. It’s best to expect that others won’t do all they’re meant to, so having your dog by your side it will help you react faster while also keeping them safe.
The buffet should be avoided. There’s a lot of food your dog shouldn’t be eating in the city, and their sense of smell is far greater than yours, so they’ll find it before you do. You’re leveling the playing field by keeping them by your side.
7. Maintain a cheerful attitude while walking.
Walking your dog should be a pleasurable experience for you. One of the reasons you have your dog in the first place is because of this. They get you out and about, meeting new people and dogs, getting some exercise, and taking in the views. The list might go on forever.
However, if you’re continually yelling at them for misbehaving, your special time with them outside will feel more like a chore than a treat. Investing the effort to teach your dog how to walk on their leash the way you want them to will save you a lot of aggravation and time in the long run.
Teaching your dog to walk on a leash will always be a work in progress, just like life itself. There will be ups and downs, as well as events that you cannot anticipate. And that’s part of the fun of walking around with a dog. If you keep a cheerful attitude, they are likely to do the same.
8. Allow your dog to be themself.
You purchased a dog for a variety of reasons, one of which is because you adore their winning nature. So, while you want them to walk well on a leash, you also want them to be themselves while you’re walking them.
While on their leash, you want them to listen and obey you, but you also want her to be themselves. (After all, Ms. Willow, not Mr. Roboto, was your choice.) She’s not going to do everything you say, which isn’t always a terrible thing. So, just because you’re the boss, that doesn’t mean you can’t adjust to what they want to accomplish as long as it doesn’t cause serious issues.
Above all, have a good time! You’re lucky to have your dog, and they are lucky to have you, which is probably one of the reasons you adopted them
Take advantage of your time together outside. However, when walking them in the city, there is one rule you must always follow: keep them on a leash! Check out Charolette Kennels blogs today for more advice on keeping your pets happy and healthy!