The question of ‘How to train a puppy to walk on a leash with no pulling’ has many answers on the internet, but almost all the articles discuss the strategy itself and not the reasons why a dog or a puppy wouldn’t deal with loose leash walking very well or even hates to put on a leash. There is a philosophy behind every kind of training for dogs and you should know them.
It may seem to many people that teaching a puppy to walk on a leash is something easy, isn’t a dog is walking anyway so why walking on a leash would be such a hard task? In fact, dogs’ natural way of walking is totally different from ours.
We tend to walk in a relatively straightway, knowing our destination clearly and most importantly, we ignore any distraction. For our dogs, it’s different they tend to run on a zig-zag pattern following scents and also, they will run following each other.
Leash training is not a natural thing for dogs or puppies, you need to know that in order to moderate your expectations for your pooch. How to train a puppy to walk on a leash is an easy task but somehow tricky, you will need to avoid some common mistakes to avoid any obstacles while training a puppy how to walk properly on a leash.
Pulling on a leash is one of these things that will notice your puppy doing while training him to walk on a leash so, read this article to know how to train a puppy to walk on a leash with no pulling.
Table of Contents
Your Puppy Pulling on a Leash? Know Why It Happen
Leash training a puppy with no pulling doesn’t only lie on the phase after you actually start to train your puppy to walk on a leash, if you didn’t give your puppy the right amount of time for every stage for the training, typically, it will cause some kind of a problem after that.
Giving your dog his time to get comfortable with having a leash is crucial, if you don’t do it or didn’t give him enough time to adjust well with it, it will get a reaction out of him and it is not going to be a good one.
Dogs don’t get things the way we do, so you have to teach them using their way of understanding, not yours so they get exactly what they have to do.
To teach your dog to walk calmly, you will have to give every single phase of leash training enough time to be sure 100% your dog is fully comprehended and comfortable with the training stages.
You will have to start with getting the perfect leash, introducing it to your puppy, and then to start the actual leash training sessions.
How to Train a Puppy to Walk on a Leash; Choosing The Right Leash
Before you start on “how to train a puppy to walk on a leash” process you will need to choose the right leash and to minimize the chances of your puppy pulling on it.
Choosing the right size of a leash for your puppy will make him get used to it fast, thus, not being timid from it and as a result, fasten the training period.
You will need to choose a light weighted leash and it will be better if it is flat too, this will make your puppy get more comfortable with something being around his neck. N need for shock collars as they will get your puppy scared of leash training and maybe he would become aggressive because of it.
How to Train a Puppy to Walk on a Leash; Puppy Leash Training Age
It is necessary to start leash training your puppy as early as possible. The earlier you start your puppy’s training, the easier it will be for you to control him when he is older.
Although training your puppy as early as possible is the ideal choice for your puppy to comprehend the training faster, you should keep in mind that you shouldn’t expose your dog to public places before taking his core puppy vaccinations.
Vaccinations like parvovirus, infectious hepatitis, and distemper would take series shots so, it is better to get your puppy vaccinated first before taking him to public areas. Your puppy could get his vaccines in the range of 3 to 6 months.
Until you settle on a vaccination schedule, you could keep leash training in the house and the backyard only.
How to Train a Puppy to Walk on a Leash; Giving Your Puppy His Time to Explore
One of the mistakes that a pet parent would do is not to give the puppy the amount of time he needs to inspect and become comfortable with the leash. It is common for puppies to feel a little jumpy when you attach a leash to them the first few times.
Some of them may pitch tantrums, others will try to explore the collar by chewing on it. Sometimes, puppies won’t like their leash, if your pal is one of those, there are some strategies you can use;
Try to put the leash on your puppy while he is distracted, when you are playing with him would be an ideal time, you could also try to put it on while taking him outside at your backyard.
Another thing to do is to reward your puppy every time you successfully put the leash on him, bring him a treat or his favorite toy and give it to him immediately after you put the leash on.
Don’t tighten the collar on your puppy’s neck too much so he won’t get uncomfortable because of it, loosen the collar to be snug around the puppy’s neck so he won’t get to any level of discomfort.
How to Train a Puppy to Walk on a Leash; Give Your Puppy Free Leash Time
After attaching the leash to your puppy, leave him to run around with the leash on him, leave your end to the ground and let your dog roam around you while having it, also, play with him while he is having it on.
You might introduce him to other dogs or pets if you have any. Hold the leash occasionally and call for your puppy to come, when he obeys the command, praise and reward your puppy with treats.
If you still didn’t start to teach your puppy basic commands, check 5 Basic Puppy Training Commands You Should Know. These commands will save you a lot of time while you teach your puppy leash training and many others!
How to Train a Puppy to Walk on a Leash; Walking Your Puppy Outdoors
If you just started walking with your dog putting on a leash, you will have to know that your puppy won’t be walking calmly or without pulling from day one, you need to be consistent and open to all the challenges you will get while training your puppy.
You will need to create a peaceful environment for your puppy. Some dogs get enthusiastic when they see a leash. It may lead them to bark, whine or even start to spin, you will have to keep a calm attitude until your puppy starts to calm down too and then put the leash on him.
While both of you are walking, remember to always be in a calm attitude so your puppy will pick up at your level and become calm himself too.
Also, remember to carry treats with you wherever you go to praise and reward any good behavior your dog will show, keep moderate size treats that won’t take your puppy a long period of time to chew on so you don’t hold your session for too long.
If your puppy showed any signs of being uncomfortable while being on a leash, don’t hesitate to bend down and try to pet him or giving a treat to him to ease the nervousness. Remember, being positive and consistent will lead to the results you want.
Don’t reward bad behaviors, yes you need to be understanding and positive with your dog, but you shouldn’t reward bad behaviors as if you did it, getting rid of these behaviors would be hard. You will have to deal with this problem differently.
How to Train a Puppy to Walk on a Leash; Dealing With Bad Behaviors
The best way to stop your dog from growing a bad behavior is to deal with it every time it occurs. Getting angry and shouting is not the right thing to be done, use more positive ways to reinforce your dog’s good behaviors and eliminating the bad ones, here are two of the most common problems you may face while walking your dog;
Your puppy pulls on the leash: After understanding the philosophy of leash training, trained your puppy according to it and even being always positive, sometimes your puppy would pull his leash while walking, you will have to keep being consistent and positive and do this;
The minute your dog starts to pull the leash stop immediately and don’t pull the leash or do anything, just call for your puppy and when he comes, praise and reward him. Stopping in your track without doing anything will give your puppy the idea that pulling won’t take him anywhere so he will quit doing it.
Laying down or sitting: Another thing that would sabotage a walking with your puppy is suddenly finding him sitting or laying down in the middle of nowhere, you will have to take few steps away from him and start to call him while holding a treat, when he comes to you, praise him and start to walk again, repeat this every time your dog resist to walk until he starts to enjoy your walking without any hindrance.
You could always use the assistance of a professional dog trainer if you think at any stage of the training that you don’t know how to make more progress with your puppy or was faced with a behavioral problem that you didn’t succeed in demolishing it.
Share with us how did you manage to leash train your puppy and if your puppy still pulling the leash occasionally or not.