A Step-by-Step Guide to Walk Your Dog on a Leash Without Pulling

Introduction: 

Some of the pressing questions dogs owners often ask are:

·       How do I get my dog to walk nicely on a leash?

·       How to get my dog to walk on a leash beside me?

·       How do I stop a dog from pulling when walking?

·       How do I train my dog not to pull on the leash?

I have been ask these questions time and time again by anxious dog owners and today I will be showing you a foolproof method of walking your dog and get

him to stop pulling on the leash.

I have seen this method work for many dogs, and I believe it will work for yours as well.

Teaching a dog to walk on a leash is not often a very easy task. From my own experience, i can tell you that it requires patience; and lots of it for some dogs.

 It is a natural thing for a dog to want to wander off, sniff every object on its path, out of curiosity maybe, or perhaps just to annoy you (just kidding!).

The fact is, a dog will be a dog until you decide to set the standard. You, the owner, have to strike the balance between allowing him to explore his world and walking in a controlled manner.

          "Train him to be the dog you want him to be"

Every dog owner cherishes the idea of walking his or her dog, with the dog following behind or beside them faithfully; causing no scene on the road.

That might not be the case on your first day, though. I still remember the first day i leash walk Jackie, my brother's dog, he caused a lot of scenes outside, and the expression on his face was like 'hey did you expect I was gonna make it easy for you? You've got to be kidding me!'.

Ok, Jackie didn't say all that, but that might as well be what he would say if he could speak, I guess.

            "A well trained dog is a product of time and effort" 

The first thing you will need to do is purchase an appropriate leash for your dog. Make sure that it is the right weight according to how much your dog weighs right now. Even if he will eventually be 75 pounds, he will not be able to handle a heavy leash while he is still small. The next thing to choose is a collar for walking. Some people use harnesses and leaders that attach around his head and snout. Both of these products can help you better control your dog in a humane and safe way. Choker collars are not recommended for any breed of dog, as there is significant danger of hurting the animal. If your dog is small a simple collar and your leash might be plenty. However, you will want to use the same type of device, like a harness or leader, which you will use when he is bigger.  

Now I will breakdown this tutorial into three parts.

PART 1: Getting Reading for the Training

#Tip 1: Know yourself

Some dog owners might get so excited about teaching their dogs how to walk on a leash, and are just too eager to take the dog out for a walk without carefully thinking the whole process through.

 I recommend you always do a self assessment first, to ascertain whether you are ready for the task or not, before taking your dog out. Some people might take this for granted. But the thing is, you have to be in a right frame of mind (physical, emotional and psychological) to train your puppy well.

Are you on any kind of medication that might cause dizziness? Did you just come out of a really bad relationship or marriage? Are you having a really bad day? Are you having a hangover?

Well, you may want to address all that issues first before you even begin the training. My point is, it’s not advisable for you to train your puppy when you are emotionally or psychologically unstable.

#Tip 2: Know your Dog

I'm not taking about the dog breed here (although, that may come into play as some dog breed have earned for themselves quite a bad reputation when it comes to house training them; for example, Beagles, Dachshunds etc.).

However, you will agree with me that even dogs of same breed or parent don't all behave in the same way. They are a lot like we humans; some are cool headed while some just want to explore the world with careless freedom!

 Some dogs, like Jackie, can give you attitude and even get on your last nerve. Some dogs can make your job look relatively difficult. But, if your dog is nothing like Jackie (a German shepherd, I might add), then you can probably expect to have an easy training section regardless of the breed. Remember that some dogs might require extra attention, so you have to be patient and supportive.

#Tip 3: Device a Reward Strategy     

Like in every dog behavior training, you must develop the habit of showering your dog with praises. From my experience, dogs really like that. You can also reward your dog by playing fetch with him or letting him play around the yard for five to ten minutes. You need to purchase dog treat from your local supermarket or buy it online (if you haven't already done that). Whenever your dog did something right, do reward him with praises and give him a treat. You might also want to get a portable treat bag that you can carry around with you when you go outside.

PART 2: Starting the Training

Step #1: Introduce the collar 

Introducing a collar to the puppy for the first time may not go as smooth and easy as you might expect (but if you are one lucky chap, it just might).

 For dogs like Jackie, it can as well be a declaration of war that may last the whole day. Some dogs may throw tantrums and even try to chew the collar. Jackie was like "why do you insist on hanging this thing around my neck when i don't remember requesting for a necklace'. Patience and some small chewable treats should make you and the dog reach a compromise eventually, with the dog being at the losing end of course.

You can also try to distract the dog while you hang the collar around his neck. That might work (not on dogs like Jackie, though, who seem to have master all the silly tricks men play on dogs!).

Step #2: Introduce the Leash

To Jackie, this was like World War II. My friend's dog, Rookie (a Labrador), didn't even mind. No tantrums, no protesting! But not Jackie, he kept whining and whining and ended up causing me lots of treats before calling it a truce.

Note: It is advisable that you drop your end of the leash on the ground when you attach the leash to the dog for the first time. Let the dog play around for a while with the leash dragging along side. Pick up the leash on occasions, call the dog to you and praise him or give him a treat or do both.

Step #3: Let the dog go potty first

One of the important steps to ensuring that your walk is pleasant is to try to get your dog to go potty first before you leave your home. If he learns that the walk is the time to go to the potty then you will almost always be stuck carrying around a bag of his waste on your walks. He should learn to potty in a specified spot in your yard or a potty pad. Of course, to be on the safe side you should always carry a bag with you for picking up any potential dog droppings.

Step #4: Choose a side to walk your dog

Decide on the side that you want your dog to walk on. He should always walk on the side that you choose, either right or left (though left is traditional), Keep in mind that this behavior will stay with him so make sure that you are comfortable with the position of the leash and your arms.

Step #5: When the puppy pulls the leash

Take a few steps with your dog, when he begins to pull stop (don't yank on the leash, just stop as if to let him know that pulling will get him nowhere twice as fast). Call him back to you and make him sit. Reward him with praise for sitting and then start again. Each time he begins to pull on the leash, repeat the stop and sit pattern. This might mean you only manage to take a few steps before you have to stop and begin again.

Step #6: Getting the puppy to walk on a leash beside you

Call the puppy to you by showing him a tasty treat. Keep the treat very close to the side of your body you want him to walk beside, and allow him to walk a few minutes trying to take the treat from your hand before finally letting him do so. This will make him associate that side of your body with good stuff, and guess what, dogs like good stuff and he will always come to that side, perhaps by just to check. You need to repeat this process over and over for him to master walking by your side.

Step #7: Cut him some slack

You can allow your dog to veer off the path, as long as he does not pull and smell things. He or she will also occasionally mark with their urine, this is normal behavior, allow them to do it as long as it does not become constant.

Step #8: Reward obedience

When your dog stays with you, at your side and is keeping pace, reward him with praise and a treat (it worked for Jackie!). Remember he wants to please you; he just has to be taught how to do so.

Step #9: What happen if the puppy resists walking?

Jackie does that sometimes. He will just lie down and be like 'hey I think you'll have to go for that walk today without me, i will join you maybe some other time'.

What you will do in that case is to take a few steps forward and call him, if he shows up (Jackie won't until you keep calling) then reward him with a treat. Start walking until he resists walking again, and then repeat the process. With patience and consistency, the dog will become accustom to walking and being on a leash.

Step #10: Be conscious of other dog owners

When you come upon other dog owners your puppy may experience anxiety, which will cause him to pull or bark. Reassure him with affection that everything is alright and that you are there with him. If he gets too excited or nervous have him sit or lie down and wait for them to pass.

Step #11: Puppies and Kids

 Children are particularly interested in puppies and it is in your best interest to teach your dog how to interact with them. But, you have to be in control of the situation (especially if your dog is the aggressive type). If you are comfortable with it, you may allow others to pet your dog, but make him sit and behave while they do it. 

PART 3: Post Training

Tip 1: Walk your dog frequently

You should walk your dog at least twice a day, if not more while he is young. This will help him get used to walking and allow him to burn energy. It will also help him to not forget his training and reinforce good walking practice.

Tip 2: Get the appropriate collar and leash

As your dog grows bigger in size so will the need to get an appropriate collar and leash to match. If your dog is prune to pulling, you might consider using a shorter leash (of about four to six feet)

Tip 3: Walking off leash

As your dog gets older you may consider allowing him to walk off leash. Do this with great care, especially when cars are around. Even the most well trained dog is still an animal and as such, is unpredictable. You would not want anything bad to happen to your dog because he was off leash in an unsafe area.

CONCLUSION

Training a dog to walk on a leash is time consuming; don't expect your first walk to be a long one, at least distance wise. Think of it as a training session that requires lots of stopping and starting to get it right. You can avoid using retractable leash if it will make your job more difficult. Whether you choose leash or harness, just stick to what works best for you. With reasonable patience and consistency you should be seeing result in no time.