Home » Dog Training » Walk on a Leash Training for Puppy

Last Updated on September 8, 2020

Dog Walk On Leash

how does your puppy walk on a leash? Is it pleasant or is your puppy pulling you around? Who is walking whom? Keep reading to find out how to teach a puppy to walk on a leash. From a puppy’s point of view, walking on a leash is not natural. Unless your puppy has received training in the past, you will have to teach your puppy to walk on a leash.

Puppy Training Walking on a Leash Age:

You may start leashing your Puppy at the age of just 10 weeks. This is the right time, and there is ample time to train your puppy to walk on a leash. Before this, you must collar the puppy with a soft and light weighted collar. For puppies, the collar which is thin, flat, and plastic buttoned clips are most comfortable. my puppy won’t walk on a leash

Keep in mind that when you put the collar for the first time, it should be quick, so that puppy does not get scared. As the puppy gets older, you may prefer distinct collars accordingly but in this stage soft, light-weighted, thin, and flat collars are prescribed. Still, if you did not buy the collars glance here for best collars and leashes.

Collaring tricks:

This is the foremost progress towards leash training your puppy. If the puppy adapts to the collar then your training session for leashing will just easily go process. First, collar your puppy for five to ten minutes in an hour. Then gradually increase the time period of the collar until it permanently accepts it. Your puppy may nod its head and try to unlock or get out of the collar.
Just tie the collar with two fingers gap. Even then if the puppy feels discomfort just ignore, Puppy will take some time to get used to the collar. But please note whether it scratches the collar and neck; otherwise, you may leave the puppy undisturbed. If your collar is not perfect then the Puppy may suffer suffocation in breathing. Still, if your puppy bites the collar.

Before Starting

You will teach your puppy what you expect from them when they are on the leash. Be patient and expect an adjustment period for your puppy.

Before you begin a leash training session, enjoy some playtime with your puppy to allow them to expel energy. This will put your puppy in a calmer state and ready for learning.

To be consistent, you will walk your puppy on the same side of you every time you go for a walk. Decide which side you want your puppy to walk on and stick to it.

Tools for training puppy to walk on a leash:

A pack of cookies, biscuits, or some soft snacks which your puppy may desire. Some puppies will love to eat cheese, peanut butter, cooked liver and chicken chops. But make sure that the treat must not affect the training session. The puppy must not completely turn its consciousness to the treat. The treat must be chewable within a few seconds. These treats help your leash training session to be the same instead of turning into the leash biting session.
If you need healthy treats for leash training the puppy check this out, buddies…

Take the leash which is suitable for the puppy. The leash should be in correct length; it should neither be lengthy nor short. Your leash length should be enough for leaving the puppy 2 feet and to get back the Puppy.

Note: While leash train the puppy make sure to avoid puppy pulling on the leash.

Before training the puppy, you must be trained for how to leash train a puppy:
Yes, before training the puppy you must be familiar with how to walk a puppy. You must not pressure on the neck of the Puppy by pulling the leash. Then the puppy will not walk on a leash; it feels scary. You are the one who guides a puppy, so if you pull the leash then your puppy would pull it on the other side. Then you may not hold the leash it would start running with the leash.
Just keep the treats in one of the hands and award it to the puppy. Assure your puppy that you have a hand full of treats. Tap your hand in the thigh and ask Puppy to follow your steps. Walk around in the garden and make Puppy follow without leashing. Encourage Puppy with the words ” Good boy, walk, Superb Ceaser!” After the session award the treat to the Puppy. Now you have succeeded to walk the puppy, you may head to tips for teaching the puppy to walk on a leash here.

Walking

When you are walking your puppy, keep the leash short but not tight, with your puppy beside you. Keeping the leash short will give you more control over your puppy’s movements.

Don’t allow your puppy to walk ahead of you, keep them beside you or behind you as you are the pack leader. The pack leader leads and you are the pack leader, not your puppy. Be the alpha puppy!

Because you are keeping the leash short, if your puppy tries to go ahead of you they will feel the resistance of the leash.

As the puppy starts to walk with you, fix the leash for the next training, and allow the puppy to roam for 2 minutes. If the Puppy roams freely then it may feel comfortable in the leash training session.
Now take the leash into the hand and hold it gently, as it does not harm the puppy’s neck. If the leash is too long then roll it once or twice accordingly to maintain one or two feet distance with your puppy.

Start walking with the puppy by holding the leash. Gently move forward and make the Puppy follow your steps. Just walk for two minutes and note the puppy’s activities. If the puppy pulls you forward instruct him that he should not do the task. Just name your puppy and say “No”! Turn to the opposite direction to stop the puppy from pulling the leash.

Pulling on the Leash

If your Puppy pulls on the leash during a walk, stop immediately, and be patient. Stand still until your puppy allows slack on the leash. When your puppy turns towards you and allows the leash some slack, give them a treat.

Then continue on your walk and repeat as often as necessary. Each time it happens, your puppy is learning not to pull on the leash. Patience and consistency are very important.

Another method is to stop when your puppy pulls on the leash and turn around facing the opposite direction. When your puppy turns towards you and allows slack in the leash give them a treat and start walking again. Repeat as often as necessary.

Keep a Good Pace

Don’t walk slowly, keep a good pace with your puppy to reduce the chance for your dog to stop and smell or relieve themselves.

Talk to your puppy as you walk and praise them when they are walking properly. Keep a happy upbeat attitude and make it fun for both of you.

Allow a Sniff Session

Give your puppy a break during your walk allowing your puppy to sniff around and relieve themselves. Keep the leash slack during each break and allow them to investigate the area.

Puppies

Puppies will begin by getting used to wearing a collar or harness first. Show your puppy the collar or harness and let them investigate it for a while. Then place it on your puppy while they are eating or playing, when your puppy is distracted.

It will feel awkward to them at first. If your puppy scratches at the collar, distract them with a toy so they will forget about the collar.

Once your puppy is used to the collar or harness, introduce them to the leash and allow them to investigate it. Then attach the leash to the collar or harness and allow your puppy to run around with the leash attached.

Supervise your puppy closely with the leash attached to be sure they don’t get hung on something and hurt themselves. Then, pick up the leash and call your puppy to come to you. Don’t pull on the leash, encourage your puppy to come to you on it’s on and give a small treat.

When going for your first walk, don’t try to get your puppy to walk by your side. They need to have time to process all of this new information. Be patient and remain calm.

Suggest you reward walk on a leash as treat:

Practice walk on a leash as a reward for your puppy. For the good behaviors take the puppy for outdoors, Puppy would feel free in the walk. As the puppy enjoys a walk on a leash as a treat then ample of your pocket money would be saved in buying the treats for other training sessions.

Routine training in early morning or evening:

Practice the training to walk on a leash as the routine habit. Take the Puppy and expose it to the world in the early morning and evening time. The Puppy would enjoy a beautiful scenario and feel the fresh breeze. Soon Puppy would make your leash training session most adorable.

How long should you walk with your puppy on a leash:

As you love puppy to the core, you may love to walk even for an hour. But the puppies get tired on an hour walk, they feel bored and for the next time you call upon for the leash, the Puppy would deny. The puppy will walk on a leash for just five to ten minutes. After this span, the Puppy feels bored on walking with a leash.

Best environment:

Training a puppy to walk on a leash can be done in the backyard or garden of your home at the start. As the puppy begins to obey your commands, you may head towards parks with low traffic. In these sessions, you have to be more attentive and note every action of the Puppy.

Mastering Puppy on leash walking:

After the puppy begins to love walking on a leash you may gradually increase the span of a walk for more five minutes. However, walking on a leash session must not exceed 15 minutes.

Final tips for you as a trainer:

A trainer must follow some tips in the training sessions of the puppy. As puppies reflect the behavior of a trainer in the sessions. Hereby I will provide you some snaps to succeed as a trainer.

  1. Stay cool.
  2. Maintain a calm and relaxed mood.
  3. Have great patience while training the puppy.
  4. Have optimistic thoughts and encourage Puppy in sessions.
  5. Remove the collar and leashes if you are not there to care them.
  6. If the puppy chews on a leash then spray it with some bitter tastes like bitter apple spray or bitter guard spray.
  7. Note the puppy that it should not have its paw looping on the leash.

Don’ts in the training of walking on a leash:

The puppy must not drag you in front while training to walk on a leash.
The puppy must not be over-enthusiastic while you start training sessions.
The puppy should not get bored in training sessions.
Treats must not take the entire attention of Puppys.

Remedies for don’ts:

When Puppy drags in front turn into the opposite direction and moves When the Puppy is in the exciting mode it will not at all hear and obey the commands. To cancel the trip and after the Puppy calms down, take the puppy for a walk. Make the training session of walking on a leash for just 10-15 minutes. This keeps your Puppy’s attention in a converged manner. Use only soft snacks like cheese, peanut butter, cooked liver or chicken chops. So that puppy can easily chew them.

How To Stop Your Puppy From Pulling

Understanding how to stop your puppy from pulling is something that every dog owner needs to overcome in order to be able to walk their dog in an enjoyable manner. many dog behavioral problems also stem from the fact that the dog is dragging you along the street. to put it simply your dog thinks it is in charge of the walk or in dog terms it sees itself as the pack leader!

There are so many gadgets, leads, and collars out there but none of them can solve the problem if your puppy thinks it is in charge, all these devices will do is attempt to divert your puppy’s energy elsewhere or cause pain in an attempt to stop you from pulling. If you find yourself having to correct your dog every 30 seconds then there is something fundamentally wrong. The funny thing is this, your dog knows how to walk nicely on the lead it is far more than simply training it, you have to at first convince it you are the pack leader.

Think of it like this. Your dog understands that on the walk, somebody has to be the leader, and your puppy is simply taking the lead! It is more of a psychological battle than a physical one, at least it should be. This first stage of the walk is actually ensuring that you are the pack leader inside the house before you look to venture out as no puppy will let you simply take control over the walk, (the most dangerous place compared to the den) if you are not in control inside.

Here are some key tips to try before you venture out:

  • After bringing out your puppys lead wait until your puppy calms down even if this takes a while and only attach it when your puppy is calm. Never rush this stage.
  • You need to first learn how to stop your puppy from pulling inside your house or property before going outside – there are some fantastic videos that show all of this.
  • Walk first around the house going around the tables and furniture in your house with your puppy following you.
  • If your puppy pulls out in front of you then simply change direction, leaving your puppy behind you.
  • If your puppy drags backwards then gently hold the lead firm for 10 seconds then call your puppy to follow. They have no other options and so will follow you if you are patient.
  • Control the doorways – you should always walk through the doorways first when your puppy is on the lead
  • Practice walking in and out of the front doorway with you going first – keep doing this until your puppy relaxes and gives up waiting for you to make the next move
  • Check your posture – make sure that you are relaxed and calm and that your shoulder is down and arm is straight at the elbow
  • Of course there is a big difference between actually watching how to stop your puppy from pulling and reading about it! Whilst I can give you all the advice in written form there is nothing quite like actually being shown it on a video.

Avoid freakouts of puppy in the training session:

Still, if the Puppy freaks out in the leash training sessions, allow it to roam freely with a leash. Instruct Puppy that the leash is not that much harming it. If the puppy exhibits an unusual behavior then be patient for a day and fix the leash the next day. But the next day you must fix the leash; otherwise, they would act as if they feel uncomfortable. Don’t allow them to escape from the training sessions. If you encourage these behaviors then it would make you a coward.

Feel free to leave a comment or share a story about your puppy below. The information on this website is not intended to replace the advice of your own veterinarian, puppy trainer, or puppy behavioral specialist.

 

Scroll to Top