One of the great joys of owning a dog is being able to go for a walk. A dog that is well leash trained makes a walk relaxing and enjoyable but if your dog is not leash trained that same walk becomes an exercise in annoyance and it can even be dangerous.

In order to effectively leash train your puppy, you need to start when he is very young. It will be easier the younger he is. Start out by getting him used to the collar. At first he is likely to fight it but just keep it on him. If he starts whining and crying about the collar and you take it off you will have just taught him how he can have his way and you will always have problems. Make him wear the collar; just make sure that you remove it before you crate him to avoid any mishaps.

Soon your puppy will be used to wearing the collar and he will be ready to do the same thing with the leash. Attach the leash and let him get used to it by dragging it around. Be sure that someone is supervising him though as he could cause some chaos if he gets tangled up. Soon you can pick up the leash and start walking around the house. It is easier to start where he feels safe so even though it seems odd to walk your puppy in the house it is still the best place to start.

When he gets comfortable with the leash in the house you can try it out in your yard. He should still be comfortable but there will be a few more distractions. When you are walking him make sure that you discourage any bad behavior and encourage the better behaviors.

For example, if your puppy is pulling at the leash, just stop. Stop walking. Stop moving. Do not let him to pull at the leash. It will not be long before he finds out that pulling is unacceptable behavior. Make sure you are talking to him and communicating with him also. This is a good time for him to learn some commands.

Another technique you can use when your dog is pulling is to turn and immediately walk the other direction. He will be confused but if you do it every time he will quickly learn that pulling is something that you will not put up with. Repeat these techniques until he completely stops pulling on the leash.

Sometimes a puppy will stop himself and not walk with you. In this case you can bribe him with treats as an enticement. Don’t call him to you and give him the treat but rather put it by your feet and make him come to you. Soon he will learn not to stop.

Very soon your dog will be obediently walking next to you with a slack leash. This is the behavior you wanted so make sure that he gets ample attention and praise when he does it so you can reinforce the good behavior. Never let your puppy get away with bad behavior and soon you will be able to fully enjoy walks with him.

Maximum training guidelines for your pet dog including free puppy training tips, dog house training tips and much more at UniversityDog.

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