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

Puppies need to be trained for the leash when they are very young. If you start early they will learn it fast and it will be much easier. To begin training your puppy, make sure you start by getting him used to the collar. He won’t like it at first and he might cry and complain but make sure that you have him wear it until he gets used to it. The only time you really need to take it off is when you crate him so there will not be any mishaps.

After your puppy has gotten used to the collar you can start preparing him for the leash. Attach it to the collar and just allow him to drag it around the house. Make sure that you are there to watch over him as he could cause some chaos if the leash gets tangled with anything. Pretty soon you can take the leash and start walking around in the house with him. It may seem strange to walk your puppy around in the house but you will have success earlier if you start out in a place where he is comfortable and as far as that goes there is no place like home.

You can then take him around in the yard. Make sure as you are walking that you reinforce the good behaviors and discourage the bad behaviors.

If you puppy is pulling on the leash, just stop walking. Stand still. He may still pull for awhile but if you stop every time he pulls he will soon learn not to do that. Make sure that you are speaking with him and giving him commands, this is a good time for communication.

Another tip you can use when he starts to pull is to quickly turn around and walk the other way. He will learn that he needs to pay attention. If he starts pulling again repeat either of these techniques and soon he will learn that pulling is not acceptable.

Sometimes a puppy will just stop walking himself. If your puppy stops and refuses to come, you can persuade him with a treat. Put the treat at your feet and make him come to it. Don’t call him to it. He will soon learn that he should not stop when you are taking a walk.

It doesn’t take too long to properly leash train a puppy and it is really nice when they walk obediently beside you with a slack leash. This is the behavior you want to reinforce so make sure that he gets ample praise and attention when he starts doing this well. Stop all bad behavior early on and you will soon be enjoying walks with your dog for a long time to come.

Tags: Dogs

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