Spring and Summer mean more time outside. And more walks. Whether you are walking in your neighborhood or going to a dog park, walking is good exercise for you and your dog. But if your dog is not well-trained on a leash, walking can be a difficult activity for you both. In fact, walking on a leash is an important skill to teach your dog from puppyhood. It is much easier to train a young puppy than try to re-train an older dog. But never fear, new pups and old dogs can both learn to walk obediently on a leash.
Here are some tips to make walking a fun experience for both of you.
- Get her calm before you start: If your dog loves walks, she likely gets excited just seeing her leash. But if you take her out while she’s jumping and running in circles, that energy will go with her. Calm her down before you start out. Put her leash on and wait until she calms down before starting out. Another great way to calm her is to tire her out. Play with her for a while in the yard or inside. A tired dog doesn’t pull as much.
- Use the right equipment: Purchase a no-pull harness to use for walks. This type of harness is a tremendous way to start leash training. Starting with a no-pull harness will help your puppy get used to walking with you and learning the proper behavior from the start.
- Practice inside: This can help you keep your dog focused while you teach her to follow commands. Once outside there are so many sights and smells to distract her. Practice going in and out of rooms, through doorways and get her used to you going first.
- Stop when she starts to pull: Most obedience schools will use this method to leash train. Stop immediately when your dog starts to pull. Stay still until there is slack in the leash, then praise her or reward her to encourage that behavior. This can be very frustrating and make for a long walk, but it’s the best way to train.
- Don’t reward pulling: Often your dog is pulling to reach something, a smell or a tree or a squirrel. Don’t reward that behavior by allowing her to reach her goal. The first rule of dog training is rewarded behavior is repeated behavior. Again, stop until there is slack in the leash, then lead her to the object she wants to reach.
- Watch how-to videos: Visually learning is often the best. Watch doggy training videos like this one from dog trainer, Doggy Dan, to learn the best techniques.
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