If you think you are going to hook a collar on to your puppy and put him on a leash and he is going to parade down the street like he is at the Westminster Dog Show, you are sadly mistaken. Your puppy will struggle against the leash and the collar and the entire walking process.
Have you ever wondered what makes a show dog a show dog? Some of it is the coloring and appearance of the dog, but a lot has to do with the way the dog behaves in the arena. A dog will not naturally want to walk calmly next to you on a leash. He will struggle and try to break free. You may end up dragging him along or he may end up dragging you. Either way, this is not the way it should be.
Puppy leash training is essential for a dog to be able to behave when walking on a lead.
Best Selling Puppy Leashes
When your puppy is six months old, you can start teaching him obedience. This can include leash training. You need to make the leash short at first and give it a slight tug when the puppy moves away. The puppy should walk on the outside of you and right along side of you, at your pace. When you stop, so does the dog. When you run, the dog runs. This takes practice.
One method of puppy leash training is using a choke collar. This is a slip knot collar that goes around the puppy. When he pulls at the leash, the collar chokes him. Once he stops struggling, the collar releases him.
Using a choke collar is the most common method used for leash training a puppy. Be very careful that you carefully supervise the puppy at all times and never, ever put a choke collar on a dog unless you are in the process of leash training the animal. A choke collar can easily get caught in a fence link, or even in the crate. This can end up killing the animal if he is not supervised. Each year, hundreds of dogs die because they are left alone with a choke collar. This is a very dangerous practice.
Best Selling Puppy Choke Collars
Of course, good behavior should be rewarded. When your puppy performs well, you can reward him with a treat and a kind gesture. Soothing words are also very good when training a puppy. A puppy does not understand what you are saying any more than a two year old, but does understand the tone of your voice. There are some words the puppy will pick up. His name is one of them. Using a kind tone when your puppy performs well works wonders.
Try to make puppy leash training fun by offering your dog treats and giving him a lot of attention when you are training him. Make sure that you are relaxed when training your dog so that he can relax as well. Leash training will be a lot easier if you are both relaxed and ready for fun.