People often assume that dogs instinctively know how to walk on a leash—they put the dog on a leash and expect that he would be walking like a model canine citizen. But that is not the case. Walking on a leash is a learned behavior, and you have got to teach your dog how to walk on a leash if you don’t want him to pull on a leash—trying to run after the cyclist passing by.
You might be wondering how to train your dog to walk on a leash? Well, it is not difficult, but a certain level of patience and perseverance might be required on your part.
How to Train Your Dog to Walk on a Leash?
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If you are a novice dog owner and do not know where to start. Here are some helpful dog leash training tips that will help you teach your dog to walk like a model canine citizen when you take him out for a walk around the block.
- Get a comfortable yet reliable dog leash
- A standard dog leash is about 6 feet long, but you can go for a long leash of about 8 to 10 feet in length.
- If your dog likes to chew on things, you should get a leash made of a sturdier material like leather and not nylon.
- Introduce the collar and leash to your dog
- Before beginning the leash training, you should get your dog used to wearing the collar and leash.
- Never put the collar on your dog forcefully. It would be counterproductive.
- Practice walking your dog on the lawn
- There are so many distractions outside. Therefore, instead of taking your dog outside, you should practice walking on a leash inside in a quiet place, free of distraction.
- You can gradually add distractions to the environment.
- Teach your dog to always walk on one side
- This would prevent you from tripping up on your dog’s leash.
- Traditionally, dogs are walked on the left side.
- Take your dog outside for a walk when he is ready
- There will be many distractions outside, so you will have to be patient.
- Try taking your dog out in the early hours when it’s quiet and less distracting.
- Work through leash problems, if any
- The most common leash problems include dog pulling on the leash, lunging, and barking at passersby.
- Teaching your basic dog commands like come, sit, stay could work wonders in solving such problems.
- And, of course, delicious treats would help you get your dog’s attention away from the distraction.