PUPPY LEASH TRAINING 101
Puppy leash training is very important and should be started early in your new puppy’s life. Training your puppy to happily accept wearing a collar and walking on leash is not the easiest thing to do. There is a right way and a wrong way. Here is the right way to train a puppy to quickly accept a collar and leash.
Wearing a puppy collar and walking on a leash are two things that your dog must learn early in life. The later you wait to begin a dog’s leash training the more difficult it will be.
Here are two very important starting tips:
The attention span of a puppy is very limited. So your training sessions need to be short. As soon as you see them start to lose focus it is time to stop and move on to something else.
As a trainer you will need to have patience and the training needs to be done gradually, in stages.
The first thing to do is to buy a collar. Make sure the collar will fit snug enough so the pup can’t wiggle out but not too tight. You should be able to fit a finger in between the puppy’s collar and their neck. The puppy may squirm and wine at first but this is completely natural. It is best to ignore this behavior while they are getting used to the collar. One tip is to give them a toy which will become a welcome distraction while they get used to the new item around their neck.
When they have learned to accept the new collar and are showing signs of comfort with it- that is the time to start introducing the leash.
Many people ask, what is the best age to start leash training? The most common answer is around 12 weeks.
The beginning stages of leash training should all be done in the comfortable and controlled environment of your home- not outside.
To start, simply click the leash to the collar and let your pup drag it around for a few minutes. If the seem to not be bothered by the leash then you may pick it up and begin walking them around your house. Just make sure the leash is not taut at this point, you do not want to reinforce pulling on leash. Also do not try to direct where they walk yet. Do this over the next few days. Remember it is a gradual process.
The next step is to begin walking with the leash attached and directing where the pup should go. Do this at first in the confines of your home. After a few days you can move outside.
When you first go outside with your puppy for leash training you want to make sure the area you are walking is safe for your puppy if they do not have all of their shots yet. Your backyard is the best place because it is a controlled environment and will have far less distractions than many other places.
Remember when you are puppy training, praise your dog when they do something correct. They want to please you and respond very well to this.
Over time you will be able to take walks with the leash attached in outside areas that have more and more distractions. If you have taken the puppy leash training slow and methodical, if it has been fun and you have rewarded good behavior your new best friend should be well introduced to the leash and collar at this point.