“How fun! We’re finally outside exploring! There are so many new smells out here! I’m going to run over to this fire hydrant for some deep sniffing, and then I’ll dart across the sidewalk in front of my owner to investigate some foul-smelling pile of who-knows-what! Oh look, I’m going to chase these leaves blowing in the wind! Hey, a neighbor and another puppy! I’m going to lunge toward that puppy and run right up to meet it! Wait, what’s this rope that’s attaching me to my human? I’ll chew on it since it’s a game of Tug of War! And why do I feel like I’m choking?”
Fun Ways to Prevent Puppy Boredom
If you are exhausted reading that paragraph about the mind of a puppy in the first 5 minutes of a walk, imagine the puppy owner who is desperately at the end of her rope trying to get her 50-pound puppy to walk nicely on a leash! She’s trying not to get her arm pulled out of her socket as her puppy darts, lunges, and jumps his way down the sidewalk, not making much progress moving forward.
Learning how to walk on a loose leash for puppies is a necessary skill all puppies should learn to keep themselves and others safe and secure. Whether you go on daily walks for exercise, take your puppy to the vet, or go out to brunch, your puppy will need to follow local leash laws and be on a lead. Taking an out-of-control puppy out in public on a leash is far from relaxing, healthy, or even safe for you, your puppy, and other people, animals, and businesses.
Puppies are not born with an innate knowledge of walking perfectly on a leash. Any puppy owner can tell you puppies will chew on the leash thinking it’s a toy, leap into the air, prance around, bark incessantly, pull, or flat-out refuse to move when they wear a leash. In our 2-part series, we’ll go over preparing your puppy to learn loose lead walking and follow up with different ways to teach your puppy how to walk nicely on a leash to pick the method that’s best for you and your puppy’s learning style and life situation. Learn about tips for teaching your puppy how to walk on a leash to have a great dog-walking experience.
Prepare Your Puppy For Loose Leash Walking
Learning to walk on a leash is more than a nice training trick—it is about keeping themselves and others safe when out and about. An out-of-control dog, even if friendly, can cause all sorts of problems with other dogs, children, patrons, businesses, and more.
That’s why setting up foundations of loose leash walking can help build success and reinforce positive behaviors that form a bigger picture rather than clipping that leash to the collar and putting one foot in front of the other (until you trip over your puppy)!
Foundations of walking your puppy on a leash
Introducing leash manners for puppies can be a challenging yet rewarding experience that feels like two paws forward and one paw back. Taking time to set yourself and your puppy up for success goes a long way in your precious training time to positively reinforce your daily lessons.
Speaking of foundations, your puppy should also be working on learning basic puppy training commands. You’ll be using “Sit” quite a bit! You’ll also want to work on playing “name games” where you can get your puppy’s attention quickly when saying their name, even with distractions around. Every time you say your puppy’s name and they look at you, give your praise marker word (“Yes!” or “Good Girl!”) and reward with a treat.
Supplies Needed to Train Your Dog to Walk on a Leash
Before you teach your puppy how to walk on a lead, gather some supplies that you’ll need to think carefully about what is the right equipment for your unique situation with your puppy. Do you have a 60-lb. baby Bernese Mountain Dog or a 3-lb. Chihuahua? While the equipment for a successful dog walking training session may vary, the spirit of consistency and patience will be a common denominator regardless of your dog’s breed and size.
High-value treats
If someone asks you to do something you’re not really into and offers you broccoli as a reward, very few people will choose it (although there is always someone)! However, if they offer you a chocolate lava cake baked by an award-winning pastry chef, you’ll go above and beyond to perform that task! Puppies are the same. Most are food motivated, so you can’t go wrong with offering delicious treats they don’t get all the time, such as cooked chicken, pieces of beggin’ strips, cheese, or a spoonful of peanut butter. Make sure to keep the pieces small so you don’t spoil their dinners or upset their little stomachs.
Your presence
You must be “all in” when training your puppy to walk on a leash without naughty behaviors. If you are on your phone scrolling social media, you will be ignoring your dog, giving them a lack of direction and permission to do what their doggy hearts desire, which definitely does not involve listening to you. If you encounter a friend or neighbor, keep it to a friendly greeting and say you are training your dog and will catch up later. Being in tune with your puppy will increase communication and bonding, making your puppy more willing to please you.
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