Puppy Education

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As a dog owner, you can tell how frustrating it can be to walk your dog when it is pulling on the leash.  Most dog owners think that dogs just know how to walk politely on a leash. However, this is a skill that needs to be trained. In fact, it is one easy skill you can teach your puppy. You will be able to do away with leash pulling during walks when you train your dog to walk on a loose leash.

Even a perfect heel will never help keep your dog strictly by your side. Instead, it will give your dog room to explore the neighborhood and sniff around provided he leaves slack in his leash.  Below are guidelines to help you train a dog heel or walk nicely on a leash.

Introduce the Dog to a Harness or Collar and Leash

You can start by letting your dog get used to putting on a harness or a collar and a leash. You can have the dog wear a collar or a harness for shorter periods especially when in-house taking treats or when you are playing with him. It is important that the puppy gets used to wearing a collar and leash since they represent fun and food.

For instance, you will need an approximately 6-foot leash and a collar. In case your dog has a habit of pulling, he will at times slip out of the collar. In such a case, it would be advisable you use a martingale collar which is ideal for training puppies to walk on a loose leash. Martingale collar resembles a normal flat collar but instead, it has an extra loop that tightens whenever it is pulled by a dog. This will ensure the dog does not slip out of the collar.  However, this collar contains a stopping point that ensures it does not close tight as it is with choke chains.

1) Let Your Puppy Learn Commands

It is recommended that you choose a phrase or a word that will help tell a dog what is expected of him. You can decide to use commands such as “Let it go” or “with me”.

2) Teach Cue

You need to introduce your puppy to a sound cue meaning food is coming. There are individuals who like clicking and treating while some opt to use words such as “yes” while others cluck their tongues. It does not matter which cue you use provided it helps you achieve what you want. Get your dog to a quiet and distraction-free area, while the puppy is on leash and collar, make cue sound. Immediately the puppy turns towards you, reward him with a treat.  Repeat the process a number of times and you will notice the puppy will not only be looking at you whenever you make the sound but will also come for the treat.

3) Always Make Him Come to You

While the puppy is coming to you while still on leash and collar, you can back up a few steps and reward him immediately he gets to you. Continue with the exercise until when the puppy starts walking with you a few paces. However, you need to remember that puppies have short attention spans; hence, you need to keep your sessions short and end when they are still eager to instead of stopping when they are completely exhausted.

4) Practice Inside

By now, your puppy should be understanding how and when to come to you. Seeing and feeling the leash around will be enough challenge. When the puppy approaches you, offer him with treats and praise until he gets used to that. It is important that you practice inside a room where there are no distractions.

5) Take It Outside

After your puppy has got used to coming to you into a room where there are no distractions, it is now advisable that you start testing him outdoors or  use wireless dog fences to restrict his movement. You can research best wireless fence by reading through a number of wireless dog review. You will however encounter several challenges on the outside due to sights your puppy will encounter, smells and sounds.  Ensure the first walks are kept short and never be in a hurry to get the dog going. While on a walk, always make your cue sound and move a few paces away whenever your puppy gets distracted or is about to lunge towards something. Remember to reward his following you with a treat.

Use Rewarding Method

Immediately you step out of your house with your dog you will encounter lots of competition.  You will, therefore, have to make staying close to you more rewarding and fun rather than running off just to explore all the neighborhoods smells and sights.  You can achieve this by using praise, treats and a happy tone voice.

For the start, whenever your dog turns and looks at you always tell him good and offer some treats.  This is the best time when you can also decide to use a clicker in case you have tried using clicker training. Whenever the dog’s attention turns to you, always click and reward him with treats. With this, you will be teaching your puppy that paying attention comes with great rewards. You can also keep the dog’s attention on you by speaking in happy and high tone. However, in the beginning, you will have to use lots of treats in order to get your dog’s attention.

Always keep your hands by your side and offer the dog treats continuously provided he is walking next to you.  You can slowly start phasing out the treats as he gets to understand and know what you expect from him.

Troubleshooting

Getting your dogs attention can be difficult at times. There are times when he might find what is going on around being much more interesting than your happy talk and treats.  In such situations, stopping and starting will never be enough to distract him from whatever he is doing or intends to do.  When you are faced with such a situation, the best thing to do is move him away from distraction. You can achieve this by walking in a completely different direction saying let’s move or let’s go.  You don’t have to pull your puppy, just walk away holding the leash.  You can thereafter offer him treats and lots of praises. However, you need to keep in mind that this process will take time and high chances are you will not have your puppy walking on a loose leash at first.  Always be positive and consistent and your dog will learn to walk on the leash properly.

Below are important tips on what to do whenever you are having trouble with your puppy:

1) Whenever he pulls

In case your puppy starts pulling in the other direction, pretending to be a tree and stand still refusing to move until when the puppy will come back to you. Never jerk or yank the leak and never drag your dog with you. There are alternative harnesses such as head halters and front hook harnesses that are designed for dogs that pull.

2) When the dog lunges

When your puppy opts to go for something while on a walk such as a car, another dog, or a skateboarder, you can try redirecting his attention by giving him a treat before he lunges or creates a space between his target and you. Always be proactive and prepared for what’s frustrating him gets close.

3) When he barks

There are puppies fond of barking at other dogs whenever they are on a walk. In most cases, such behaviors are as a result of lack of exercise. It is important that you ensure your puppy gets enough amount of physical and mental stimulation for his breed. You can also opt to use the best dog barking deterrent. In case you are experiencing problems with that, you can apply the same tactic you applied when your dog is lunging at a moving car.  Always create distance and offer treats before the dog starts barking.

Summary

Training a puppy on how to heel is considered to be among the most important tasks for any person owning a dog. However, the process usually turns out to be not that hard as many people preserve it to be once they get started. Always keep in mind that your puppy will learn faster if the training technique is right and for the start, you can always use high value rewards to start you off.

Master each stage in training before moving on to the next and give yourself and your dog some great rewards for making progress! There are people who want to rush their puppies through the trainings and give us when they discover they are not making any progress.  In case you are not sure or do not note some progress, you can always consult a professional god trainer to help you iron out areas where you are not getting it right.