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Training your dog to walk on a loose leash can be a real lesson in patience for even the most even tempered person. Personally, I can watch my dog do just about anything “bad” and not react...including relieving himself in the house and chewing up my belongings, but let him start pulling me down the street and I quickly lose my cool. Leash manners are very important if you plan on enjoying time with your dog, and being able to safely escort him to places you need or want to go, especially if you would like to be welcomed back again. Here are some tips to help you learn to walk your dog on a loose leash.
Let’s start with the equipment. What you choose to use for your dog is going to depend on you. In this thread I am not going to recommend choke chains or prong collars because they are used to make leash corrections. Correction methods need to be used properly in order to be effective, and are very difficult to explain in a thread like this. If you feel that you need to use correction methods to leash train your dog, please get instruction from a qualified trainer. The following is a link to a website that will give you a basic rundown on the types of collars available followed by pics of some different styles of harness that are available, and a head halter
http://dogs.about.com/od/toyssupplies/tp/collarsandalternatives.htm
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The first is a step in harness which I prefer over the second, standard harness, because it is very easy to put on your dog, harnesses are recommended because they don’t put pressure on the dog’s throat, but may encourage some dogs to pull. The third is a front clip/no-pull harness. It works by making the dog off-balance whenever he pulls. The fourth is a no-pull harness that tightens and inhibits the dog’s movement when he pulls. The final pic is of a head halter which works on the principle that the dog’s body will follow her head. If you decide to use a head halter, you will need to get your dog used to it before you actually use it, most of them come with instructions on how to do this. You also need to be careful when using this type of equipment because it can cause injury to your dog if you are yanking and pulling his head around. It is highly recommended that you use a double ended leash with one end attached to a harness and the other attached to the head collar or a secondary, smaller leash attached to the halter and primary leash attached to the harness, so that if the dog does lunge, his weight goes into the primary leash, not the halter.
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This no-pull equipment is a tool that you can use to walk your dog when she hasn’t yet been trained to walk on a loose leash. This equipment does not magically train your dog not to pull anymore, but it can make walking your dog less frustrating for you while you work on your leash skills. You can find this equipment at most pet stores or online. Leashes are made out of all sorts of materials and thicknesses, you want to be careful to buy one that is big enough around that your hands don’t fatigue from gripping it. 4-6 feet is a good length leash and it will depend on the size of your dog (a small dog will need a bit more length for the leash to reach them on the ground). I recommend going to a pet store and looking at your options and handling them before you buy anything. Because of their bulkiness, retractable leashes are NOT recommended for leash training.
The key to successful training, of any behavior, is to set your dog, and yourself, up for success in the first place. Don't expect yourself to be a saint, full of patience if you've had a rough day at work or a disagreement with your spouse. Wait until you are calm and less likely to get frustrated. Don’t try to get your over excited dog to focus on you when he has excess energy to burn, play ball or something with him for a bit first to take the edge off. Practice leash training in a familiar place, that doesn’t have enticing sights, sounds, and smells…like inside the house or the back yard, before you expect perfect manners out in the big world. Basically, if you want your dog to learn to behave on the leash, you need to show her what you expect before you expect it of her.
Methods are explained in the next post
Let’s start with the equipment. What you choose to use for your dog is going to depend on you. In this thread I am not going to recommend choke chains or prong collars because they are used to make leash corrections. Correction methods need to be used properly in order to be effective, and are very difficult to explain in a thread like this. If you feel that you need to use correction methods to leash train your dog, please get instruction from a qualified trainer. The following is a link to a website that will give you a basic rundown on the types of collars available followed by pics of some different styles of harness that are available, and a head halter
http://dogs.about.com/od/toyssupplies/tp/collarsandalternatives.htm
The first is a step in harness which I prefer over the second, standard harness, because it is very easy to put on your dog, harnesses are recommended because they don’t put pressure on the dog’s throat, but may encourage some dogs to pull. The third is a front clip/no-pull harness. It works by making the dog off-balance whenever he pulls. The fourth is a no-pull harness that tightens and inhibits the dog’s movement when he pulls. The final pic is of a head halter which works on the principle that the dog’s body will follow her head. If you decide to use a head halter, you will need to get your dog used to it before you actually use it, most of them come with instructions on how to do this. You also need to be careful when using this type of equipment because it can cause injury to your dog if you are yanking and pulling his head around. It is highly recommended that you use a double ended leash with one end attached to a harness and the other attached to the head collar or a secondary, smaller leash attached to the halter and primary leash attached to the harness, so that if the dog does lunge, his weight goes into the primary leash, not the halter.
This no-pull equipment is a tool that you can use to walk your dog when she hasn’t yet been trained to walk on a loose leash. This equipment does not magically train your dog not to pull anymore, but it can make walking your dog less frustrating for you while you work on your leash skills. You can find this equipment at most pet stores or online. Leashes are made out of all sorts of materials and thicknesses, you want to be careful to buy one that is big enough around that your hands don’t fatigue from gripping it. 4-6 feet is a good length leash and it will depend on the size of your dog (a small dog will need a bit more length for the leash to reach them on the ground). I recommend going to a pet store and looking at your options and handling them before you buy anything. Because of their bulkiness, retractable leashes are NOT recommended for leash training.
The key to successful training, of any behavior, is to set your dog, and yourself, up for success in the first place. Don't expect yourself to be a saint, full of patience if you've had a rough day at work or a disagreement with your spouse. Wait until you are calm and less likely to get frustrated. Don’t try to get your over excited dog to focus on you when he has excess energy to burn, play ball or something with him for a bit first to take the edge off. Practice leash training in a familiar place, that doesn’t have enticing sights, sounds, and smells…like inside the house or the back yard, before you expect perfect manners out in the big world. Basically, if you want your dog to learn to behave on the leash, you need to show her what you expect before you expect it of her.
Methods are explained in the next post
