Leash training a puppy

Leash training a puppy from a young age is essential so you can go for walks without being pulled off your feet. This will be obvious to anyone with a large dog but even if you have a small dog, you'll be surprised how much tug a little one can have!

In this lesson, we learn how to get a young pup accustomed to the collar and leash and how to teach him to walk nicely with you. These techniques will also work with an older dog.

On this page:

Introducing a collar

Leash training a puppy - 3 steps to success

Moving on - dog schools and formal heeling

Introducing a collar

Before we start leash training a puppy, your puppy will need to become accustomed to his collar.

If you got your puppy from a breeder, the breeder will often have started this process for you by placing a light collar on the puppies in their first couple of weeks.

Either way, your puppy's first collar should be a thin, light-weight one. Something made of nylon is ideal - save the fancy, heavy leather one for when he is older. Don't attach any tags at this stage: your puppy will just find them irritating. Wait until he's used to the collar.

Simply put the collar on the puppy, making sure it's not too tight. You should be able to slip a couple of fingers between the collar and the puppy's neck.

Your pup may wonder what on earth this thing is around his neck and try to get rid of it by scratching or biting it. Just give soothing words, invite him to play a game and offer the occasional treat. He will soon start to ignore it.

Only take the collar off if he is ignoring it - if you remove it while he is scratching at it, you are simply teaching him that if he scratches, the horrid thing gets removed.

Once he seems comfortable with the collar, leave it on for a couple of days. Then you're ready to introduce the leash.

Top

Leash training a puppy - 3 steps to success

Use only a light-weight leash when first leash training a puppy - as with the collar, save the heavy leather leash until he is older, if you want to use one. You can get special leads designed for puppies (they are usually quite inexpensive).

Work with your puppy inside the house or in his own yard at first.

Step 1 - Introducing the leash

First of all, we need to get the puppy accustomed to the leash, just as we did with the collar.

Attach the puppy leash, and allow the puppy to run about with it under your supervision. Don't ever leave the leash on an unattended dog. It could catch on something and frighten the puppy, and make him scared of going on lead ever again.

After a few minutes, pick up the end of the leash and follow him about for a while. Don't pull at the leash or try to force him to go in a particular direction - you're just getting the puppy get used to the idea that you will be on the other end and that he is under your control.

Don't let your puppy bite on the leash or play with it. Use your disapproving voice to discourage him.

When leash training a puppy, try to position yourself so that the puppy is always on your left side. This is the side your dog should always walk on, whether you are left or right-handed. It gives you the best control over your dog. Your puppy will soon associate walking on the lead with being on your left and will tend to go towards that position.

To help with this, always offer a treat with your left hand.

Step 2 - Walking nicely

Once your puppy is happy with the leash and understands he can walk about with it but not play with it, it's time to teach him to walk nicely.

Start this exercise with your puppy in your house or yard. As soon as your puppy pulls at the leash, stop walking. Don't yank on the leash - simply stop still and call him back to you. Reward and praise him as soon as he returns. Then start walking again.

As soon as he pulls, stop again. Don't keep walking if he pulls - this simply rewards the wrong behaviour.

As he starts to understand this process, you can move the exercise to your local dog park or general walking area.

Now start walking along normally. This time, as soon as your puppy pulls, either stop still or change direction quickly. For example, if your puppy pulls to the left, make a quick right turn and call him to you as you walk away. You can even simply turn around and walk back in the opposite direction, calling him to you and praising him as he catches up.

Your puppy will soon learn that, while sniffing about is fine, he needs to keep one eye on you in case you do something tricky.

NOTE: When you are ready to walk on after stopping, use a cue such as Walk on! in bright voice. This is your puppy's signal to start walking calmly on his loose lead.

Step 3 - Stay close when you ask

Now that your puppy is walking calmly on a loose lead and paying attention to you, the next step in leash training a puppy is to encourage him to walk close to you when you ask. This is called heeling and you can learn more about formal heeling - where your dog learns to stay at a precise distance from your left leg - at a dog obedience school.

But for now we just want the puppy to stay close when we ask - for example, when crossing the road.

When walking, call your puppy to you (you can slap your leg or clap your hands to encourage him). Praise and reward, using your left hand, when he is in the right spot - just a little behind you on your left. Then walk on, calling him to the right place and praising as soon as he gets there.

To keep him in place, gather up some of the slack in the lead so there is a slight loop going down from your hand to the dog when he is in the right position. Hold the lead in your right hand and place your left hand a little further down the lead. Since he already knows not to pull, he will quickly get into position as soon as he feels the lead tighten.

Once he understands the basic position, add the cue word Heel! That's now his cue to walk close to you on a shorter lead, whereas Walk on! means he is allowed to wander on a longer, loose lead.

You can use this when you need to walk across busy roads or in crowded areas where you need to have your dog close to you.

Sit before crossing roads

When crossing the road, ask for a sit as soon as you get to the kerb (see Training a Dog to Sit). Then use a cue such as Heel!, or use your release word, and walk across the road with your dog close to you.

If you do this absolutely regularly, your puppy will soon learn to sit automatically whenever he gets to a road and to wait for you to let him cross the road in your company.

Here's a very good video about training dogs to walk on a loose leash. It shows how you can get great results using positive reinforcement training. Note: This video talks about using a clicker - you can find out more about this great training device at Clicker Puppy Training.

Top

Moving on - dog school and formal heeling

The steps above will help you train your puppy to walk nicely when you go for walks and to stay close in busy areas or when you cross the road.

Since leash training a puppy can be tricky if you are a new puppy owner and haven't trained a dog before, it's a good idea to enroll in a class at your local dog club or obedience school.

They will be able to give you great hands-on pointers and exercises and will help you with any problems you might have.

You can also learn more about formal heeling work, where your dog walks close to you at different paces, paying close attention to you.

This is useful as you will learn to do this both on and off lead, giving you a high degree of control over your dog.

Top