Owning a pet is a huge responsibility that comes with a lot of hard work. The first step to pet ownership is training a puppy to walk on a leash. It’s easier than you think. Here’s the easiest way to train your puppy the basics.
Introduce the puppy to the collar or harness and leash.
Praise and reward the puppy when the puppy accepts the collar or harness and leash. After the puppy is familiar with the collar or harness and leash, begin to put the collar or harness on the puppy and attach the leash. Start with the collar or harness on the puppy and the leash attached to the collar or harness. Walk around with the puppy on the leash for a few minutes, then take off the leash and let the puppy walk loose with the collar or harness on.
Teach the puppy a cue.
Reinforce the puppy every time he follows this cue. A good cue is one that is given consistently, and can be given easily by the people in the house. It should be something that the puppy will be most likely to notice, and respond to, at the critical moment. A good cue is one that the handler can place in front of the puppy (or even on his nose) in the presence of distraction, but which the puppy can’t reach or pick up.
Make the puppy come to you.
The puppy should come to you when called. This is a way of teaching the pup to control its impulses. If you are sitting on your front porch and the puppy is in the front yard, call the puppy. The puppy should come to you (not come to you through a hole in the fence or dig under the fence to get to you, which is why you must fence your yard).
Scratch the puppy under the neck when it arrives — that’s a good puppy.
Practice walking the puppy inside.
Practice walking your puppy inside, especially if he knows how to come to you. Now that your puppy understands how to come to you, practice walking a few steps in a room with little distraction. Your puppy might be distracted and exploring the world, so let it wear a leash as it gets used to coming to you.
Walk the puppy outside.
After your puppy knows how to walk on a leash, and knows how to come to you, practice walking it outside, especially in the neighborhood. You should use a leash at first, but as it learns, you can move it to a no-pull harness. As your puppy gets used to the harness and leash, you can use them for longer periods of time when you are walking around the neighborhood. Start outside in a large, safe area that is unfamiliar to your puppy. Keep in mind, the more you practice, the easier it gets. If you choose to use a pinch collar, make sure you know how to put it on your puppy properly. It should never be so tight that it strangles your puppy. This could lead to serious injury.
