Fun With Leash Training

Leash practice  should be fun. If the puppy is timid, walk him up and down indoors, pulling gently and coaxing to keep him in motion and in line with you. Then try it in the yard or up and down a quiet street. Never jerk violently, or choke him if he refuses to move. Let him wander off at will; if he sits down, pat and laugh at him a bit, and wait a moment  before beginning to get him going. He will soon realize that the leash is a tie between him and you.

Puppies learn more quickly from other dogs than from us. If you have a friend with an older, leash-trained dog, walking together will soon put the idea over to your puppy. When he finds that the leash means "We are going out!" it becomes a friend, not a foe.

Like the collar, it is a signal he soon learns, and will bring to your attention when he wants action! You are teaching him this when you pick it up and say "Here is your leash, we are going for a walk!" At first, start him on a long leash. Go as far away from him as the leash permits, then call "Come (dog's name)!" As you do this, give the leash a little jerk toward you. If he resists, pull gently, and the moment he is within reaching distance, pet and praise him.