Greenbriar Animal Hospital

Make sure you have the right equipment - a collar and a 6 to 10 foot leash (not retractable). You can make an easy, inexpensive training leash by getting nylon string/rope and a metal snap (match the size to your dog). Tie a secure loop for your hand. This is how Dr. Olson makes her training leashes!

Major tips for teaching your dog or puppy to walk on leash:

Teach your dog to walk with a collar or a Gentle Leader type head collar (goes over the nose and behind the dog’s ears). An EasyWalk Harness is good, too. Don’t use a regular harness (you’ll have no control)!

Use a command to start your walks, so he learns what to do. Use the same word or words every time. You should start leash training as soon as your puppy reaches 8 weeks of age, or the minute you get him (whichever comes first). The goal is to have your puppy trained to walk well with you by the time he is around 12 weeks old, so you can begin his daily exercise program. There are lots of other things he needs to be learning during this time, so expect leash and walking-with-you training to take 3 to 6 weeks.

Teach your pup to hold still while you clip on the leash. Scoop your pup up and have a handy treat. Turn the collar so the ring is on top of the puppy’s neck, give him the treat to munch on, and snap on the leash.

During the training, if your pup wants to go here and there and check out the scenery, let him do that for the first few feet of your walk. Then start training. A gentle tug will help, and a ‘with me!” comment. As soon as he responds, give him a ‘good dog!’ You will find yourself repeating this a hundred times, but he will learn. If he forges ahead and wants to pull you, get a Gentle Leader – it will fix this bad habit right away (it works well with adult and older dogs, too). Ask us for fitting tips and a demo!

You should walk and he should follow along next to you, or just behind you. Don’t stop for him unless he needs to go potty. If he stops, do not turn around and face him, or call/pull him to you. Instead keep your feet facing the way you want to go, bend down, pat the side of your leg, turn to look at him, and call him to you. Most puppies respond well to this approach, but if you are not having any success, please let us know. We can help!

Miscellaneous helpful things to know about teaching your dog or puppy to walk with you:

Dogs have to be taught to walk properly with you; it is not natural. They’ll want to check out everything they see and smell, so there are LOTS of distractions. Puppies have a very limited attention span and will get bored quickly, so change things often and make the leash training fun and exciting. Leave the house going to the right sometimes, and then leave heading off to the left another time. Cross the street at odd places. Then cross back, or practice street crossings for a few blocks. Change your path – turn around and go back for a short ways, or take a familiar loop in the other direction. Stop for a few minutes and work on ‘Sit’ or other commands, then go ahead again. Stop (YOU pick the spot) and give your pup a break (bring along a favorite toy or chew for him). Just stand there and let him chew or chill. Carry your pup out of the house and for a block or two, then set him down and head back home. This is especially helpful if your pup does not want to walk but just flops down. All pups will walk back home! Use this technique to teach him your ‘walk’ command, so he learns what you expect of him. Try it for 6 - 10 times in a row. Drive him to a nearby park (or even just to an as-yet unexplored section of your neighborhood). New is always fun!