You are responsible for the life and well-being of your puppy. At certain times, this means that your pup needs to behave on a leash so that he can walk safely in public places, especially if you live near heavy traffic. If you have a new puppy, obedience training should be one of your top priorities.
what you are looking for
You should aspire to be one of those puppy owners you see at the park that always makes people look around and smile. His goal is for his young pup to trot happily alongside him, comfortable on his leash. He wants to look with effortless control. Then you will surely be the envy of other puppy owners. You can leave behind all those embarrassing memories of your pup pulling on his leash: pulling you in all directions, causing you to apologize to complete strangers for your dog’s erratic and uncontrollable behavior!
Making it easy on your pup by training obedience indoors
Puppies are often very easily distracted, so start your training indoors where you can give your full attention to the task. Also, start by making sure he has a well-fitting collar and a good, strong leash. You should also allow your pup to sniff his leash, so he can get comfortable, before you begin.
1) The starting position. Start with the puppy on your left side. Hold the end of his leash in your right hand, along with a food reward. Use your left hand to loosely hold the slack in the strap. Be prepared to slide your left hand down to the collar to snap it back into position if necessary.
2) Walking heel. Start walking with your left foot first. As the pup walks past you, clearly give the “heel” command. If the puppy jumps forward, slide your left hand through the leash to the collar and gently pull back.
3) Make you feel When the puppy is in the heel position, give him the reward and verbal praise. He then orders the puppy to sit. Slowly increase the distance you cover as the pup obeys the sequence of commands.
4) Turning right Once the puppy is able to walk on its heels and sit obediently as you move from room to room, you can start training it to turn to the right. Gently guide him to the right with your left hand by gently pulling on the leash and give the “heel” command.
5) Turning left. To make a left turn, you need to walk slightly ahead of your pup and hold the food treat in front of the pup’s nose to slow it down. Keep the pup near your left leg and give the command “steady” as it slows down. Then gently turn it to the left.
Dealing with some common problems
The most common problems you may face when teaching your new puppy to walk comfortably on his leash include: climbing up the leash, collapsing to the ground, and pulling forward. If your pup is climbing up the leash, simply use the “sit” command with clarity and confidence. You should stay still and try to ignore your pup while he jumps. Only treat him when all four legs are on the ground again.
If your pup collapses to the ground while on the leash, then you need to get his attention before you can continue training him. This can be tricky if you’ve been bored. Take a favorite toy with you to gain his interest if you think this is likely to happen.
The most concerning problem to deal with is when your pup pulls on his leash. Unless you address this problem, you’ll undo all the good work you’ve done before, and you’ll still be afraid to walk your pup where there’s a lot of people or dangerous traffic.
The good news is that there are some simple commands that you can learn. If you use them to complete your puppy’s training, obedience will be your reward. Most puppy owners don’t realize that these commands can have an almost instant positive effect on their pup’s behavior and will keep him from pulling on the leash forever.