How To Walk Your Dog
Posted By: Stacyh;
Category: Pets;
November 21, 2008
Author StacyH;
Afraid of being dragged around the yard or tripped up by an out-of-control puppy on a leash? It is usually not so difficult to teach a dog to walk on a leash if you start right and remain consistent.
1
If your dog is not used to a collar or leash, get him used to the feeling of it by placing it on him and letting him drag it around the house for a bit. Monitor the situation so he doesn't get tangled or caught or he may hate the leash forever. Give him a treat when you put it on.
2
When you first begin to walk the dog, take him out in familiar territory that won't be too distracting or exciting.
3
Always hold the leash on the same side of your body. Switching back and forth may confuse the dog and cause him to cross back and forth in front of you.
4
Hold the leash up fairly short. Don't let the dog go out too far in front of you. Keep him by your side and tell him to "heal" as you start out. Use the dog's name.
5
Be firm and confident. If the dog begins to pull, give a quick snap-and-release of the leash and say, "heal" with dog's name. The snap-and-release is a quick yank of the leash and then release. Don't pull the dog off its feet or continually pull and tug at the leash.
6
Do the snap-and-release and heal command while keeping the leash short until your dog begins to get the idea of what is expected. Don't forget to praise your dog when he is walking along well with you.
7
Try to train for a few minutes each day until your dog is familiar with walking on a leash and obeying your command. A very young puppy or high energy dog can take longer to train.
8
Give your dog more leash as you both become more confident at walking together. Reward yourself and your dog by taking a nice long walk around the neighborhood or going to the park.
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