Leighton Oosthuisen
The first thing to remember about training your dog to walk on a leash, is that it is not the tool that makes the carpenter.
There are tons of leashes out there, and a favorite trick of the retailers is to sell you some fancy new trick.
And be prepared to experiment with different collars or harnesses.
Leash training is dependent on THREE things:
Your Foundation
Attentiveness
Willingness to please
Start slow, when building a foundation.
Build it up step by step.
Start with a simple drag of the leash
Then just hold the end and walk it off with your dog
Lure them to you with a treat
Reward, or pay them, when they come
Don’t make it about the leash, make it about you.
If your dog is fighting the leash, then build foundation in a quiet setting Gradually increase the amount of exposure to other things If you build your dogs energy by working them up, you will pay a price
Start slow, calm and relaxed.
Hook the leash on your dog and let them drag it around Always supervise a dog dragging a leash
If you have a reactive dog, consider using a basket muzzle.
This will build your confidence knowing they cannot hurt someone, and it will reduce the stress of the situation
Be patient with dogs that are more of a challenge
Literally, walk before you run
