Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Puppy Leash Training Step By Step

By Chris Station


The key to successful the training of a new puppy to getting him to accept a collar and leash. This is referred to as puppy leash training and it's something that you can start on as soon as he has settled into his new home.

By training your pup to become used to a collar and leash, you are establishing yourself as the one in charge. You'll quickly find out that dogs thrive when they know what is expected of them.

As soon as you can get your puppy to stop fighting it and accept his collar and lead, you'll be able to begin to focus in other areas. Here's what to do to train him to accept collar and lead.

It's most important that his collar fits properly. If it's too loose he'll be able to back his way out of it. If it's too tight he won't be comfortable. Try to adjust it so that you can slide two fingers easily between the collar and his neck.

When you first begin to use a collar with your puppy, it will feel strange to him. By giving him lots of attention and reassurance you'll help take his mind off it. Be aware that he may not get used to the feel of the collar in a day or two, so give him lots of time. Once he does become used to having it on, you can start to move forward with real training for your puppy. Leash training will be easier if you've given your new pup plenty of time to just get used to having to wear a collar.

After he's gotten used to wearing his collar, the next thing to do is to connect a lightweight, short leash onto his collar. The leash length should never be more than about three feet. Then just let him simply drag the leash around for no more than a few minutes at a time. You're trying to have him become accustomed to the feel of something fastened to the collar.

It's really important to watch him carefully during the time period that he's dragging his lead around. You won't want him to become stuck and then get upset or afraid. That could happen if he gets stuck for any long period of time. You want this part of the training to be only positive for him, so it will be enough for him to feel a very slight restriction for very brief periods. So be sure to free him quickly as soon as he gets stuck.

Within only a few days he will probably have become accustomed to the feel of his leash. When this time comes, go one step further by attaching the other end of his leash to you instead of letting him drag it around loosely. Now as your puppy is exploring, he'll get stuck just like before. The difference this way is that, you won't go to him to free-up his leash.

Instead crouch down and call him by name. Extend your hand and offer him a treat or toy to get him to come to you. Praise him excessively when he does come. Do this for a short time daily. You can detach the leash once he has successfully done what you requested a few times, but don't take his collar off.

You'll know that your puppy leash training has been successful when he routinely comes when he is called after he reaches the end of the leash. With this success, you'll find that the rest of your puppy's training will go so much more smoothly.




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