Walking is a great way for both you and your canine companion to get in some healthy exercise. Your pup may even come to love walks so much that the mere mention of the word “walk,” or the sound of a leash might cause excited spinning and zoomies.
So, good news! You can begin training your puppy to walk on a leash. Now, this is going to require some patience. Your baby dog is going to be taking baby steps as they learn what exactly you want them to do.
Leash walking is not intuitive to your puppy. Some puppies will try to drag you, some may freeze and others may simply lie down and nap. Luckily, if you’ve been training with positive reinforcement, you’ve already been working on a lot of the skills you’ll need to train your puppy to walk on a leash.
It’s a good idea to get your puppy used to the leash before you start taking them outside on it. Attach the leash to your puppy for short periods in the home while you’re playing together. Make sure to give your puppy treats when the leash comes out. You want your puppy to associate the leash with the best of times.
Next, we want to teach the puppy that staying beside you is a good idea. You’ll want to develop a cue that will cause your puppy to look at you and come to you. Some people like to use clickers, others click their tongue, and some say words like “to me.” Practice in the home first. When the puppy looks at you or comes to you, give them a teat.
Practice walking indoors on the leash, rewarding your puppy as they walk beside you. Your puppy’s attention span may not be very long at this time, so you’ll want to keep these sessions short.
Next, you’ll start to walk outdoors. It may be best to start out in front of your home. If you notice that your puppy is about to lunge at something, is acting distracted or is pulling, try using your cue to redirect and then reward when the puppy comes to you.
Another great idea is to train your puppy to stop and sit at street corners to avoid pulling you into the road. You can say “sit” and gently pull up on the leash at the street corner as a physical cue. Reward with a treat when they perform the behavior. This technique will also teach your puppy to stop and sit when you stop walking.
If you notice pulling, lunging or barking while walking, you’ll want to work on redirecting your pup. If you’ve identified triggers for these behaviors, begin redirecting before the trigger is close enough to cause a reaction in your pup. If you continue to see behavioral issues while walking your dog, reach out to your VCA care team for advice.
Find out more about the types of leashes and collars you can consider for your puppy’s leash walks.
