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Every dog lover who has ever had a puppy on a leash, know what it is to have the dog jumping and pulling on the leash. In some cases the pooch is pulling so hard that it makes the dog gag. However, this behavior problem is something that can be dealt with effectively and quickly. The following information can give you some good ideas on how to teach your puppy good walking manners.

If you are like most pet owners, you have a regular time and pattern you follow when you take the pooch for a walk. Normally it will be shortly after you get up in the morning or shortly after you come home in the evening. Your puppy will quickly learn the time and signs of your preparation, getting the leash etc. and will immediately start to become excited.

Prior to putting the leash on the dog to go outside, do your best to calm the canine down. This can be difficult when working with a puppy because of its short attention span and excitement level. One way to do this is to get the animal’s full attention by speaking in a high squeaky voice; this tone will cause the pup to focus on you. Once you have his attention give him a "reward treat", lower your voice tone and use a calm voice with soft petting motions. Consequently the puppy will be less excited as you start out the door.

It is important for you to realize that when you take the pup outside it is an adventure for him. The natural tendency will be for the dog to get ahead of you and in doing so will commence pulling on the leash. Immediately stop walking and hold the leash firmly. It’s best not to yank on the leash or resort to any other physical form of punishment.

Instead continue to hold the leash firmly, get the pups attention and wait for the dog to provide slack in the leash. As soon as you sense the slack immediately reward the puppy with a treat. You can also recognize the proper behavior with a pleased "Yes" and a quick scratch or rub of a sensitive area.

Once you are ready to start the walk again, step out and in most cases the dog will immediately start pulling on the leash again. As soon as this happens it’s time to stop walking and wait for the slack in the lead again. Again, get the young doggy’s attentions using the high squeaky voice or another attention getter such as a pet clicker. As the slack appears in the lead it’s time for the rewards.

As mentioned above puppies, are a great deal like children, in the sense they have a short attention span. Therefore when dog training, especially the young ones, it is important to have patience and a willingness to repeat the behavior modification frequently. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition is the key.

It is much easier to train your dog, when they are still a puppy. Don’t let them form a bad habit when it is possible to teach them the right way to walk on a leash.

Walking nicely on a leash is something that will take some practice with your dog. Dog pulling is a common problem and unless it is corrected at an early age, it will get harder to correct the older the dog gets.

When you allow your dog to pull without any correction, your dog will believe that it is ok to pull. And since you continue your walk, he will think he’s being rewarded for pulling! This is obviously not the message you want to send him.

If your dog pulls and you pull him back, he will only continue to pull harder. This will be fun for him! Therefore, you need to train him to walk properly on the leash.

Before you start walking, stand still and hold the leash with both hands and several treats. Keep your hands close to your body. Whenever your dog looks up at you, praise him and give him a treat. Or, if he is just sitting or standing still, praise him and give him a treat. You want him to know that this is good. He will soon notice that the act of paying attention to you is rewarded.

If your dog begins to lean forward or start to walk forward, lean your body backwards or take a few steps backwards, but don’t pull back. Hold your hands against your body and stand still. There may be tension on the leash, but just wait. Once your dog slackens his pull, or when he looks up to you, give him verbal praise and extend your arm down by your side and give him a treat.

Continue to praise your dog until he moves forward toward the end of the leash. If he pulls to the point where there is tension, don’t say anything. Once your dog releases the tension, then you can once again praise him.

When your dog resumes standing position next to you, you can begin to walk. Say your dog’s name and the command "let’s go" or "let’s walk" and begin to walk forward. This command should be spoken right before the dog moves forward.

If your dog walks properly without pulling forward, continue to walk and reward him periodically with verbal praise and tasty treats.

If you see that your dog is about to pull forward, stop walking and stand still. Your dog will wonder why you stopped walking so he will look back at you. Once he does this verbally praise him, give him a great, and give him a treat as you start to walk forward. Repeat this whenever your dog is about to pull forward.

It will not take him long to realize that when his collar is tight, you won’t follow him, rather the walking stops. Therefore, he will want to walk lightly.

In the early stages of this training exercise you will want to practice this in your home or backyard. This way, your dog will have a chance to get used to walking on the leash in a controlled environment. Then, once he is comfortable here, you can walk him on the sidewalk.

As mentioned in the last chapter, you want to set your dog up for success, not failure. So you want to give him every opportunity to be rewarded.

Because this training exercise will take a lot of practice at first, you may want to use pieces of kibble rather than treats. You can take him on a walk during one of his meal times and give him his meal this way. Once your dog can walk without needing a lot of correction and reward, you can start giving him treats instead.

Until next time, all the best to you and your dog. Make sure you check out the resource box below for more information. Good quality dog training resources can help to make the process of training your dog easier as well as more enjoyable.

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