One of the most important things to teach a puppy is to walk next to its owner on a leash without pulling or jerking.
This is not only a question of education, but also safety for both the puppy itself and those around it.
To teach a puppy to behave correctly on a walk, you need to start from a very early age and develop certain skills gradually. Here are some tips on how to train a puppy to a leash:
- Start walking your puppy when he is 3-4 months old. Before that, you can play with him outside in freedom so that he can run and burn off excess energy.
- Choose a leash and collar that are the right size for your puppy - not too tight so as not to cause discomfort. A soft collar is best.
- Start your walks at a leisurely pace, without rushing your puppy. Give him time to get used to the feeling of the leash.
- Reward your puppy with treats and toys when he walks next to you without jerking. This will help him understand that this behavior is correct.
- If the puppy starts to pull the leash or rush forward, you need to stop and not move until he stops. Then you can continue moving. This way the dog will understand that jerking does not give the desired result.
- Avoid pushing or holding the puppy down forcefully - this can cause aggression. It is better to use the "heel" command and rewards.
- During the walk, periodically change the direction of movement so that the puppy concentrates on the owner, and not on the route.
- Avoid large crowds, other dogs and distractions on your first walks as this can overstimulate your puppy.
- Be patient and consistent in learning. Reinforce skills every day.
- Remember that puppies have a hard time concentrating for long periods of time, so keep walks short - 5-10 minutes to start.
- Don't forget to praise and pet your puppy during the walk so that he feels your support.
Thus, by training your puppy patiently, consistently and using positive methods, you can achieve excellent results and teach him to calmly walk next to you on a leash.
Once the puppy has mastered the basic skills of walking on a leash without jerking, you can move on to the next stages of training:
- Increase the duration of walks gradually so that the puppy gets used to longer periods of exercise.
- Train obedience in distracting conditions - for example, on a busy street, near other dogs. Use commands and rewards.
- Practice stopping while moving on command "Sit". The puppy should sit down next to you and wait for the next command to continue the walk.
- Train the ability to follow when changing direction, turning, crossing the road. Use a short leash when doing this.
- Train your dog to walk without a leash in safe places. But you should start only after he has mastered the skills on a leash well.
- Reward desired behavior regularly on walks and your puppy will be motivated to repeat it.
The main thing is not to rush things, move at a calm pace, from simple to complex, and then your puppy will grow up well-behaved, obedient and will happily walk with its owner on a leash!
Previously, we wrote about how to understand that a parrot is sick, and listed the obvious symptoms.
