How to train a puppy to a leash

Why does a dog need a leash

The dog must walk daily, and the rules of its walking are regulated by law. So, with a leash, you need to enter and leave the room, representatives of large breeds additionally wear a muzzle. The length of the leash should allow the owner to control the actions of the pet. Be sure to keep the dog on a leash and when crossing a pedestrian crossing, sidewalk, in crowded places.

The leash will allow you to control the puppy, will not let him escape, get lost or get hit by a car, will help the owner protect the dog from other animals, inadequate people and children. It is necessary to show the pet who is in charge of the house, and to accustom it to ammunition from the first days, so as not to get an unmanageable dog later. If, as a rule, there are no problems with the collar, then it turns out to be a more difficult task to accustom the puppy to the leash. Detailed instructions will help you adapt your pet to a leash, and joint walks will be safe and fun!

Choosing a leash and collar

As soon as a puppy appears in the house, he needs at least a minimum set of his own things: a bowl, food, hygiene supplies, a couch and, of course, a collar and a leash.

Depending on the breed, age and character of the dog, leashes made of various materials (leather, silk, tarpaulin, nylon, nylon, metal) and different types (harness, tape measure, driver, harness, chain) are used. However, for all puppies, experts have developed general recommendations for the selection of ammunition:

• the very first collar for a puppy should be light, soft, comfortable, non-wearing;
• a harness is preferred as the first leash;
• the length of the puppy's leash should not exceed 1.5 m;
• at the beginning of training, avoid leashes-tape measures, heavy chains, sliding cords that could scare the baby;
• do not take status collars made of leather for growth. The accessory should be the right size for the dog, not tightly fastened around the neck, but also not removed with a paw over the head;
• do not put the newly purchased accessories on the puppy. Purchases must first lie down in a ventilated room so that foreign odors go away;
• before trying on a new outfit, the puppy should get acquainted with it – examine it, smell it.

How to train a puppy to a collar

Before you teach a puppy to a leash, you need to teach him to wear a collar. There are usually no problems with this, since newborn puppies are marked with colored threads, where information about the time of their birth and weight is indicated. When the baby grows up a little, the thread is replaced with a ribbon. Thanks to this scheme, the puppy begins to get used to wearing a collar from childhood, the accessory does not seem uncomfortable to him.

If you got a kid who is not familiar with ammunition, follow the same system – tie a ribbon, and then, after 14 days, add a collar on top. The collar will fit smooth, light, with the ability to adjust the length.

Pay special attention to how you tighten the collar – two fingers should pass between the puppy's neck and this accessory. If it is too tight, it can make breathing difficult or interfere, and the pet will simply take off too loose ammunition.

Important: for a puppy, you can not use a harness as a replacement for a collar. Due to improper pressure, the weak bones of the chest and the joints of the spine can deform. The exception is a special puppy vest–harness.

How to teach a puppy to walk on a leash

It is better not to delay solving the problem of how to train a puppy to a leash. At 1.5-2 months, it will be much easier for the dog to learn to walk on a leash than in adulthood.

Remember: during training, not only the dog trains, but also the owner. Cultivate kindness, patience, and be attentive to your pet every day. The newly minted owner should get used to handling the leash: shorten it to protect the puppy from danger, or release it so that the baby runs.

Learning at home

Give a new family member a couple of days to get comfortable in the house, and start training. First, fasten a light leash, in which the puppy will walk at home. 30 minutes a day is enough. It is desirable that the baby does not pay attention to the accessory and just runs around the house with it. You can distract your pet with a game or a treat, but make sure that the puppy does not play with a leash – this is not a toy, and such an association should not be fixed.

Note: it is not recommended to leave a pet with a strapped leash unattended. He may get tangled in the cord, gnaw it or be afraid of rustling. If the puppy is worried and angry, it is necessary to remove the leash after he calms down to avoid whims in the future.

The leash should hang freely, it should be pulled slightly from time to time. It will be useful to attract another family member to the baby's education, who would call the baby to him and encourage him when he approaches.

Going outside

At 3 months, the dog undergoes the first vaccination, and from that moment a new stage begins – walking on the street. It is necessary to accustom the puppy to the leash from the first walks. If a crumb has been following you around before, then a lot of discoveries are waiting for him on the street – other people and animals, unusual smells and sounds, cars. Something can scare the baby, and he will run in an unknown direction, so the leash is, first of all, a question of the dog's safety.

The very first "outings" on the street should be frequent (5-6 times a day) and short (10-15 minutes, but no more than 30 minutes). Add 5 minutes every 4 weeks. Follow the puppy "on the heels" and make sure that the leash is not stretched.

If the pet wants to go to the trash or to another "dubious" place – take him in your arms, or distract him with a game. In any case, do not pull the leash. The puppy should have the following associative row: "leash – hooray! – walking".

We teach the dog not to pull the leash

Now you need to train your puppy not to pull the leash while walking. Usually experts distinguish loyal and hard methods.

• The soft technique is to stop every time the puppy pulls on the leash. Wait until the pet looks at you, calmly and kindly say, "Okay." Now beckon the baby with a treat and at the same time slightly change the trajectory of movement. After about a month, the puppy will realize that because of the tension of the leash, you are not going faster, but on the contrary, you will stop, so there is no point in pulling it.
• The "Jerk method" is suitable for 4-5-month-old puppies of large, hunting and fighting dog breeds. For this purpose, a children's parfors (a barbed collar with spikes) and a leash for walking made of nylon are used. Release the animal 2-3 meters away from you, and as soon as the leash is stretched, make a jerk. After a week, the pet will realize that pulling the leash brings discomfort.

Encouragement when training a puppy

The experience of dog handlers and dog owners shows that you can teach a puppy something only with the help of patience and affection. This wisdom should be remembered by everyone who is going to teach a puppy to a leash. Sweets, toys and just stroking during training can work wonders.

Be sure to praise the puppy when he comes at your call. Just do not abuse the treats so that the dog does not overeat.

If the pet refuses to comply with the requirements, breaks out or rests, then he should be left without a treat, but you can distract him with toys. During the sabotage, talk to the puppy in a calm, firm, strict voice.

What to do if the dog doesn't like the leash

When teaching a puppy to walk on a leash, inexperienced owners make mistakes. They may be too strict, and negative emotions are fixed in the dog's mind, or, on the contrary, they feel sorry for the baby, which is why they do not show perseverance and perseverance. Discomfort due to incorrectly selected ammunition can also discourage the puppy from any desire to walk on a leash.

Is the dog acting up and refusing the leash? Check if one of the following points is the cause:

• the collar is too tightly fastened, and as a result, every step of the dog is accompanied by pain and suffocation;
• the puppy was allowed to play with a leash, and now he perceives it as a toy and refuses to walk in it – buy a new one;
• they couldn't restrain themselves and slapped the pet with a leash, and after that he refuses to walk on it – the use of force is unacceptable. Now slap the accessory on your knee and watch the pet's reaction. If the puppy presses his ears, he is afraid of the leash. A special vest-harness for puppies or a lighter leash will help;
• the puppy's natural desire to play was completely ignored, he was only forced to walk next to him – do not forget about positive emotions! The dog can't wait to run and frolic. If you are going to combine a walk with a puppy and your own affairs, then first – the interests of the dog.

If you did everything right, but you could not get the dog to the leash, ask for help from a dog handler! Your future peace of mind and the safety of your pet depend on it.