Walking with a leash is an exercise that requires training on behalf of your dog. It consists in having a dog walking next to its owner without pulling or overtaking him.
Walking with a leash is an exercise that requires training on behalf of your dog. It consists in having a dog walking next to its owner without pulling or overtaking him. You should be able to walk your Labrador - not be walked by your dog. Nevertheless, you can still often see this kind of thing happen with people who have large dogs. Walking your dog should be no heavy task, since this would cause you to be less willing to take it outside.
You should be able to completely forget the leash, while keeping in mind that the same will never be true for your dog. It knows perfectly when it is tied or not. Without you even thinking about it, the leash is an essential way to communicate information with your dog. When you are outside, your dog is permanently "linked" to you through the leash. But it is also very attentive to anything that moves around it in the street, actually more attentive to its surroundings than to its owner. Your dog will be able to feel (through the leash) your every change of direction (without looking at you), the contraction in your arm when you meet another dog.
You can start training your puppy as soon as it is old enough to go out:First of all, you should make your puppy used to wearing a collar, then to the collar and the leash together, and to practice this exercise at home, associating it with pleasant and playful moments such as games, petting... You should avoid making your dog wear its collar and leash when you're away from it, as it will consequently associate these new restraints to its freedom with your departure. The first times you are in the street with your dog, you should adapt your walking to the puppy's route, so that the leash should not be felt as too much of a restraint. Then you should progressively set your own route, which you will change every time: your puppy must learn to walk by your side in a regular way, no matter what stimulations it may meet in the street. You should follow a route that alternates between straight and curved roads, and you should also sometimes turn round. You should also change your speed during the walk. Do not hesitate to reward your puppy with friendly strokes and nice words.
Stage two:- Show your discontentment to your puppy if it pulls too much by pulling back on the leash, and saying "no" firmly.- If the puppy remains behind you, encourage him to catch up by clapping your hands on your legs.
You could also teach him to stop at the edge of the pavement/sidewalk. This exercise will allow the dog to calm down when things are getting too much for it.
You should not choose a retractable dog leash, which would prevent a proper communication between you and your dog. You should also avoid choosing a leash too long or too short. The ideal leash is quite short, adapted to the dog's size, and of a length of 40 to 100 centimeters. Do not choose an environment that is too rich in stimulations the first times you take your dog outside: you will not have to counter things that interest it more than the training you are giving it. Do not take it out for long walks: just like for any kind of training, it is much better to limit training to a few minutes a day so as not to tire the puppy or yourself.
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