Heel On-Leash

If your reprimand isn’t changing their behavior, then repeating it will only desensitize them.  An abrupt and startling reprimand is the most effective.  If you do take hold of the dog, be sure to hold them until you can praise them for being good.

It’s always unfair to punish a dog more than you praise it.  Maintain a positive training atmosphere by praising them when they’re acting well, which is most of the time.

Training a dog to walk politely on leash is very easy, but not if you’re trying to go somewhere.

Keep your puppy interested in training.  If their attention begins to lag, ask them to do something simple and give them a treat.  Be aware of your surroundings and if you’re having trouble, avoid distractions.

If you lose your dog lags behind, the best way to get them to follow is to make noise and hurry away from them.  Use food lures to keep their attention, but only reward them with a treat when they do an excellent job.

Heeling on-leash is no easy task.  If you teach off-leash following and heeling first, you won’t end up with a leash puller that is only “under your control” because of a physical restraint

If your dog jumps up you must let them know it’s not okay.  Stop walking and tell them “Off.”  If necessary, push them down and yell, but be sure to praise them when they stop jumping.

As your dog learns to maintain a loose leash you can start stringing more and more steps together.  Keep praising the appropriate behavior, and correcting the bad behavior and soon you’ll be walking your dog happily on leash

After taking a single step, the dog is likely to get excited and may start pulling on the leash again.  Keep praising the loose leash and gently jerking the tightened leash until they leave it loose for several seconds.

“Steady” means we want a loose leash.  If they tug on the leash, say “Steady” and tug back.  If the leash is loose, praise the dog.  If the leash remains loose for several seconds take a single step and repeat.