Taking your dog for a walk just might be one of the most enjoyable things about having and working with a dog. If you are not yet sure that you agree, then what you may need is more training and understanding of what to do to make this more rewarding for both of you. If you have a dog that pulls on the leash or doesn’t listen to commands, you mid find dog walking to be a chore. You don’t need a leash pulling dog trainer to fix the issue, but you will need to put in a bit of effort and time to get things going more smoothly.

Break the Leash Pulling Habit

When you take your dog, or puppy for a walk, they get very excited. Dogs love to be outside, and there are so many things to sniff and investigate! Puppies have no idea how they are expected to behave on a leash. Should they sniff the flowers, or pee on them? Is it time to be curious about everything or to show caution? The puppy can’t be expected to know until they are trained, and it takes a lot of self-control for a dog to walk calmly amidst all this excitement.

Leash pulling is a hard habit to break, but your puppy needs to know not to pull on the leash, and to walk happily at your side, moving when you move and stopping when you stop. You don’t want puppy to be racing ahead and choking themselves, yanking you around, or over-reacting when they see other people and dogs. This might seem like a difficult thing to learn and teach, but it is important. Your puppy needs you to be the leash-pulling dog trainer now, not later. Instilling good leash etiquette from the beginning is easier than breaking bad habits later.

What Tools Are Helpful and Which Ones Are Not

Don’t get used to tools like head collars, choke chains, or retractable leashes. They may seem like good tools to have in the beginning for the initial training, but these tools are not to be relied on. One reason is that eventually, you and your dog want to be able to walk together without these devices. Another reason is that they can be dangerous and do harm. A dog trainer will advise that a chest harness is a much better training aid, since it goes around the body, and doesn’t put pressure on the dog’s neck.

Use Praise and Reward

A simple method for the dog trainer to remember when training a leash-pulling puppy is to keep that leash short and to stop and change directions when the puppy starts to pull. Don’t reward the dog by following where they want to go. When your dog calms on the lead, continue in the original direction without pulling on the leash. You can use a vocal cue to reinforce or some love and praise. Rewarding with a treat when teaching new behavior can also be effective. For treats, choose something your dog sees as high value and is also small and soft so that it can be consumed quickly while on the move. Give the reward quickly after it has been earned.

And Patience and Consistency

Yes, leash pulling is natural but a leash pulling dog trainer can stop the dog from pulling and it is an important thing to teach. Understanding the dog and why they are pulling is also an important step. If the dog is allowed to run or walk unchecked they can cause damage or be injured, and a lack of training can spoil your time together. You don’t want the walk with your dog to become a chore. Follow the methods of training from a dog trainer, and above all, show consistency. There is no need for punishment or aggression to teach the skill. It just takes love, patience, consistency, and understanding. Don’t forget that your dog is a pack animal, and the main desire is to please you. As well, dogs love learning, and they will listen to commands.