There is nothing worse than taking your dog out for a walk only to hear that age-old question of "who's walking who?". No one wants a dog that tries to pull you along and keeps darting off to sniff at virtually everything and anything. If your dog walks like this, no one could blame you for not wanting to take him for walks very often. The bad part is that neither one of you is getting that much-needed exercise. Even if your dog is older, he needs both regular walks and good manners!
It is only natural that your dog wants to go along at a pace faster than yours and stop to sniff at everything. This is what makes training him to stay by your side challenging. But at the same time, it is a vital skill that he must master in order for both of you to enjoy going for walks together.
You can call it training your dog to stay beside you or teaching him to heel. It really doesn't matter what you call it, what it really boils down to is training your dog to walk close by your left (or right) leg on a slack leash or on no leash at all. It is okay for your pup to move around a little, but he should never pull on the leash or wander off.
Bear in mind, that while you are still working on the training, you should treat every walk you take your pup on as an opportunity to work on his training. Keep the early sessions short and work your way up to long distance hikes over time. Be sure you always have a few of his favorite treats on hand to reward him for behaving.
Beyond having a good understanding of the basic commands, you will need a few extra supplies that will make the training go a lot easier. These include:
Along with all of this, you need plenty of time to work on the training and tons of patience as your dog learns what is expected of him.