He’s young, cute and full of energy. He puts a smile on everyone's face, including you, most of the time. You love your dog every second of the day, apart from when you try and take him out for a walk. As soon as you put the lead on him he goes into overdrive. He bounds around and is constantly trying to pull you in every which direction. He simply has no idea how to walk on a lead. While it may seem all fun and games, if he doesn’t learn how to walk correctly now, you may have a dog that pulls forever.
Training him to walk on a lead when he’s young could save him getting into serious trouble. If he’s big and strong he may pull you into the road one day causing an accident, or injure you if you’re pulled to the ground.
Training your dog to walk on a lead isn’t straightforward. It requires constant work and considerable patience. You’ll need to follow a number of steps to assert your control on walks. You’ll also have to use a number of deterrence measures to stop him from pulling. The good news is that because he’s young he should be relatively easy to mold. You could stamp out any bad walking habits and have him toeing the line in just a couple of weeks. However, if he’s adamant that he should be in control when he’s on the lead, then you may need a couple of months.
Succeed with this training and you’ll be able to stroll and relax on walks. You won’t have to worry that you’ll be pulled in the opposite direction without warning. You’ll always be able to keep control.
Before you get to work you’ll need several things. A short lead will be required. You may also want to consider investing in a body harness if he’s already strong. This will increase your control and reduce strain on his neck.
You’ll need a generous supply of treats, or small pieces of his favorite food. You’ll use this to motivate him throughout training. You don’t need to set aside time to train, you can simply practice training when you go for your daily walk.
Apart from those things, you just need patience and then you’re good to get going!