A lot of people like the say the phrase “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” This is a very fitting saying when training dogs. It is especially true when trying to train a dog to walk on a leash.
This is why it is best to train a dog while they are young. Teaching a puppy will help them avoid bad habits, and save you a lot of frustration in the long haul. A good way to train a puppy is to use a dog harness.
A dog harness will give you control because it is placed around your dog’s torso. This will allow your puppy’s entire body to learn how to walk, instead of just moving the head. A harness allows you more control because you can pull back on your dog with little fear of hurting your dog.
The same is not true with every dog collar. Dog collars can also be very effective in training your pet, but when teaching your puppy to walk with a leash a harness works best. You may have to pull against your dog to get them to stop or stay in line, and doing so with an ill-fitted collar can actually damage your dog’s throat. The most effective training technique is one that is pain free.
The best training technique is one that is pain free. That is why a harness can be so helpful. When you begin your training make sure you walk at your pace and not your dogs.
Start out slow so your dog learns to walk with you instead of against you. They eventually will understand the need to slow their pace and keep the leash slack during the walks. When they do this you can walk a little faster to see how your dog does.
Keep a strong grip on the leash when you are training. Start out with a short leash and slowly give them more and more of the leash as they learn to keep slack in the leash. Eventually you won’t have to worry about the length of your dog leash.
Training a puppy can be hard work, but it is a lot easier than training an adult dog. If you do have a dog, not a puppy, that needs to be trained read our previous article written about training a dog not to pull against a leash. We also have tips for adult dog owners training dogs on a leash, and reasons why a training collar could be a more appropriate choice than a full body dog harness.
