New puppy and leash lessons
Congratulations on your new puppy! Bringing a new puppy into the family is like bringing home a new baby from the hospital. There will be changes in the way the everyone in the house will have to do things for a while and there will be an adjustment period for your family as well as the puppy. A puppy will be put into a completely different environment from everything they have known, taken from their mother and siblings. There will also be many new things to learn such as which door to go to in order to potty outside and learning new commands on top of getting to know their new family and meeting all the friends and family that will want to come see the new puppy!
Leash training is essential to be able to take your puppy with you anywhere. While this post is not a complete training article, but a few simple steps early on, you can guarantee you will have a dog that you will be able to walk on leash comfortably and obediently for a lifetime.
Start by having your puppy on a properly fitting light nylon collar. We recommend the kinds that have the quick release closure that you can open with one hand. Next, is a very light weight leash. A thin nylon leash, such as for a small breed of dog is great.
First, clip the leash to the collar and let the puppy drag the leash around the house. Please, do not let the puppy drag the leash around the house if you are not watching him closely! This is a supervised time so that the leash doesn't get caught on table legs, or other things that could possibly be pulled over. The puppy may scratch at the collar or may even try to carry the leash in his mouth during this time. These are normal behaviors and completely acceptable.
Once the puppy is completely comfortable with the new added weight and feel of having a leash and collar on, now is the time that the actual training begins. Always, always, always have some soft and tasty treats while training your pup. You need to be able to give a treat quickly and make every training experience a happy and enjoyable time for him. Always use a happy, upbeat and affirming voice with your pup as you are teaching him new lessons and use the treats to reinforce good behavior.
Pick up the end of the leash and call the puppy towards you. When he comes to you, praise him and give him a treat! Next, take a few steps and encourage the puppy to come along with you, holding treats out and giving little nibbles along the way. Soft treats like a little bit of cheese, help to give something tasty that you can break off small pieces and they can eat it quickly with out having to stop to chew up a crunchy treat. As the pup follows along well, you can also start using the command "heel", always praising and giving treats for the right behavior.
The puppy may stop, sits down or refuses to walk, even with some pressure from you giving a slight tug on the leash. If this happens, never get angry or pull the puppy against his will. Simply, give a couple of quick easy and gentle tugs on the leash, and call the puppy to you. If the puppy still refuses, then go to the pup, and with a treat in front of his nose but slightly out of reach, encourage him to come to you again, in a up beat, happy voice. As soon as the pup takes just a couple of steps, praise him like crazy and give him a treat. This is a great time to stop the lesson. Never, never, never get frustrated with the puppy or end your lessons on a bad note, always keep it upbeat and fun. You can give several lessons a day, but always keep them short and just a few minutes so that this is always a positive experience for the puppy. When your training sessions are short, positive and the pup gets tasty treats, you will be setting up the idea that minding his owner and learning area fun and rewarding for him!
Start by having your puppy on a properly fitting light nylon collar. We recommend the kinds that have the quick release closure that you can open with one hand. Next, is a very light weight leash. A thin nylon leash, such as for a small breed of dog is great.
First, clip the leash to the collar and let the puppy drag the leash around the house. Please, do not let the puppy drag the leash around the house if you are not watching him closely! This is a supervised time so that the leash doesn't get caught on table legs, or other things that could possibly be pulled over. The puppy may scratch at the collar or may even try to carry the leash in his mouth during this time. These are normal behaviors and completely acceptable.
Once the puppy is completely comfortable with the new added weight and feel of having a leash and collar on, now is the time that the actual training begins. Always, always, always have some soft and tasty treats while training your pup. You need to be able to give a treat quickly and make every training experience a happy and enjoyable time for him. Always use a happy, upbeat and affirming voice with your pup as you are teaching him new lessons and use the treats to reinforce good behavior.
Pick up the end of the leash and call the puppy towards you. When he comes to you, praise him and give him a treat! Next, take a few steps and encourage the puppy to come along with you, holding treats out and giving little nibbles along the way. Soft treats like a little bit of cheese, help to give something tasty that you can break off small pieces and they can eat it quickly with out having to stop to chew up a crunchy treat. As the pup follows along well, you can also start using the command "heel", always praising and giving treats for the right behavior.
The puppy may stop, sits down or refuses to walk, even with some pressure from you giving a slight tug on the leash. If this happens, never get angry or pull the puppy against his will. Simply, give a couple of quick easy and gentle tugs on the leash, and call the puppy to you. If the puppy still refuses, then go to the pup, and with a treat in front of his nose but slightly out of reach, encourage him to come to you again, in a up beat, happy voice. As soon as the pup takes just a couple of steps, praise him like crazy and give him a treat. This is a great time to stop the lesson. Never, never, never get frustrated with the puppy or end your lessons on a bad note, always keep it upbeat and fun. You can give several lessons a day, but always keep them short and just a few minutes so that this is always a positive experience for the puppy. When your training sessions are short, positive and the pup gets tasty treats, you will be setting up the idea that minding his owner and learning area fun and rewarding for him!
By leash training your new puppy as soon as you get him or her, in a positive and fun manner you are setting up a life time of them knowing that learning can be fun and of course, rewarding when they get treats they love.