Puppies and younger dogs are typically exuberant characters so getting them to walk on a lead can be very, very challenging. Here are some great tips on puppy lead training and how to get your pet to walk beside you without pulling, jumping, or refusing to move forward.

Equipment Needed to Start The Training

You’ll need a safe equipment when you start puppy lead training which includes the following:
* A well-fitting, safe to use collar
* A longish puppy training lead (this should be anything from 3 to 4 foot long)
* Safe, healthy puppy treats

Start Your Training Indoors

It’s best to start your puppy lead training indoors where there are no distractions. Loose lead walking is a must when you first ask a puppy to walk on a lead. It’s a great basic training exercise which you can start when your puppy is around 6 to 8 weeks old.

Introduce Your Puppy to the Lead

You should always introduce your puppy to their new lead by letting them sniff it. When you attach the lead to the collar, make sure you offer your puppy a treat before taking the lead off them again. This should be repeated several times which is a great way of getting your puppy to associate wearing a lead a good thing.
Once puppy is relaxed you can slowly start walking them around the room. You must be patient and never pull your puppy to make them go forward. Puppy lead training is all about patience and gentleness which means waiting for them to make a move. When they do, quietly offer them a safe tasty reward.

Time you spend with your puppy should be fun and educational at the same time

Training Exercise Routine

Your puppy lead training routine should be as follows:
Step 1 – hold your lead in your left hand while holding some treats in your right hand. The treats are to tempt your puppy to come over to your right side so they face and stand in the same direction as you. When your puppy is where you want them, you should be holding the lead loosely in your left hand so it crosses in front of your body. Offer your puppy a treat. This is your starting point. If they start to move away offer them another treat
Step 2 – Next, with puppy standing or sitting in the right starting position, let them sniff at the treats in your right hand. When they have sniffed the treats, raise your hand so it’s at shoulder level and gently give your puppy a ‘command’ to walk forward while stepping forward yourself. When your puppy follows you, stop straight away and reward them with another treat. You must use the same command every time so your puppy understands what you want them to do
Step 3 – repeat step two adding another step before offering your puppy their reward. If puppy moves away or pulls at the lead, stand perfectly still and tempt them back to the right starting position before offering them a tasty treat. Never pull on the lead when this happens
Step 4 – repeat steps one through to three increasing the number of steps you take each time before giving puppy their reward. Practise makes perfect when puppy lead training and they will soon understand that walking beside you quietly gets them plenty of tasty rewards

Taking a Puppy Into the Great Outdoors

When you have trained your puppy to walk nicely on a lead indoors, the next challenge is to introduce them to the great outdoors. Remember there are going to be plenty of distractions both visual and new fascinating scents to check out. As such, you must be extra patient and have plenty of treats to keep puppy motivated with their attention on you. Puppy lead training takes time and patience but in the end it’s very worthwhile.