How to Teach Your Dog to Use a Leash – Part 3

Posted by Jeanne on March 1, 2010

Things to Remember

Remember to be patient! Don’t attempt to rush your dog’s progress: using force is counterproductive to your end goal. You’re teaching him to relax and be calm around the leash – if you get stressed or frustrated with his lack of progress, he’ll be able to tell, and his anxiety levels will increase, not decrease.

Remember not to indulge his nervousness or coddle him if he plays up or gets nervous. If you react to his crying and trembling with petting and cooing, you are telling him that it’s OK to feel like that. If he’s nervous, either ignore it and carry on, or distract him with a game or short walk. If he’s still panic-stricken after three or four minutes, revert to the previous step and give it more time.

This should go without saying, but never correct or punish him for skittishness or nervous behavior – again, it’s counterproductive in the extreme.

Related posts

• How to Teach Your Dog to Use a Leash – Part 2 (1)
• How to Teach Your Dog to Use a Leash – Part 1 (0)
• How to Train Your Dog Using Positive Reinforcement – Part 4 (0)
• How to Train Your Dog Using Positive Reinforcement – Part 3 (0)
• How to Train Your Dog Using Positive Reinforcement – Part 2 (0)