teach loose-leash walking
With longer, warmer days ahead, it’s a good time to enjoy the outdoors together with your dog. Why not prepare now by teaching your dog to walk nicely on a leash? One of the easiest and most effective ways to train a dog to walk properly on a dog leash is to reward the dog for paying attention to you and for being in the desired position (next to you or close to you) when you are out for a walk. Your dog should remain close enough to you, either by your side or slightly ahead of you, that his leash remains loose, forming a U-shape.
In this video, Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner Juliana Willems is teaching her puppy, Austen, to pay attention to her on walks. To ensure Austen’s success, Juliana begins training in a small area with few distractions. Notice how each time Austen looks up at Juliana or walks next to her, she immediately rewards him with a treat while he is in the position she wants. Juliana rewards frequently to help Austen figure out quickly the behavior she is looking for. Austen is learning that walking next to Juliana is a rewarding experience, which means he is likely to spend less time pulling and more time walking nicely beside her. As Austen gets better at walking at Juliana’s side, without forging ahead or pulling, she can begin to increase the length of their walks and reward intermittently.
For more training exercises that you can do with your dog both indoors and out, check out our blogs and our Dog Trainer Foundations course!
Happy Training!
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