Training Your Dog to Walk on a Leash

I have been working with Maggie for quite a few days trying to get her to walk beside me while on a leash.  She has gotten so much better, and I would like to share my technique with you!

Before going anywhere, I always make Maggie sit so I can put her collar and leash on her.  Once she is perfectly calm, I stand up and lead her out the door.  If she tries to run ahead of me and the leash goes taut, I stop where I am and stand as still as possibl, ignoring every move she makes.  Imagine yourself as a telephone pole - completely motionless and silent.  Maggie eventually walked back towards me and we got to continue on the walk.

It has been 4 days I would say since I have been heavily training her on this, and on our 30 minute walk yesterday, I only had to stop twice.  It is a drastic improvement from the first day!

If you are walking and your dog decides to stop or go away from you, I just keep walking with my head up high (act like the leader)!  This works wonders with Maggie - she understands that she is not in charge of the walk and that me, as her owner, decides when we stop and what she can sniff.

If you are having trouble walking your dog on a leash, please try these simple steps.  It takes a while to get everything down perfect and to get your dog to understand the rules but it is well worth it!

Thanks for reading!  As always your participation in comments and discussions are encouraged and greatly appreciated!!