Leash training foundations: 4 steps you shouldn’t skip
When you picture your future with your dog, it probably involves some version of the “long walks on the beach” scene we’ve all come to know and love.
Your dog happily walks by your side, without a worry in the world.
But unfortunately, pups don’t just come out that way, all ready to go on leashed adventures.
When it comes down to it, leash training is actually one of the things dog owners struggle with most.
There are dogs who try to pull their owner’s arm off, or bark at everyone who passes, or are too nervous to even go on a walk in the first place.
But luckily, that doesn’t have to be your dog.
So how do you avoid the stressful, exact-opposite-of-relaxing walks so many dog owners are cursed with?
You need to set a strong leash training foundation.
There is prep work to those long walks on the beach—prep work that is arguably the most important part of the leash training process.
Because if you jump straight into “heel” and “leave it,” your dog could develop an unnecessary aversion to the leash. If your dog feels any anxiety or helplessness with a leash on, they will always act out, because at that point they are just unwillingly being led around by a rope.
And I don’t know about you, but when I picture relaxing walks with my dog, we are both enjoying the experience.
So to make mutually beneficial walks a part of your future, you need to help your dog build a positive relationship with the leash.
There are 4 simple steps you need to take to develop that positive association, but first, you’ll need to gather your supplies.
What kind of leash should you get for your pup?
It’s best to start with a slip lead (the kind that can tighten and loosen around your pup’s neck).
Why not a collar with an attached leash, you ask?
Traditional collars with a leash attached are surprisingly easy for a pup to wiggle out of if they get scared. And if they decide to bolt after getting free, you might have a scary situation on your hands.
Slip leads will tighten if a puppy tries to pull away, so they won’t be able to slip out of them. And I don’t know about you, but I really appreciate the peace of mind this gives me!
People often buy harnesses to solve this same problem, but the full body pressure can be really confusing for pups when you start teaching things like “heel”.
Also, having light pressure on the neck can help you communicate with your pup. Yes, LIGHT pressure.
Slip leads come with a fastener that prevents the leash from getting too tight around the neck and harming your pup. With this in place, your pup will only feel gentle pressure when the leash tightens. The leash should never be used to harm a pup in any way. Slip leads are an excellent tool, not something made to hurt your pup.
When can you start leash training?
You can start leash training about a week after you bring your puppy home. They’ll need the week to adjust to the new environment and get comfortable having you as their new pawrents, but once that trust is established you can start right away!
Once you have a leash, it’s time to grab your favorite treats and get started!
Step 1: Make the leash a friend
You want your pup to feel happy when you pull out a leash, but when you first bring them home, they will probably have little to no idea what that long snake is doing in your hand. Is it a toy or a torture contraption? They have no idea until you help them understand.
So before you ever put a leash on your pup, you should show them that leash = happy times.
You can let the pup smell the leash, brush against it, and be bombarded with treats the whole time!
It’s best to give a treat when your pup is acting calm around the leash. That will teach them that you don’t want them to be afraid (or overly excited).
This may seem silly, but when pups are young everything can seem scary from the vacuum to a piece of paper on the floor. It’s adorable, but not what you want them to be feeling in this situation!
You should also let your pup choose to put the leash on instead of manually putting it over their head. Providing a choice gives your pup agency and helps build their confidence. Our puppy Brooke demonstrates this in the video above!
Once your pup seems comfortable, you can move on to step 2 if you are using a slip lead. If not, go ahead and skip to step 3.
Step 2: Introduce gentle pressure
Before getting into this tip, I want to emphasize that pressure is NOT a punishment.
It’s a way to gently communicate with your pup in a way that’s easy for them to understand.
You should never yank the leash. Instead, apply gentle pressure to calmly tell your pup “no, that’s not what we should be doing right now.”
But, I’m getting ahead of myself.
Having something touch your neck is a weird feeling, and you don’t want your pup to feel anxiety when they get that sensation. So before you do any walking with the leash, practice gently tightening the leash and giving your pup a treat as soon as they’re calm.
Introducing pressure in a positive way will help them understand they’re safe, you aren’t angry, and the pressure won’t last long.
If your pup has a strong fear response to the pressure, keep the pressure light until they calm down and then immediately release pressure and give them a treat. The reward has to come when they are calm or they will think that being afraid is the best way to get rid of pressure.
Repeat this step until your pup stays calm with gentle pressure. Then, you can start getting into the fun stuff!
Step 3: Move forward with luring
Now it’s time to get into the walking!
Fair warning, a lot of pups do NOT like having to follow you around when they have a leash on. They are used to having 100% free will when it comes to where they choose to walk, so being restrained to a four or five foot distance can be unsettling.
That’s why you should start by letting them decide to move forward.
So, how do you make it feel like their decision? We call this trick luring.
First, grab some more treats and let them smell them in your hand. Then, start moving your hand away from them, but keep it close enough that they’ll want to follow you.
Once they follow, reward with a treat!
Gradually increase the distance they have to follow your hand before giving them a treat. This whole process helps them mentally pair leash time with follow the leader time.
Speaking of following…
Step 4: Follow the leader (keeping it fun)
It’s time to bring in the recruits!
All of these steps have been focused on positive associations, and this one is no different, but it’s arguably the most fun.
If you have access to a calm and leash trained dog, it’s time to invite them over for a play date!
To help keep leash training fun, it’s helpful to walk two pups at the same time when you are first getting started.
Make sure to meet in your home or yard to minimize distractions, then put each pup on a leash. As you start walking, your pup might be a little confused, but when they see the older dog happily following you, they will want to catch up!
It’s sort of like a game of tag or follow the leader. The double leashes might be a little more overwhelming to you, but your pup will feel so much braver and confident with a playmate by their side.
The first time you do this it will probably be pretty unstructured. Your dog won’t be walking right by your side by any means. But they will be learning about forward motion and that it’s easier to stay near you than trying to walk the opposite direction when they have a leash on.
It might take a few play dates for your pup to get the hang of it, but once they do, all of the more traditional leash training techniques will come soooo much more easily to them.
What next?
Your prep work is complete! Now you can start more traditional leash training, like heel and follow.
Two things to keep in mind:
If you started leash training early, keep in mind that young pups cannot walk for long periods of time. Their joints are still developing, so even if they don’t seem tired, long walks can be hard on their body. Start with 5-10 minute strolls, and add 5 or 10 minutes with each month of age.
Pups who aren’t fully vaccinated are at risk of catching life threatening viruses on their paws. Getting outside is incredibly important for their mental development though, so it shouldn’t be avoided all together. If you live in a quiet neighborhood, you can walk your pup in the middle of the road. This area isn’t frequented by other dogs so it’s a pretty safe bet it will be virus free!
These steps will all take different amounts of time depending on your dog and their confidence levels.
Taking the time to set a solid foundation may seem tedious, but in the end it will speed up the whole process (and save your arm from a lot of pain down the road).