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Puppy Training ::
Leash Training for Puppies |
Source: Canine Behavior Series
Author: Kathy Diamond Davis
Address (URL):
http://www.VeterinaryPartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1538
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A puppy may refuse to budge while
on leash one day, and try to drag you down the street on the
same leash the very next day! Dogs who walk well on leash face
fewer dangers and have more fun. It's well worth the time to
develop this skill with your puppy.
What's this Thing on My Neck?
The first step in leash training is to get the pup used to a
collar. Expect the pup to scratch at it. Put the collar on when
the pup is eating and playing under your supervision. Distract
the puppy from thinking about the collar.
Remove the collar only at a time when the pup is NOT trying to
get out of it. If you take the collar off when the pup is
obsessing over getting it off, you encourage the pup to fight
the collar. To the puppy, it seems that fighting the collar
worked, and got that nasty collar removed!
Just like wearing a watch or a ring feels strange to you at
first, the strange sensation of a collar can annoy a dog. In the
same way that your senses habituate to the jewelry, the dog will
get used to the collar when handled properly. Of course the
collar needs to fit and should not be of a stiff or
uncomfortable design. A lightweight nylon collar with a buckle
or snap is a good choice.
Remove the collar whenever your pup goes into the crate. Consult
your dog's breeder and veterinarian about safety with the
particular breed or mix as far as leaving a collar on when the
dog is outside unsupervised. Ideally a puppy wouldn't be left
outside unsupervised, but if the puppy is going to be in this
situation, the risks must be weighed. Some breeds are especially
prone to the collar catching on something and strangling the dog
(the reason collars are to be removed whenever a dog is crated).
On the other hand, a dog left outside unsupervised is at risk of
being lost, and collar identification saves dogs' lives. Both of
these risks are also factors for dogs outside in covered kennel
runs.
Some puppy breeders give you a head start on leash-training your
new puppy by tying a piece of colored yarn or rickrack around
the neck of each pup. This practice varies from breeder to
breeder and from breed to breed-what's ideal for some is not a
good idea for others. Whether the breeder has done this or not,
your puppy will likely start ignoring the sensation of wearing a
collar within a few days of your conditioning.
Is This Another Tail or a Toy?
The next step is to add a leash. Some pups seem overwhelmed by
an entire leash all at once. In these cases you can start with a
string, shoelace, or something of the sort. Add length as the
puppy gets used to it.
Experienced dog people learn that chewed leashes can be useful
later, and this is one of those times. Dogs tend to chew through
leashes several inches from the snap. This leaves a "tab" of
leash material with a handy snap on it to attach and detach
easily from the collar. Tabs occasionally come in handy for
other training, too, so if your mouthy young dog "creates" one
for you from a leash, be sure to save it!
Attach the leash or the short item to the collar when the puppy
is eating or playing, and let the pup get used to it being
there. As with the collar, don't remove it when pup is making a
fuss about it. Remove it at a time the pup has forgotten it's
there.
Do not leave a leash on an unattended dog. It can catch on
things and trap the dog in dangerous and traumatic situations.
Leashes are only safe during supervised times.
Distract your puppy into play or other interaction with you
whenever the puppy seems bothered by the leash or starts to chew
it. It's fine to apply Bitter Apple to the leash, but realize
this substance does not last long as a chewing deterrent, and
will need to be reapplied for every session. Doing this can keep
leash-chewing from ever becoming a habit, and save you money,
work and the worry of a loose dog.
Training Techniques
Before you pick up the other end of the leash with it attached
to the puppy, you need to first put in some time conditioning
your puppy to come to you and to move with you. Treats are ideal
for this training. Don't be afraid the puppy will always need
treats to walk on a leash. Leash walking has its own rewards,
but a young puppy doesn't know that yet. The treats will help
get things moving in the right direction.
Feeding time is a good time to work on this conditioning, when
you have the dish in your hand and an eager puppy at your feet.
Back away from the puppy. Use your body language and the
puppy's name to attract the puppy to follow. Move around a bit
with your puppy, making it a fun game, before putting down the
dish and thus delivering a great reward.
At other times when your puppy is likely to be interested in
games and treats, use a bit of food from the puppy's next meal
to condition the puppy to look at you and move with you. Keep
moving away from the puppy, encouraging the puppy to follow you.
Young puppies naturally do this anyway, so the training is easy
and fun.
At all times, be prepared to reward your puppy with little
treats, games and other things the puppy likes, for moving with
you, coming to you, and looking at you. Make this a habit, and
develop your body language and voice to what works best with
THIS puppy.
Each puppy is different. Pups have different things they like
best, and different things they respond to in different ways.
You can build your puppy's desires to interact with you by how
you use your praise, treats, petting, and the games you and your
puppy play together. All of this factors into your leash
training as well as all other training, both in puppyhood and
later.
The Leash Has Two Ends
With your puppy used to the presence of the leash attached to
the collar and used to moving with you, you're ready to pick up
the free end of the leash. Now it's time to visualize the real
goal of leash walking.
When a dog freezes up on leash and won't move, obviously you
can't get anywhere. So part of the goal is for the dog to relax
when wearing a leash. You're off to the right start there,
having conditioned your dog to the presence of the leash with no
pressure.
A dog pulling on leash can suffer damage to the throat, which is
potentially very serious in some breeds. The person trying to
hold the other end of the leash may not be able to control the
pulling dog, and can even be injured. Therefore a huge part of
our goal in leash training is to teach the dog to walk with the
leash LOOSE, no pulling. This is not only for the purpose of
having control, but also to be humane to the dog.
Ironically, it's not the dog who causes the pulling-on-leash
problem. Humans instinctively hold the leash tight. A dog's
completely normal and natural response to a tight leash is to
pull. If the dog did not pull against the pressure, the dog
would be constantly off-balance.
From the first minute you pick up the leash, keep it loose.
Follow the dog at times, and at other times use the skills you
have been developing to induce your dog to follow you. Resist
the impulse to pull the dog around on leash, or even to guide
the dog with the leash. Work hard at remembering to communicate
through your voice, body language and various motivators. Keep
building those abilities! Keep your attention on your mental
communication with the dog, rather than trying to communicate
through the leash.
If your puppy makes an attempt to pull you, your job is to stand
still. The message to the puppy is simply that pulling on the
leash is fruitless. It doesn't work. When things don't work,
people and dogs eventually quit doing those things! You can help
yourself and your puppy so very much by making sure that right
from the start, pulling on the leash never works for your puppy.
Then pulling will never become a habit, and your puppy will be
spared innumerable problems-as will you!
As soon as the puppy notices that trying to pull you didn't work
because you stopped, switch into your attention-getting,
puppy-follow-me mode, and get that puppy moving with you! This
is the game. And to a puppy, it really does need to be a game.
Make it fun for the puppy. It will be fun for you, too, and
that's one of the great benefits of living with dogs!
A Great Start
If this training seems like a lot of effort, the truth is that
raising a puppy IS a lot of effort. The puppy is constantly
learning, no matter what you do or don't do. It's actually less
work, and much more fun, to shape the learning in the right
direction. Doing a good job of conditioning your puppy to the
leash helps with many other important dog behaviors at the same
time. Have a great time leash-walking with your puppy! |
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Kathy Diamond Davis is the author
of the book Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others.
You can email Kathy at
MrsGoodPuppy@aol.com for personal answers to your canine
behavior and training questions! Should the training articles
available here or elsewhere not be effective, contact your
veterinarian. Veterinarians not specializing in behavior can
eliminate medical causes of behavior problems. If no medical
cause is found, your veterinarian can refer you to a colleague
who specializes in behavior or a local behaviorist.
Copyright 2003 -
2005 by Kathy Diamond Davis. Used with permission. All rights
reserved. |
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