Dogs were not born to know that they must walk nicely with dog leashes. Most dogs will not like it. But you can teach them so they can wear it comfortably. It can be very challenging because dogs move quick and always excited in exploring outdoor areas. The purpose of dog leashes is to control this behavior which can harm other person or break properties. Dog leashes are important to stop them from running around, sniffing and urinating anywhere. You have to teach them to walk without pulling. You must be consistent in your training lessons.
When training a dog, the conditioning theory of Ivan Pavlov works the best. You can use “ the red light, green light” or “the lure and reward” process.
Provided that your dog has a reliable come and distracting places, this method will work well. Here's the process:
- Choose a place where you can walk freely.
- Prepare red and green lights.
- Choose a long dog leash.
- When your dog reaches the end of the leash and pulls, turn on your red light.
- Stop for a moment and wait.
- When he stops pulling and turns back to see what you are doing, call him back to you.
- Ask him to sit and say yes
- Give him a treat and continue walking.
- While you walk give him more rewards.
- When he liked to catch something, go with him so that he doesn't need to pull the dog leash.
2nd Training Option: Lure and Reward
It is easy to deceive your dog without them realizing you are training them. Working on positive conditioning can be very productive.
- Let your dog stand with you.
- Walk in your intended direction
- Everytime you walk give him a treat, or praise him.
- When pulls, stop and call his name.
- Ask her to sit and give him praises.
- Give him treats and continue walking again.
- Repeat the same methods every training session.
What your dog will learn?
- Every time he walks near you, he will get some rewards
- When he pulls, he can't play because you will ask him to sit.
Dogs will realize that it is better not to pull their dog leashes and its not beneficial when they pull it. However, these are just positive reinforcements. It can work for some dog but hard to be done by other type of dogs. When you are doing this, ensure that it provides an impact to the behavior of your dog. If not, try other options.