You may have already heard about the many benefits of using a loose lead. Leash training is a necessary skill for dog owners who want to take their pet to public areas, such as dog parks and schoolyards. Without the right training, your dog may not be able to keep up and may trip or roll on the ground. This is especially true if you let him drag the leash behind you, which can result in serious injury. Here are some dog training tips that will help you make the most of your lead training sessions with your dog.
One of the key dog training tips for loose lead training is learning how to stop still when your dog pulls on the leash. Your dog will eventually learn that it is OK to stop. Just give it time and don’t punish him for not pulling when you need to.
In order to ensure that your dog gets the best results from loose lead training, he needs to start at the very beginning – walking on a loose lead. If you’ve been walking on a loose lead before, you’ll find that it is much easier to walk with him on a lead, rather than trying to balance on a straight leash. Begin by using treats to lure him into walking next to you. As he starts to see your hands and begin to follow, toss a treat behind you so that he comes back to you. Repeat this several times until he walks naturally with you on a loose lead.
It is also important to introduce prong collars to loose lead training spaniels. The main problem with the old style of training is that a dog would pull on the leash and get his front feet caught in the prong. The goal of the collar is to create a tight grip on the dog’s lead so that he learns not to pull. Prong collars will do a similar job as a choke collar when a dog pulls and gets his front feet caught in the prong. While some people feel that the pain of the prong collar hurts their dog, studies have shown that dogs do not become injured when using this type of collar.
Another popular method for training is clicker training. Using a tiny clicker attached to a necklace, you can teach your dog to stop behaviour before it gets out of hand. You simply click the click to your dog’s collar and then give him a treat so that he learns not to pull.
If you want your dog to learn to pull gently, there are some great rewards to be given when he performs the behaviour correctly. Start by giving him a high value treat when he follows your lead calmly. Also, make sure to reward your dog very enthusiastically when he successfully follows your command. This will make him want to continue doing it and will make it more likely that he will do it on his own without your encouragement. You should also encourage your dog when he is walking on the leash, by patting him or giving him the occasional treat as a sign that he has done a good job.
One problem that dog owners seem to run into when trying to teach their dog to walk on a loose leash is getting the dog to walk beside you. Sometimes, a dog’s natural instinct is to want to keep to himself. It may be harder to get him to heel because he doesn’t want to put you in danger. One thing you can try is offering a small treat when he gets within ten yards of you, and then taking him out in the opposite direction. This may be frustrating at first, but it should soon wear off because your dog will realise that he is safer when he walks beside you. He will also realise that if he wants to heel you, he must go all the way around, which is much less dangerous.
Some dog trainers like to use “rewarding” methods instead of treats for teaching their puppies. There are many ways of using rewards to encourage your dog to walk beside you. One popular method is to give him a favourite treat whenever he behaves in a way that you approve of. Another method is to praise him when he obeys your command, so that he thinks his actions are good. This type of training is more challenging than the previous one, because you have to be on the lookout not only for your dog to obey your commands, but for you to show him how good he is behaving.
