What are some tips for training a dog to walk with a leash?
Thursday, March 18th, 2010 at
5:09 pm
I just moved to town (i use to live in the country) and I am wanting to train my dogs to walk with a leash what are some good tips for me on training them?
Tagged with: Leash • some • Tips • Training • walk
Filed under: Dog Leash Training
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walk and praise…. not hard
It’s hard to explain in words, you kinds have to see it. I’d look for a video that demonstrates gentle and humane ways to walk your dog if he/she isn’t used to it. Pretty much all of them are the same. Dog Whisperer does Ok with this topic. It is possible to train even the most stubborn dog to walk properly.
The site I posted has video clips from his show but I can’t tell you exactly which clip in the archive is the one you want, but it’s a fairly common problem so it should be there.
This is from an article from Pat Miller, a professional trainer. This should help get you started.
“Teaching “Let’s walk”
Remember that your dog’s leash is not a steering wheel or handle. It’s a safety belt, intended to prevent your dog from leaving. It’s not to be used to pull him around, nor should he drag you along behind him.
Whether you’re teaching “Heel,” or the less formal “Let’s walk!” the correct position for the part of the leash that stretches from you to the dog is slack, hanging down in a valley. Be sure when your dog is with you that you keep the leash slack. If you keep it tight, he’ll think tension in the leash is normal and correct.
For left-side walking, start with your dog sitting by your left side. I suggest holding leash and clicker in your left hand (same side as the dog) and having a good supply of treats in your right hand. For right-side walking, just switch all the equipment to opposite hands. Make sure there’s enough slack in the leash so it stays loose when your dog is in the reinforcement zone you’ve identified for polite walking. You can also use a waist-belt or otherwise attach your dog’s leash to your person, as long as he’s not big enough to knock you down and drag you.
Use your “Let’s walk!” cue in a cheerful tone of voice and start walking forward. The instant your dog begins to move forward with you, use an audible marker, such as the click! of a clicker or the word, “Yes!” and give your dog a treat. (The click or “Yes!” is used to “mark” the behavior you want the dog to repeat, and the treat reinforces that behavior.)
At first, click! and treat very rapidly, with almost every step. Remember, you’re not teaching “Heel!” right now. Click! and treat as long as there’s no tension in the leash, although I do suggest you choose one side and reinforce on that side only, to keep him from crossing back and forth in front of you. When your dog realizes it’s worthwhile to stay within a designated radius of his generous, treat-dispensing machine (you!), you can gradually reduce the rate of reinforcement.
Careful! If you reduce the rate too quickly or too predictably, you’ll lose the behavior. As you gradually reduce the rate of reinforcement, be sure to click! and treat randomly so your dog never knows for sure when the next treat is coming. If he knows you’re going to reinforce every tenth step, he can get careless for nine steps, and zero back in on you on the tenth. This phenomenon is called an interval scallop or a post-reinforcement pause. We humans are creatures of habit, and easily fall into predictable patterns. And our dogs are masters at identifying patterns.
The manner in which you hold and deliver your treats is critical to success with polite walking. When you walk, have the treats in your hand but hidden behind your hip on the side opposite your dog. If you hold them in your hand on the same side where your dog can see or smell them, it will be harder to “fade” (slowly eliminate) the presence of the treats later on. If you hold them in front of you, your dog will keep stepping in front of you to watch your hand (treats), and you’ll keep stepping on him.
To deliver treats, wait for a second after the click! as you keep walking, then bring your hand across the front of your body and feed the treat. Quickly move your hand behind your hip as soon as you’ve delivered the treat. Feeding the treat in the location where you want your dog to be reinforces that position. If you’re teaching him to walk on the left, feed on the left side. If you’re teaching him to walk on the right, feed on the right. If you feed the treat in front of you, you’ll reinforce that position, and you’ll be stepping on him again.
Remember to click!, then give him a treat after a brief pause. If you begin to move your treat hand toward him before the click!, he’s just thinking about food rather than what he did to make you click the clicker.
For the same reason, you want to lure (hold the treat in the position where you’d like him to be) as little as possible during leash walking. Luring will keep him in position, but it interferes with his ability to think. Your goal is to get him to realize that walking in the desired reinforcement zone makes you click! the clicker, and earns him a reward.”
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/
put them on a leash walk a little them stop and reapeat if they are growned it is gonna take a while
Try to practice walking them INSIDE of your house, then when you go outside for a walk, be sure to hold your dogs close to you, that way they will learn to not gain speed and start to go running, they will walk by your side.
Hi ,
Well i found this really helpful guide ,its a really professional training called sit stay fetch , it teaches you how to train your dog by yourself , check it out at http://www.dogobediencetraining.co.nr , its a easy step by step videos and book Hope this helps you with your dog
Good luck