Starting With A Puppy
When first introducing leash training, start by allowing the pup to lead you to sniff and explore outside. As you begin to lead, every pup will initially resist. Use treats at your side, then try to get him to follow by leg patting and coaxing. Praise any positive response; ignore negatives.

As you begin to lead, every pup will initially resist. Give a tug to get him started, then try to get him to follow by leg patting and calling.

If he takes the leash, don’t allow him to lead you. It is OK to allow him to bring you the leash, but if he has it in his mouth while walking, you have less control in an emergency, and it encourages him to consider chewing the leash later. There are several methods to keep the leash out of his mouth.

• Don't go anywhere fun when the leash is in his mouth. If walking, stop and be boring.
• Soak the leash in a safe taste deterrent.

Head Halters
A good alternative for solving pulling on the leash is use of a canine head halter. This halter loops over the nose and behind the ears similar to a halter on a horse. The advantage is that by controlling the direction of the head, you easily eliminate pulling without choking the dog. Introduce Head collars with treats.  It may still take a while for the dog to accept, so make it fun.

Adult Dogs
While walking, if he begins to pull, cue such as, EASY, then give a little, quick tug, and turn and walk in a different direction. You may not make much forward progress at first, but the dog will learn he will get there faster if he doesn’t pull on the leash. A second benefit of the “Change Direction” approach is that the dog is constantly reminded that you are leading the walk. You lead every time you decide to change directions.

The Heel Cue
This is a much more advanced event than merely not pulling on a leash. The ideal heel is when the dog walks closely on your LEFT side. He matches your pace, and looks at you whenever you stop.


This command is best learned in a formal class from an obedience instructor. You are less likely to start bad habits. In addition, the distractions of the other people and dogs in an obedience class or with a private trainer make the training more reliable. The dog also learns to follow cues in different locations.

Praise the dog or use a clicker-food reward, any time he is in the correct position. If he “forges” (moves ahead of you), turn in front of him. As he strays from the correct position, use the “Change Direction” technique. If you turn and change, he will need to catch up and pay more attention.