Q&A for How to Teach Your Dog to Walk on a Leash

Start by teaching your dog to move into the leash, not away from it, and to stop when you stop. Then, work on training your dog to move backward on command and to move right and left with you. Line your dog up against a wall or fence, then stop and give backward pressure on the line. The dog should have already learned to move into tension, but if it resists, patiently sustain the tension until it moves back, then mark their success with a treat. Once the dog can start, stop, move back, and start again, teach it to move left and right by having it pivot off of your right leg to turn left. You can also block the dog by moving in front of it to get it to turn right. If the dog turns before you touch it, mark and reward that behavior.

Walk the dog against a flat wall or a fence, with your body on the other side. Leave a little tension in the leash as you walk, then stop suddenly at random intervals. If the dog doesn't stop when you do, it will hit the end of its leash. The dog will find that unpleasant, so it will eventually start watching your body for signs you're going to stop. When it does stops at the same time you do, give the dog a treat to reward it. Your dog will learn to walk beside you and match your pace.

Dogs have an innate reflex that causes them to move away from an unpleasant physical stimulation, which is why they pull on their leash at first. To train them to move into the leash, start by having the dog face you, then apply tension to the leash on one side. Hold it there until the dog moves into it, then praise and reward them. It can take a while, but if you're patient, eventually they'll get it, and it will make the rest of the training much easier.

Ask a friend to hold your dog to comfort and pet him. This should calm down the dog, allowing you to attach the leash to the collar.

You may find the methods in Train a Puppy Not to Bite helpful.

The simple solution to this is to get a shorter leash. When starting to train her, start with the shortest leash possible and as she stops pulling and tangling, increase the length.

Try just forcing him to stay at the entrance to the outdoors. He is working himself up so much and getting too excited. Practice walking outside and staying in one spot still he stops pulling. Every time he pulls, make him sit in place and wait.

Get a harness. Using a collar for walking him will only encourage him to pull as dogs have an instinct to walk forwards when they feel a tug on their neck. The harness will stop this instinct.

Practice calling her name. Use a leash to help. She may miss her old owners, so give her some space until she gets used to you. Hug her and reward her. If all else fails, take her to the vet and they can identify if something is wrong.

Pinch the scruff of your corgi's neck and firmly say "no". They should learn after a while that barking at people isn't good behavior. When she is friendly, however, you should praise her and give her treats to encourage it.

What you can do it you can put on his lead, in the house for a bit and just walk him round the house, on a lead, this should keep him calmer so he isn't anxious to go quickly, if he knows how to sit and stay, when he starts to go a bit faster, tell him to stay or stop; at the beginning, whenever he does this, reward his with a treat.

It’s natural for your dog to want to stop and smell or stare at everything, especially if it’s a new environment they're not used to. If it’s bothering you, let your dog smell or stare for about 30 seconds, then lightly tug on the leash to encourage him/her to move. You might also want to get a harness for your dog, which will allow you to pull their leash in front to get their attention.

With dogs, they like to stay engaged. Try to be peppy and get him amped up and say things like let's go while continuing to walk forward. By doing that, you will distract him. And if you move fast and forward, he won't have time to stop and smell the flowers. However, since dogs like sniffing things, be sure to build in some allowance for this or he won't be enjoying his walk fully. Both of you need to compromise!

You'll need to pick her up. Hold her for about 5 minutes. Turn around a bit every 45 seconds. Then, go outside and walk her up and down the street 5-10 times. Walk the same pace you would walk for a normal walk with your dog. Do this for about 2 weeks. Try to put the leash on her again. If she doesn't lie down or sit, you're good to go.

Is the hill steep? Paved? Grass? Gravel? There are many factors that can lead them to not want to tackle hills. It is very important to work in baby steps and use a positive reward system to encourage progress. You may also consider a vet visit to make sure their sight is unaffected, depth perception may make it more difficult for them to determine if it's safe.

Golden retrievers are notorious for wanting to carry leashes in their mouths. You can try giving them another dog safe object to carry while working on training. Doodles have a very obedient breed (Golden) mixed with a very intelligent breed (Poodles). They are trainable, but you have to remain consistent with them.

Take treats with you. Tell him to "heel" when he is pulling too much. When he does, and he is looking at you for a treat, give him one.

Place your left hand directly under your right, holding the leash in both hands as though it were a baseball bat. Holding the leash firmly in the correct position helps your dog get the no-pulling concept. Plant both hands firmly against your belt buckle.

Do not yank the dog. Stand your ground and do not move. It will eventually sit down and wait for your command, teaching it that you are the leader. This is helpful when visiting street lights and other dogs.

Make sure your dog is already comfortable with new people. If it only follows you, then it may not be a good choice to do so. Your dog should be fine if it is friendly to new faces and is willing to play or interact with people. You should also teach it when it is not appropriate, by standing your ground and pulling the leash; slowly pull so it is aware you are calling the shots.

Dogs are intelligent enough to get the point after a while. Try making your dog sit when you put the leash on and only when he sits. When he acts up during a walk, then stop and wait for him to realize you won't move or end it early and go home. Using sounds or call training is very useful as well.