Q&A for How to Walk a Dog

Give more positive feedback than negative. Dogs don't learn as well from mistakes as they do from successes, so try to keep your training fun and engaging rather than constantly correcting them.

Don't let your dog walk you. They shouldn't be pulling on the leash while you walk behind them.

Use a harness on dogs with smaller necks—using a collar can damage the dog's trachea. Don't leave prong collars on for long periods of time, as this will desensitize the dog to the collar.

It's okay for your dog to sniff a little bit. However, don't allow your dog to stop and sniff or pee on everything it sees.

Treats may be useful for training dogs, and water is necessary on long, hot walks.

If your pup is chewing on the lead, there is a few simple things to get them to stop. 1) A bitter apple spray can be found at a pet store and is perfect to stop dogs from chewing on other things too. 2) Change your fabric lead to chain (most pups don't like the feel or taste). If your pup chews on that, immediately change back to fabric or leather. 3) Get a harness, it's harder for the pup to grab the lead. But keep in mind that most pups (like mine) grow out of it

Offer plenty of treats and use positive verbal reinforcement when he walks with you at the correct pace.

That would be unusual, so keep trying. Perhaps try walking it to a different place -- it may not have liked where you took it for the walk. You could also train the dog, take it swimming, play fetch or do some other physical activity together.

Dogs like to smell every scent. Let him sniff the place politely. If he gets too stubborn, discourage him by pulling the leash slightly.

Your dog is one wild one! However, you and your dog must be aware that you are the boss in the relationship. Try talking to the dog in a calm tone and check for any other steps you've done incorrectly. Is the leash too tight? Or have you placed it in the wrong area? Dogs are creatures that can sense what their owner's emotions are. You seem most likely tense or scared while walking the pitbull , which resulted in the dog acting that way. Stay in a calm mood while walking your dog and it will mostly likely do the same.

Wear lots of warm clothes and put a jacket and paw boots on the dog. Take a shorter walk. If that's still not feasible, then walk your dog indoors, or in the backyard.

You need to train your dog. Take him out for a walk. When he starts to run, pull him back a little and click a clicker. Once your dog returns to your side, give him a dog a treat. Keep doing this until your dog is able to walk along side you.

You can hire a dog sitter when you're not able to walk your dog, or ask a friend or family member if they can do it.

Puppies have tons of energy and will require just as much, if not more walking, than adults. It's a good idea to bring a water bottle and portable dog bowl with you so that your dog doesn't get dehydrated.

Take the dog for a walk in the backyard often. Then, when it gets used to walking, take it for a real walk and encourage it with treats. Only walk in quiet places where there are few people and no loud noises, then gradually introduce it to noisier places until it can cope. If it never learns to cope, adjust where you walk the dog.

Get a lead with two clips to make walking them together easier. If the puppy needs to be trained to walk well, work with him separately until he can walk nicely with the adult dog.

That's up to you, but most people find it unpleasant to start and stop that often when walking the dog.

Give your dog treats and praise him when he stops pulling, even if it's just for a moment. You can try turning in the opposite direction or stopping whenever he pulls. That teaches him that he wont get to go where he wants to go by pulling. Be consistent, sometimes it can take a while! Also, make sure that your dog gets plenty of exercise as this helps him to stay calmer and listen to you better.

Whenever they pull away from the desired side, try to nudge them back and reward them when the do so.

It really depends on the breed, but the parameters are around a half hour to two hours. Big dogs need more exercise than a toy breed. Research your particular breed online or in a book to see how much you need to exercise them.

Use a harness that goes around your dog's body instead of his neck. This will help you control him better as you teach him to heel when you walk. Each time your dog pulls, stop walking immediately and do not move again until he is at your side.

Many dogs do not walk well at first on a leash and need to be trained. Try playing with your dog at home before going for a walk to tire him out a bit and help calm him before leaving the house.

Yes. Most puppies and young dogs have a lot of energy. It's a good idea to let the dog run for a while before you try to train him/her.

My suggestion is to take your dog to a local vet, and let them try to determine.

You can clicker-train him, and when he pulls you should pull slightly on his lead. This way he will learn that he will not go any further if he pulls. You should over-reward him when he doesn't pull; he will soon catch on. If it continues, consider getting a non-pull harness to gain more control.

Pet him and tell him it's okay. Get him back on the leash and think about getting a new one, your dog should not be able to slip out of the leash. Make sure to apologize to the person who got bit and tell your dog firmly "no." Don't scare or hurt him, just make sure you say it firmly so he gets the message to back off. Consider taking him to a dog obedience class. They are helpful in training your dog and socializing him.

Yes it does and knowing this will show pet owners that you are knowledgeable and can be trusted with their dogs.

As soon as you see the dog is about to react agressively, say, "No!" with a strong, clear voice. Turn and walk in the opposite direction until the dog calms down. Eventually, you should be able to walk past or walk right up to whatever provoked the dog.

Begin training your puppy to walk on a leash when he reaches eight to 10 weeks of age. This is the age that you can safely separate a pup from his mom and litter mates to re-home him.

Encourage it with treats and praises, and reward it every step of the way.