Leash training is hugely underestimated by new dog owners. The process of getting your puppy or adult dog used to being on leash is fairly simple and just takes a little bit of your time. Trust me, this small investment of properly training your dog to walk politely on his leash will pay high dividends in the near future, especially if your puppy will grow up weighingಲ or more pounds.

Leash Training Questions

I get at least a dozen or more questions each week from new dog owners that ask me about leash training. They want to know what type of leash is best, what type to avoid, how long they should walk their dog, how to get the dog to stop pulling, etc.

Below I have listed a few of these common leash training questions for your benefit. Remember, there is no one best way to do anything so when it comes to dog training, whether it involves leash training or other lesson, it is okay to mix in your own training ideas so long as you keep it 100% positive. Negative dog training is not recommended and highly discouraged.

Having said that, here are a few basic leash training questions:

1. How much room should I allow the leash to extend when walking my dog? According to most dog trainers, your puppy or adult dog does not need anymore than 5 to 6 feet of distance to roam when you are walking him. This is plenty of room for you to keep control of the situation, while at the same time giving your dog a chance to sniff out small areas along the way.

2. What type of material should my leash be made of? If you walk into any pet-specific store you'll find that the majority of leashes for sale are made of nylon. Nylon is easy to wash and comes in all kinds of pretty colors. However, they will burn your hand if the dog suddenly pulls and the leash moves through your fingers.

My recommendation is to use a leather leash. In fact, a 6 foot leash made of leather is the perfect size and material. It will last a long time and you will not experience any type of burning sensation if it is pulled. The grip is firm and your control is increased.

3. What about using chain leashes? Chain leashes are practically indestructible and will last a very long time, but just like nylon material, a chain leash can hurt your hands if the dog yanks hard and your grip slips. In fact, the injury could be much more severe than a nylon burn.

4. How wide should the leash be? This answer is very simple. A leash that is approximately inches to inches is ideal. Try to avoid heavy, bulky leashes.

While learning the fetch game, it is important that tasty treats be used in place of too much praise, as previously mentioned. The importance of praise hasn't been firmly written on the chalkboard of his mind - so until it is, give your pup what is known to be a positive reward stimulus - food!

(Some trainers might ask, "But shouldn't training take place in the head, and not the stomach?" Yes that is true, but this is game time, remember?)

Try to get at least three fetching games (ten minutes each) into each day for three days in a row. These fetching drills should be in addition to a five or ten minute walk on the leash - daily. We're going to sneak in two commands while the puppy is having these "game times" and before he even realizes what's happened, he will have been trained to respond to "come" and "sit."

During your retrieving games, when your puppy has returned the play toy to you, place your left hand on his rear end and your right underneath his chin. Press lightly with your left hand while exerting a small amount of upward pressure with your right as you command "sit."

As soon as you have placed the puppy in that sitting position, pour on the enthusiastic praise, then toss the play toy out again. When the puppy returns with the toy, withhold any praise until you have commanded "sit" and have placed him in the sitting position. If the puppy should squirm from your grasp, and you fail to get him properly seated, do not throw the play toy, do not praise, and above all, do not give up!

Always Remain Positive

Thoughts like "he just won't do it," or "he won't let me," have absolutely no place in dog training. Use the leash to bring the puppy back to you, say "sit" and place the puppy in the sitting position. Conclude each fetch-sit game with a tidbit reward.

By the time you finish your third session of fetch-sit games, you'll notice that it really doesn't take much left-hand pressure at all to get your puppy seated. You have a 10 minute walk on leash still scheduled for each of the days four through seven. All things will be as they've been on preceding days, except - take four small tidbits with you. Make sure they are tucked away in your pocket - out of sight and scent - as you take the puppy outdoors.

After you begin what with the puppy believes to be a routine daily outing (we know it to be an important part of his socialization training), take a tidbit out of your pocket, kneel down to his level and say his name, followed by the command "come."

Using the leash, carefully pull the puppy towards you. Give him the tidbit, and at the same time pour on the praise. By giving the tidbit with the praise, your puppy will begin to learn that praise is synonymous with the reward.