Even though walking a dog is often portrayed as a Zen moment that is both peaceful and enjoyable, the reality of the situation is often not quite so perfect. In fact, leash training a puppy is probably one of the more challenging aspects of dog training.

When our puppy is out on a walk, he is exposed to a lot of new stimuli, including new sights, sounds, and smells. Everything will be very exciting, even leaves flying in the wind and he will want to chase, smell, and see all of it at top speed. That is part of the joy of spending time with a puppy; sharing the excitement, joy, and wonder of youth.

However, all that excited energy can also cause crazy pulling, barking, jumping on people, and sometimes aggression. Here, we consider some of the key leash training ingredients that will help make dog walking into a fun, relaxing, and enjoyable experience.

Train Your Puppy to Walk on a Leash

Putting on a Collar

In the beginning, a puppy will be unfamiliar with collars and leashes. He may get apprehensive about having something new around his neck, and the weight of the leash may feel strange. My Shiba Inu was very sensitive to wearing collars during puppyhood. When we tried to put one on him on the first day, he tried to bite us, as well as the breeder’s husband.

From the puppy’s point of view, having some unknown person put a strange object on a vulnerable part of his body must seem extremely dangerous.

One of the best ways to start the leash training experience right, is to slowly desensitize our puppy to the collar. Help him learn that the collar is a positive thing that gets put on before a fun outing. Here is how I desensitized my dog to wearing a collar –

• First, I get some food that my dog really likes. Then I ask him for a Sit, show him the collar and reward.
• I keep repeating this until he gets comfortable and is looking forward to seeing the collar.
• Next, I briefly touch my puppy with the collar and treat him for staying calm. I repeat until he is comfortable with this new step.
• Then, I drape the collar on his neck and reward. I repeat until he is relaxed and comfortable.
• I continue doing a little more each time so that the collar becomes more and more familiar, in a positive way.
• If I observe any kind of stress from my dog, I back off, and go back to the previous step. This ensures that collar training sessions are always fun and rewarding.

Note that the snap sound made when fastening a collar can sometimes startle a dog. A useful added step, is to have some snap sessions. First I snap the collar without it being on my dog’s neck, treat, and so on. Later, when I snap the collar around his neck, he will already be comfortable with the sound.

Collar desensitization exercises with my Shiba Inu.

In the collar desensitization process, make sure to always go slowly and not overtax our puppy. Remember that the main idea is to get our dog comfortable with the collar and help him associate it with something positive. Do not force the collar on because he will start to associate it with a negative experience, and will likely fight us every time he sees the collar.

Putting on a Leash

Husky puppy wearing a drag lead (only with a flat collar and only under supervision).

Some dogs may also be uncomfortable with the feel and weight of a leash. When I first got my puppy, I would fasten a light leash onto his collar, let him move around, and play with the leash on. While using a drag-lead –

• I make sure I am around to supervise.
• I use a flat collar and *not* an aversive collar. An aversive collar such as a choke chain or a prong collar can cause physical harm to a dog when not properly used. They should not be used with a drag lead or when a dog is off-leash.
• I ensure that the leash does not get caught on any furniture or fixtures.

When my puppy is comfortable with the light leash, I may play with him and occasionally pick up the lead during play. This will help him to associate being linked to me through the leash, as something fun and positive. Next, I use a heavier leash and so on.

In general, I start small, pair the leash and collar with positive experiences, and very slowly increase the challenge one step at a time.

Shiba Inu Sephy is now very comfortable with collar and leash.

Dog Walking Speed

Dog Walking Speed

Most dogs, especially larger dogs, will naturally walk faster than we do. In leash training, we want to get our dogs to reduce their natural walking speed so that their much slower two-legged companions can keep up.

An effective way to get a dog to slow down is to teach him the following –

The fastest way to get to where he wants to go, is by slowing down and walking with us.

When my dog starts to pull, and the leash gets taut, I no-mark (Ack, Ack) and stop walking. Initially, my puppy continued to pull and even tried to pull harder to get forward. However, I just calmly ignored him and stood still.

As soon as he stops pulling, I start moving forward. In this way, he learns the following lesson –

• Pull = We stop moving,
• Don’t Pull = Get to go where he wants to go.

For this method to work, it is important to be very consistent with our starts and stops. I do not let my dog pull sometimes, but not at other times. This will encourage our dog to pull even more because the next pull may cause us to give in and to move forward. I always make sure to stop as soon as the leash gets taut, and start again once the leash is loose.

For this method to work, it is important to be very consistent with our starts and stops.

I set my dog up for success by starting small and taking things one step at a time.

In the beginning, I had to stop very often and did not get very far from my front door. But I kept at it and made sure that I consistently stopped every time there was any pulling. My puppy quickly learned that it is in his best interest to slow down and walk with me because if he does, he gets more freedom, he gets to choose his favorite smell spots, and he also gets to stop to smell the roses.

As with everything else, I set my dog up for success by starting small and taking things one step at a time. Initially, I would practice leash training inside the house. The house environment is more familiar to a puppy, it is safe, and low stimulus. In this way, we can both focus on walking together at a measured pace, without pulling.

Once he is comfortable with walking on-leash inside the house, then we move to the backyard and practice there. Each successful session will help to build his confidence, as well as teach him to associate leash training with being calm and having a fun outing.

Here is a list of other leash training methods, together with their pros and cons.

I do not walk my puppy in the neighborhood until after he has had all of his vaccination shots.

Young puppies are especially vulnerable when out on walks because they want to explore everything and still have developing immune systems. Therefore, they can easily pick up germs and parasites from contaminated water or poop from other dogs and wild animals.

I do early dog socialization by going to puppy class or puppy play sessions in daycare centers. I make sure that both places check for health and vaccination records, and are clean, well-run, and well supervised.

Pulling = we stop moving, Not-pulling = we get to where we want to go.

Leash Training – Greeting People & Dogs

Greeting People & Dogs

Another challenging part of leash training is what to do when our puppy gets over-excited because he sees new people, new dogs, or a squirrel running up a tree. How excited a dog gets and how much he pulls will depend on the dog’s temperament and prey drive.

Dogs with high prey drive will frequently go rear-brain when they spot any nearby prey, especially if the prey is moving. Once this occurs, the dog starts reacting based on instinct, and is no longer able to listen to commands, or redirect onto food or toys. At this point, I can only move my dog away to a more quiet area, where he can calm down.

Therefore, the key is to be vigilant and take action *before* our dog switches to instinct mode. If we catch things early enough, we can teach our dog to stay calm and to use the right behaviors while greeting people and other dogs.

Remember that distance is our friend. 

My Siberian Husky gets very excited when people give her any kind of attention, including just eye contact. Usually I just cross the street and move on. When this is not possible, I move into a driveway and engage her in doing simple commands. This creates space between my Sibe and the passing people and ensures that she does not invade other people’s space unless invited to.

Some other steps I take to deal with meeting people and other dogs –

1. Slowly desensitize my puppy to people and other dogs.
2. Be vigilant and engage my dog in alternate activities (e.g. obedience exercises) before he gets over-excited and goes read-brain,
3. Always be calm and decisive, so that my dog learns to be calm and look to me for direction.

Slowly desensitize our puppy to people and other dogs.

Leash Training Supplies

When people think of dog walking supplies, they usually think about the collar and lead. My favorite collar is the no-slip Premier martingale collar, which I use together with a nice leather leash.

Leather leashes may be a bit more expensive but they are easy on the hands, durable, and are secure even under heavy pulling. Make sure the metal clasp on the leash is high quality and well-built. Most nylon leashes I have gotten tend to have small clasps that break open whenever there is any serious pulling.

In addition to collar and leash, here are some other important leash training supplies –

Leash Training Supplies

• I make sure to bring enough water. A dog water bottle is great because it contains a bottle of water as well as a fitted bowl for easy drinking.
• I bring some treats or rewards with me so that I can practice obedience exercises during walks.
• I always have several poop bags available and scoop up after my dog. Leaving poop on the sidewalk and on other people’s lawns dirties the neighborhood, makes walking unpleasant, encourages dog poop eating, as well as gets people angry at all dogs and dog owners. Ultimately, it may even lower property prices. Therefore, it pays to take care of our neighborhood by picking up after our dog.

Always have several poop bags available and scoop up after our puppy.

Each option has its own strengths and weaknesses. To effectively leash train our dog, we want to pick the most appropriate tools based on his unique temperament, energy level, size, and style. Using inappropriate equipment may complicate training, worsen our dog’s behavior, and sometimes even cause physical harm.

After getting a new piece of equipment, I always read all the instructions carefully. Incorrect use of leash training tools, may also inadvertently hurt our dog.

Note that collars and leashes are just one aspect of leash training. Consistency, patience, and technique, are also very important to teach our dog to walk without pulling.

Leash Training Equipment.

Leash Training Equipment 1

Collar and Leash

While leash training my dog, I use a flat, thick (1 inch), Martingale or buckle collar. The thicker collar will distribute the force when our dog pulls, so he is less likely to choke himself. Unlike plastic snap-on collars, Martingale and buckle collars are strong, and less likely to slip or break when under strain.

I also use a regular 6 foot leash. I like the leather leashes best, because they are easy on my hands, and have very little give when my dog pulls. Cotton leashes easily stretches when force is applied, which gives me less control over my dog. Nylon leashes are a good alternative to leather, but they are a bit more abrasive on the hands.

Do not use a flexi-leash until we are extremely confident that our dog will walk close to us, and will not bolt at the sight of cats, squirrels, dogs, or other environmental triggers. The flexi-leash gives our dog a lot of freedom to roam, but provides us with very little control over his movements.

Flexi-leashes should only be used as a reward for a leash-trained veteran, who is not reactive to the environment, and is very responsive to voice commands.

The flexi-leash can be a useful first-step, for teaching a dog how to walk off-leash. Only do this after he has mastered how to walk on-leash, using a regular 6 foot lead.

Leash training Shiba Inu Sephy using a flat collar, and a 6 foot leather leash.

Leash Training Equipment 2

Dog Harness

If we have a smaller dog that pulls a lot, and is constantly choking himself on the collar, it may be best to use a harness, especially for long walks.

Premier has an Easy Walk harness, where the leash is attached to the front (chest area), rather than back of the dog. This harness gives us slightly better control over pulling, compared to a step-in harness. However, the Easy Walk harness is also more difficult to put on a dog.

The Ruffwear harness is more secure, and will prevent our dog from escaping during walks. It also provides good body support, which is why I used it for my 3 legged dog.

Most dogs will object to the harness initially. Therefore, make putting on the harness, be a positive experience that is paired with food and praise. Then, follow it up with an enjoyable dog walk. Remember to remove the harness at the end of the walk.

A harness may not be as appropriate for a larger dog that pulls, because it amplifies the pull force, and makes him even more difficult to control. For larger dogs, consider using a head halti.

Leash Training - Shiba Inu Sephy wearing a step-in harness.

Leash Training Equipment 3

Head Halti

Premier ECO Gentle Leader Head Dog Collar from Amazon.com.

The head halti is an effective tool to stop dogs from pulling, especially larger dogs.

It allows us to control a dog’s head, with very little force, in the same way that horses are controlled. When a dog pulls, his head is automatically directed back to us. By controlling his head, we can stop him from pulling, obsessing over squirrels and cats, as well as lunging after other dogs.

The problem with the head halti is that it does not really help with leash training our dog.

Once we take it off, our dog will likely start pulling again. I use the head collar, when I take in-training dogs for long walks at the park. In this way, I have good control over them, and do not have to worry about them pulling, or taking off to chase after squirrels.

However, I also keep up with regular, halti-free leash training sessions, during shorter neighborhood walks.

Another weakness of the head collar is that it has straps across the dog’s face and muzzle. Since these areas are more sensitive to touch, the friction and force caused by the collar may generate a fair amount of discomfort for the dog. Initially, most dogs will dislike wearing the head halti, and some may refuse to walk when they have it on. By pairing it with positive rewards and experiences, we can train some dogs to get accustomed to wearing it.

Do not use the head collar with a flexi-leash. The high force jerk that occurs when a dog hits the end of a flexi, may cause significant harm to the dog. For safe use, make sure to read the instructions very carefully, and fit the collar properly on our dog’s head.

Leash Training Equipment 4

Prong Collar and Choke Chain

Prong collars and choke collars (also called choke chains, slip collars, or slip chains) are used to implement stronger leash corrections.

Only use a prong collar as a last resort, and under proper supervision by a professional trainer.

Choke chains apply a more extreme pain stimulus to the dog than even prong collars, and may cause injury even when fitted properly. For these reasons, I do not use choke chains on any of my dogs.

Here is another article by Paddy Driscoll on the dangers of using choke collars.

Note – Because of the risks associated with choke chains, they are often given other fancy names, for example the Illusion collar. Be careful to do research on the collars we use, to make sure that they are not a renamed version of choke collars.

Because of the high risks involved, I do not use choke collars or shock collars on any of my dogs.

Leash Training Equipment 5

Shock Collar or Electronic Collar

Shock collars or electronic collars are often used to train working dogs that must herd livestock, or perform other tasks from a distance, and with great accuracy. They can be easily be misused, and are unnecessary for house dogs.

Do not use a shock collar unless we have good prior experience in training dogs, and only use it under the direction of a professional trainer, for very specialized work tasks.

Shock collars are risky and generally not recommended for modifying or stopping bad dog behaviors. Scientific studies show that these collars increase stress, lower general quality of life, may worsen our dog’s behavior, and may even encourage extreme aggression.

Dog Leash Training Equipment

Training equipment including choke chains, prong collars, Martingale collars, the head halti, and harnesses, should only be used during supervised training sessions. I use them during walks, and remove them as soon as I get home. Training collars and leashes can easily catch on furniture, or other objects around the house, and cause our dog physical harm and emotional distress.

The only collar I leave on my dog for the long term, is a properly fitted flat collar. When I leave a flat collar on a puppy, I make sure to readjust it regularly to accommodate the puppy’s rapid growth rate. Some flat collars may also slip with use, and become loose. Thus, they may need regular adjustment even for adult dogs.

Leash Training - Shiba Inu Sephy taking a break during a fun leash training session.

Walking has not been very fun lately.

Both the Pungent-One and the Female in my pack have started to jerk my leash during walks. Sometimes this happens very often.

Walks are more fun without the constant pain in the neck.

It is painful especially when the Pungent-Male does it. When the-Female one does it, it is merely annoying. I am getting really irritated by this.

For now, I will give them the benefit of the doubt. They seem pretty clueless and do not know any better. But this cannot continue indefinitely – ultimately, I am going to have to show them the error of their ways.

It is exactly behavior like this that makes 2-legs strange, incomprehensible, and untrustworthy.

2-legs do not understand that if I wanted to, I could also use aversive techniques on them, and I am much better and more accurate at applying my bites than they will ever be.

I am much better and more accurate at applying aversive techniques than 2-legs will ever be. Look at my teeth!

If they do not want me to bite them, then it is only fair that they show me the same courtesy.

But 2-legs is only 2-legs. They are slow to learn, so I will give them some time.

Plus, they give me cheese … For the sake of cheese I will be patient, use small words, and speak very slowly. I will go now and have a dream about cheese … ummmm CHEESE.

Shiba Sephy dreaming about cheese.

Shiba Wisdom
Dear 2-legs,

You have thin skin, weak legs, and small teeth. You cannot run very fast, are easily hurt, and have weak, inaccurate bites. In a fair physical fight, you cannot win. So why do you choose this way of fighting?

I have been doing some reading on 2-legs and I know you have big brains and can do some things better than I can – like make cheese! If I were you I would focus on brain and cheese skills.

If you choose to fight, and force me to fight back, then everybody will lose in the end.

If you choose to fight, and force me to fight back, then everybody will lose. If you give me trust and respect, I will also return in kind.

Pulling will get him nowhere.

Instead, walking properly next to us, is the quickest way to get to his destination.

To teach this lesson, it is important NOT to reward our dog for pulling.

Do not let our dog drag us along, and do not pet or give him any affection while he is pulling. Teach him to walk on a loose leash first, before attempting to walk him close to us in a heel position.

Leash Training Your Dog.

Here are some leash training techniques:

1. Red-Light, Green-Light

1. Red-Light, Green-Light.

A simple way to leash train a dog and teach him not to pull, is to …

• Stop walking when the leash is taut, and
• Start moving again when the leash is loose.

We do not even need to say anything to our dog. Through our actions, he will figure out the rules of the game.

When we stop, some dogs may decide to roam around and smell whatever is available in the environment. To stop this, I usually shorten the leash and bring my dog in next to me. This does a better job at limiting his freedom, which makes this technique more effective.

In addition, I only start moving again after my dog does a Sit next to me. I use a shorter lead in the beginning, then slowly lengthen it if my dog walks nicely, and without pulling. By changing the length of the lead, we can control the amount of freedom our dog has, and further motivate him not to pull.

Initially, we may need to stop very frequently, so be ready for really short walks. However, it is important to be patient and absolutely consistent with the stop rule. Otherwise, our dog will learn that if he pulls enough times, we will give-in and let him go wherever he wants. This encourages him to pull more in the future.

2. 180 Degree Turn

Depending on the age and temperament of our dog, frequent hard stops may cause him to get frustrated. Too much pent-up frustration can make a dog act out in other ways, for example, he may resort to leash biting.

If we are training an easily frustrated or excitable dog, it may be more effective to use the 180-turn technique.

As soon as our dog starts to pull, quickly turn around and start walking in the opposite direction. In this way, the dog can release his pent-up energy, because he is still doing something physical – walking. At the same time, he learns that when he pulls, he just gets farther away from his desired destination.

If our dog walks properly on a loose leash for a few seconds, we can mark him for his good behavior (Good), turn back, and resume our walk. If he starts pulling again, it is fine to walk back and forth on the same stretch of ground until he learns not to pull.

Shiba Inu Sephy turning around to wait for me.

3. Hand Targeting

Hand Targeting - Put our hand close to her muzzle and say 'Nose'.

Hand Targeting - As soon as Shania touches my hand with her nose, I mark her (Yes) and treat her.

Start by training the dog to target our hand at home.

First, I put some dog treats in my hand, and make sure my dog knows that it is there. Then, I put my hand close to his muzzle and say Nose. As soon as my dog touches my hand with his nose, I mark him (Yes) and treat him. I repeat this exercise until I am confident that he has learned the command.

Next, I move a few steps away, put my hand out in the same gesture, and say Nose. When he moves toward me and touches my hand, I mark the behavior (Yes) and treat. I keep repeating this inside the house, then continue the exercise in the backyard.

Once we are comfortable doing this in the backyard, we can try using this technique outside.

If the dog pulls, non-mark him (Uh-oh), get him to do a Sit, re-target him on our hand, and continue the leash training session.

In this way, our dog learns that pulling is inappropriate, and walking close to us will get him affection and treats. We can treat less often, and slowly phase out the treats altogether, once our dog learns to walk calmly by our side.

If our dog pulls, non-mark him (Uh-oh), get him to do a Sit, re-target him on our hand, and continue the training session.

4. Collar Correction/ Leash Correction/ Leash Jerk

The most common aversive technique for leash training a dog, is to perform collar corrections (also called leash corrections or leash jerks).

A collar correction must be a quick jerk of the leash. There is only tension for an extremely short amount of time (a quarter-second or less), and then the leash should be loose again. Most people tend to do tugs rather than jerks, which will do little in training the dog.

Tugs may actually exacerbate the situation, because it places continuous tension on the leash. This tension may cause the dog to get tense and frustrated.

We must also be properly positioned for the collar correction, so that the force is always to the side rather than directly back. Jerking to the back may encourage the dog to lunge forward to oppose the force, thus causing him to pull even more.

To work well in leash training, collar corrections must be executed with the proper force, proper timing, and proper redirection. This is necessary so that the dog learns that pulling is wrong, without becoming afraid of his surroundings, or distrustful of his owner.

If not properly implemented, a collar correction may backfire and cause additional behavioral problems including dog aggression.

Only use collar corrections as a last resort. Only use collar corrections under the direction of an experienced professional trainer.

4. Collar corrections did not work well for Shiba Inu Sephy. Collar corrections ultimately caused aggression, motivation, and trust issues.

How to Stop Dog Pulling

Some dogs and some dog breeds will pull more than others. For example, I have two Siberian Huskies, and they both pull more than my Shiba Inu, because Huskies are bred to pull. However, by starting training early and being very consistent, even Huskies can be trained to walk at a measured pace by our side.

In the beginning, I leash train my dog in the backyard, where there are very few distractions. Once my dog is comfortable walking there without pulling, I move on to more quiet areas of the neighborhood. Another alternative is to walk during off-peak hours, where there are fewer people and dogs around.

By carefully choosing our training environments, we can set our dog up for success, and help build his confidence. Once he is comfortable walking in a given area, we can slowly increase the level of distraction.

Before we know it, we will be enjoying a wonderful neighborhood walk with our dog! 😀