What to Know About Leash Training Your Puppy
You did it! You decided to bring a new, furry bundle of joy into your life, and now it's here! A puppy provides instant pleasure and companionship to any home and can forever change the family dynamic for the better.
But with that puppy comes a whole lot more than tail wags, fetches, and those luxurious summer evening walks down the lane with a happy, well-behaved dog walking calmly next to you. A new-to-this-world puppy or even a new-to-you adult dog comes with a big list of responsibilities:
- Vet visits
- Choosing the right food
- Housebreaking, and, yes,
- Figuring out the best and safest way for you and your pooch to enjoy those lovely long walks with leash training
A dog leash or luxury leash from LuxeMutt is the lifeline between you and your new best friend. It is one of the most important purchases you will make regarding the future life of your new pet, right up there with the first bag of chow and its food and water bowls. Katherine Grier, author of Dogs in America: A History, told slate.com, "Along with collars, leashes are the obvious first step in domestication" in describing humans' very first forays into keeping dogs as pets in the ancient world.
In the modern world, we have the perfect high-fashion luxury leash for your dog, no matter how big or small, how old or young, active or inactive, or what kind of personality they have. Our luxury leashes add fun to the necessity of a dog leash, so the doggie stepping out onto the sidewalk or jaunting down the boulevard with you every day does so in comfort and style.
Fashion meets function with our dog leashes, and since maybe you're still a good ways away from those long summer strolls, let's consider a few basic things about leash training your pooch.
Create a Positive Association with a Leash
The relationship that develops between you and your new puppy begins with those magical first four-footed steps across the floors of our homes. Not long after that, especially with puppies, comes figuring out how to get that cute little critter not to relieve itself wherever it happens to be at the time.
From those precious, unpredictable first few days to the days when a big part of the routine is the relaxing evening stroll through the neighborhood (you can do this!), the right luxury leash is a must, and so is leash training.
A great leash can make the entire leash training process much more enjoyable and much safer for your dog, your family, and those your dog interacts with along the way.
There are thousands of leash training YouTube videos out there lending visual aid to the process of getting your dog to walk correctly on its lead and to learn that the owner is in control of the walk, but the American Kennel Club lays down the basics in black and white on its site.
First and foremost, with bright-eyed puppies, the name of the leash training game is creating a positive association between the dog and the dog leash. One approach is simply putting the pup on its new leash while it's still inside to get it used to feel of the leash before launching it into the world of distractions outside. We recommend a luxury leash from our collection of genuine leather Martini Bowtie or Minimalist leashes.
The AKC also recommends using treats while leash training to teach verbal cues and foster a positive association with putting on the leash as the start of a walk or even a quick trip outside.
Don't Overdo It With Your New Puppy!
Always remember, your new best friend doesn't have the same attention span as you - not even close - so be patient when you start leash training your dog.
Once the dog starts recognizing the cues and wearing its luxury leash inside, you can slowly begin to 'walk' in short distances indoors with the dog on its leash. Go in small, short sessions. An overloaded puppy will lose interest in a hurry, but one brought along steadily and rewarded along the way will soon be ready for its first outdoor excursion.
When the time comes to move outside, take the cues you have taught your dog with you. That means on your first outdoor leash training walk, when the distractions begin to take over and your pooch wants to wander, pull, or lunge, use the same cue you taught inside once again. Try to make lasting cues that work no matter if it's inside or out, distractions or not.
Any leash training book, video, or web site will tell you to avoid excessively yanking your dog as a means of control or getting its attention while on its dog leash. Instead, when your dog pulls or tries to go in another direction, the AKC says one means of combating it is to make yourself into a tree. Stop and stand in place, not allowing the dog to go any farther and forcing it to return to your side. Soon, it will understand, despite all distraction and temptation out there in the world, the walk stops and goes with you.
Strive for Loose-Leash Walking
Ultimately, the goal of leash training is to reach the point where your pup finally gets it. At this stage, the routine is working, and going out and putting on that luxury leash is now understood to be an essential and refreshing part of the doggie day for owner and pet alike. Now it's common knowledge between the human and the canine who is in control and what the boundaries are of the walk.
As the dog matures, there will be new places, new encounters, and some much longer adventures while tethered to a luxury leash, and what they learn now will dictate how things go later.
Loose-leash walking, the ability to walk your dog and be neither pulled by it nor have to be the one doing the pulling, is essential.
Generally, the AKC recommends a 6-foot leash when leash training your dog, but it won't be long before yours is riding in style with either a 4-foot Minimalist Leash or a Martini Bowtie Leash, perfectly paired with a matching collar.
We do not recommend pairing the dog leash with a rear-clamping harness, at least at first, as they can actually encourage pulling when leash training your dog. Instead, a buckle-type collar or front-clasping harness or head halter is encouraged for loose-leash training.
It takes a methodical, dedicated strategy during leash training to make the routine stick, and repetition and positive reinforcement are the keys to a happier, better-behaved dog.
Use the Ignore, Reward, Repeat Strategy in Leash Training
One way to start the loose-leash training process, and another way to start good dog-walking habits in general, is to start inside, and in this case, off the dog leash. Ignore the dog entirely for a few minutes as you go about your usual business around the house and then excitedly call the dog and immediately reward your animal with a treat when it comes to you.
Next, go on a short indoor walk with more treats offered routinely along the way with success. This affirmation builds the dog's attentiveness and makes the association that good things come with obedient behavior. This leash training process can and should be repeated, furthering the understanding that the sound of your voice is the authority and, simultaneously, that you are the treat-giver.
With a luxury leash attached to its collar and looking snappy, now it's time to take it back outside. In addition to the tree stance technique for pulling or wandering dogs, you can also try stopping and taking a few steps backward, away from the pulling pup when it wants to dictate the walk.
Remember to be encouraging and positive during this process, but also be firm. This is still your show, and you must play your part. It is easier said than done to teach your dog that pulling on his luxury leash is bad for business. If you repeat this same process over and over and remember in the early stages to keep rewarding your dog for success (every three or four steps at the beginning before steadily decreasing), eventually, it too will become just another part of the routine. Like all parenting, however, the rules must be applied every time to get results every time. Reward the dog for its compliance and keep at it!
How Do I Choose the Right Luxury Leash?
The size, age, and activity level of your dog are some of the most significant considerations to be made when choosing a luxury leash.
Of course, a long-term dog leash needs to offer comfort and strength. A great luxury leash enhances the outdoor experience for both pet and owner. It gives the animal a safe way to sniff out all the smells and do its business while providing the doggie parent the peace of mind of knowing everyone is happy and safe while out on the stroll.
Many dogs will go through several leashes as they quickly bound through puppyhood and leash training into adulthood.
We are there for every one of those steps, offering a luxury leash with comfort, security, and a big splash of color and style.
Get to Know the Long Leash of the Law
In every city or municipality, there are ordinances about keeping your dog on a leash. It is common sense that unbound dogs can be a danger to themselves and others, but in most places, letting your dog run loose can cost you money, too.
Unless you live on a farm or some other vast expanse of land, dog owners are as tied to dog luxury leashes as the dogs themselves, and we want you and your dog both to enjoy the experience while complying.
Check with local animal agencies about the specifics of the leash laws and other dog and animal-ordinances in your city, county, or state and learn the details. Sometimes our dogs get away from us even when we do have a great plan in place, but our luxury leashes and accessories can help avoid those stressful events.
More History and Leash Lore
Mary Delaney is credited with being the inventor of the dog leash, first seeking a patent for 'dog leading' devices more than a century ago in 1908.
Her idea, however, was far from a new one. Although she helped to revolutionize the concept and importance of tethering your animal to a lead that allows it to be safely restrained, the dog leash is a much more ancient idea.
People in ancient Egypt recognized the need to have a lead for the safety and management of their canines. Ancient Egyptians held dogs in such high regard that they often were mummified in the same tombs as their owners and family members.
Delaney's ideas included a retractable mechanism to keep slack between owner and dog at a minimum and to feed the leash back out when desired. Such thinking was ahead of its time, but those ideas gave rise to many modern leashes, including training leashes for young pups, harnesses for larger canines, similar retracting/feeding-style leashes, and luxury leashes.
The Luxury of Our Leashes
Let's be honest. One of the things that go hand-in-paw with having a new pup is sharing those moments with friends, family, and all of the internet.
Memories captured on phones and shared with the planet on social media will be made much sweeter with a luxury leash that makes your pup unique and helps define its personality.
You can choose to stand out in a crowded city with our seafoam green leather Martini Bowtie Leash or escape onto a wooded trail with a pop of color with our pink Minimalist Leash. Both styles come in other eye-popping colors made from super-soft, high-grade leather reinforced for added durability. Our leashes have sturdy nickel-plated clasps and precision perimeter nylon topstitching. The Minimalist Leash is four feet in length and comes in two width options: ½-inch or ¾-inch.
Unleash the power and style of a luxury leash! Decide which LuxeMutt dog leash is the perfect one for your pup. Then, follow these leash training guidelines, and before you know it, you and your hound will be out on the town!