Taking your first walks with a new dog is exciting. But puppies aren’t born with polite walking skills, and they won’t immediately understand why they have to wear a lead. Lead training together can both help you bond and keep your dog safe when you’re out and about.
You can start lead training your puppy as soon as you bring them home, which might be as early as 8 weeks. In fact, the sooner you start, the better—puppies are little sponges, and you can take advantage of this special time in their development to begin teaching good lead behaviours.
To learn more, we interviewed Nikita Poe, a certified Fear Free™ trainer at Force Free DC. She offers advice for every step of lead training a puppy, helpful tips, and thoughts on when to call in a pro.
1. Introducing the Lead
Puppies benefit from tackling lead training early. That’s because between the ages of 3 and 12 weeks, puppies are especially receptive to new experiences. Starting lead training in this period helps set the foundation for a well-adjusted adult dog with a lower risk of lead-related anxieties later in life.
Here’s how to get started with lead training a puppy.
- Make sure your puppy is comfortable in their collar. Once they’ve mastered collar training—and harness training, if you plan to walk them on a harness—the lead is next.
- Set the lead out on the floor. Choose a spot where your puppy is already comfortable. A familiar, low-distraction indoor environment is best.
- Reward your puppy for sniffing the lead. If your puppy doesn’t sniff it right away, you can start by rewarding them just for approaching it. Make sure to give lots of praise and a high-value treat.
- Repeat several times. If at any point your puppy looks anxious, don’t press the issue. You can always try again later.
- Clip the lead to your puppy’s collar and immediately reward. Let the lead drag on the ground for a few seconds. If your puppy tries to chew it, redirect them with a toy.
- Unclip the lead and reward.
- Repeat several times. Remember to offer lots of treats to build positive associations around your puppy’s lead.
It’s okay to break this process up into several sessions. In fact, if your puppy is showing signs of tiredness or frustration, it’s best to end your practice on a high note and try again later.
Choosing a good puppy lead
The best lead for a puppy is typically a thin, light lead of a fixed length, preferably six feet or less. Poe cautions puppy parents against bungee leads or retractable leads, since they run the risk of creating bad lead habits in a new dog. A bungee lead risks teaching a puppy that they can pull as they move forward, while a retractable lead is prone to causing walking injuries.
2. Walking Off Lead at Home
Once your puppy is comfortable with the lead, you can move on to the next step: getting them comfortable walking beside you. For this practice, you don’t need a lead at all—just good treats.
- Start indoors at home. Pick a comfortable and familiar place for your puppy where it’s easy for them to focus on you.
- Situate your puppy next to you and give them a treat. Every time your puppy returns to that space, reward them.
- Place a treat near your puppy’s nose and slowly walk forward. When they follow the treat, reward them. Poe recommends rewarding your puppy while they are in motion so that they don’t learn to stop during a walk.
- If your puppy moves ahead of you, bring them back with the treat. Continue until your puppy follows your cues and stays with you as you walk.
- Repeat this activity over and over—as long as your puppy is interested. Your puppy is learning to take their cues from your movements. Practice stopping, moving forward, and turning.
Tips and tricks
If your puppy is having trouble, it’s okay to return to the basics. Be sure to emphasise that the right space is the space next to you. And if they’re getting distracted, you can:
- Take a break—come back to practice later when your puppy isn’t tired or frustrated
- In your next practice session, use a really high-value treat—something your puppy likes a lot
- Make training sessions even shorter, focusing on just one or two steps at a time
- Manage the environment carefully, making sure you and your treats or rewards are the most interesting thing around
3. Walking on Lead at Home
Once your puppy is comfortable wearing their lead and knows the basics of walking beside you with a treat, you can start teaching them to walk on their lead indoors.
- Guide your puppy to the spot next to you, just like you did when teaching them to walk by your side.
- Gently clip the lead to your puppy’s collar or harness while they stay in their spot, then reward.
- Place a treat near your puppy’s nose and slowly walk forward. When they follow the treat and your movements, reward. The lead should just be one added element to a routine that you have already practiced.
- Repeat this activity over and over—as long as your puppy is interested. Practice stopping, moving forward, and turning.
- If your puppy moves ahead of you, bring them back with the treat. Continue until they follow your cues and stay with you as you walk.
Tips and tricks
If your puppy is a zig-zagger, develop a routine that keeps them on one side of you. This will help you when you move your walks outside.
If your puppy tries to bite the lead, try bringing a toy with you on the walk to make the lead less interesting. Keep your sessions short, productive, and full of praise.
CBCK-Christine via iStock
4. Walking on a Lead Outside
As Poe explains, taking your routine outside can be a big step for both puppy and pup parent, since there will be a lot of new distractions. Poe recommends starting easy. Even if you were able to achieve a 20-step walk indoors, aim for just a few good steps for your trips outside. This might also be the time to bring out the top-shelf puppy treats.
- Let your puppy explore the area first. This can help to temper their curiosity. Try to choose a relatively quiet place that your puppy has seen before.
- Begin with your puppy in their spot next to you and their lead on. Reward your puppy by giving them the exciting treats.
- Start with just a few steps forward, using a treat as a lure. Don’t be surprised if your puppy regresses a little in their new environment.
- Reward your puppy when they do the right thing. If it takes you a few tries to achieve your steps, that’s okay. Bring your puppy’s attention back to you, reward, and try again.
- Keep your initial sessions short. Those distractions wear on your puppy’s energy and patience. You want to keep walking sessions fun and provide a good training and bonding experience. It’s perfectly okay to have multiple short sessions each day.
- If you encounter other people or dogs while on your walk, use these as teaching opportunities to keep your puppy’s attention focused on you. Reward them with a treat, and gently correct them if they try to jump or greet the other group.
Tips and tricks
Keep your expectations reasonable when lead training a puppy. Even if your puppy was a superstar indoors, there is a lot more going on outside.
Because you know there will be new sights and smells, always give your puppy an opportunity to explore a little first. They can sniff, but don’t give them a chance to run or play with other dogs, as this will break their concentration. If they get too excited during their exploration, or if you have an unexpected distraction, consider postponing the training for later in the day so that you will have your pup’s full attention.
If the first session isn’t going well, consider:
- Upping the value of the treat
- Trying a high-value toy as a reward
- Going back to basics—just work on having your puppy stay in their spot next to you
Troubleshooting
Lead training a puppy is like any other training: things don’t always go perfectly according to plan. That’s okay! Every chance you have to work on training is also a chance to work on bonding. Keep your sessions short, interactive, and enjoyable. When you do run into trouble, try these helpful tips from Poe.
What if my puppy pulls?
Poe notes that many times, puppies and dogs will pull on their lead, no matter how uncomfortable it is, because they have learned that is what gets them to the thing they want.
So to help your puppy become a good loose-lead walker, as soon as your puppy pulls on the lead, stop and reset. Wait for your pup to turn back to you and give you their focus. Guide them back to your side. Reward them there, and then continue with the walk. This forward motion itself can be a reward.
What if my puppy bites the lead?
Lead biting is very common in puppies. After all, they experience life by tasting—the lead is interesting and maybe even soothing to their gums.
Poe explains that the best way to stop this from becoming a habit is to make the lead the least interesting part of the walk. Bring a favourite puppy toy and try using that as the reward for walking. Redirect with the toy whenever your pup starts looking like they’re ready to chew.
Photography by Adri via iStock
What if my puppy zig zags?
If your puppy zig zags, they’re right on track developmentally—most puppies zig zag when they first start out. Learning to walk on one side of you is a hard thing, since it’s not a behaviour your puppy would normally exhibit on their own.
If you’re having trouble getting your puppy to stay on one side of you, consider teaching your puppy a “go sniff” cue. This will allow them a break to explore. When your puppy comes back, restart by asking them to get into their spot, then reward them. Continue your walk in slow increments.
What if my puppy barks or lunges at other people or dogs?
If your puppy is barking or lunging when you meet other people and dogs, it might be a sign that they need more socialisation. Don’t scold your puppy in the moment—that can compound a negative experience. Instead, redirect their attention elsewhere and praise and reward calm behaviour.
Once your puppy is relaxed again, consider making time to watch people and pups from a greater distance, pairing the sight with treats so your puppy begins to build positive associations. You can even start working through a socialisation checklist.
If you and your pup are struggling, Poe recommends consulting a fear-free, positive reinforcement trainer, who can help you come up with a training plan.
What if my puppy doesn’t want to walk?
Not all puppies will take to walking right away. While the more energetic breeds are often inclined to explore, some of the less active pups (think Pugs and Lhasa Apsos) may seem disinterested. But lead training, exercise, and socialisation are still important.
If your puppy isn’t interested in a walk, try to find a way to positively incentivise practice. Find a toy or a treat that they love and go over the basics (spot, lead, and slow motion forward) with lots of praise and rewards.
It might also be that your puppy is getting overwhelmed by their environment. If you suspect this is the case, your vet is a great resource to help you get to the bottom of your puppy’s worries. They might also recommend a positive-reinforcement trainer or vet behaviourist to help you come up with a plan to build your pup’s confidence.
