Imagine you and your dog out walking on a beautiful spring day. The weather is perfect. Your dog stays happily by your side, on a loose leash, without lunging, pulling or trying to change your direction. With these tips, and a bit of patient training, that day could be only a few weeks away.

Whether you are starting with a puppy or an adult dog, start out each training session with a calm dog who can follow basic instructions. If your dog has been indoors all day, start out by burning off any extra energy. This will make him more ready to listen. Make sure your dog can follow 'sit' and 'stay' instructions before moving to leash training (this is especially important for larger or adult dogs). In fact, make him prove it by staying put while you attache the leash.


Start each training session in a familiar environment, either indoors, or maybe in a back yard. This cuts out distractions and lets your dog focus on your instructions.

When the dog is on-leash, train him to walk on the same side, in the same spot, all the time. Start by using a lead or other guide and placing it right where you want his nose to be. Reward him with a small treat when he stays in this position. Start with a treat every time he reaches that position, then reduce treat frequency until you are rewarding him only for when he can maintain correct position for 5-10 minutes. Now he knows where you want him to be.

While out walking, never let the dog pull, and never let them walk ahead of you. Let him know to slow down or maintain direction with a short, sharp tug of the leash (up and across your body, away from the dog), followed by an immediate release. The idea is to get your dog's attention without getting into a tug of war (that's why the release is important - the leash must be a communication tool not a restraint, or walks may become wrestling matches). Use no more force than required to jerk the dog's head and shoulders a little. Don't pull him off his feet. As you pull, say "No" firmly. Eventually, he will associate the word with the leash tug, and the leash tug will no longer be necessary. When your dog adjusts his behavior after a leash tug, praise him immediately. It is very important to match negative and positive reinforcement.

For smaller puppies who keep running ahead, try starting out by just changing direction to keep them at your side. This is a softer approach you can try before resorting to leash tugs, and it can be used with the lead and treats training.