Dog training - Teaching a puppy to accept his collar and leash

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Dog training - Teaching a puppy to accept his
collar and leash
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Learning to walk on a collar and leash is the
basis of all further training for every puppy.
Until the puppy has learned to accept the collar
and leash, it will be impossible to perform any
additional training
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The first step toward getting the puppy to accept
the collar and leash is to find a collar
that fits the dog properly. It is
important that the collar be neither too light
or too heavy, neither too thin nor too thick. A
collar that is too light for the dog can be
easily broken, while a collar that is too
heavy may be uncomfortable for the puppy
to wear. It is also important that the width
of the color be appropriate for the size of the
dog.
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Determining the proper length of the collar
is relatively easy. Simply wrap a tape
measure or a string lightly around the
dogs neck to get an accurate measurement.
It is important that the tape measure not be
tight, just slightly snug.
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Most collars are sized in two inch
increments, so you may have to round up to
get a properly sized collar. For instance, if the
dog has a 13 neck, you would buy a 14 collar,
and so on.
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After you have purchased the perfect
collar, the next step is to put it on
the dog and allow him to wear it around
the house. Do not be dismayed if the dog
whines, paws at the collar or otherwise
tries to remove it. This is normal, and the dog
should not be punished for it. It is best to
simply ignore the dog and allow him to work out
his own issues with the collar.
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The dog should be allowed to wear the
collar 24 hours a day for a number of days
to get used to the feel of the collar on his
neck. After the dog is accepting the collar
well, it is time to start introducing the
leash. A lightweight leash works best for this
process. Simply attach the leash to the
dogs collar and allow him to walk around
the house with it. The dog should of course be
supervised during this process in order to
make sure he does not get the leash
caught on anything. Getting the leash caught
or snagged could frighten the dog and create a
leash phobia that will be hard to overcome.
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In the beginning, the leash should only be
attached for a few minutes at a time. It is
important to attach the leash at happy times,
such as playtime, meal time, etc. It is
important for the dog to associate the leash
with happy things. When the leash is not attached
to the dog, it is a good idea to keep it near
the dogs food and water bowls. The dog should
be encouraged to investigate the leash, and to
discover that it is not something to fear.
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After the dog is used to walking around with
the leash attached, take the end of the
leash in your hand and just hold it.
Allow the dog to walk around. If the dog
bumps into the end of the leash, just
allow the dog to react and move as he desires.
The goal of this exercise is to simply allow
the dog to get used to the feel of the
collar and the leash.
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It is important to allow the puppy plenty
of time to get used to wearing the collar
and leash before ever attempting to lead the
puppy. It is best to perform this exercise
in the home or other environment where the
puppy feels safe and secure. After the puppy is
comfortable and content walking on the
leash in the home, it can slowly be taken
outside. It is best to make these
outside trips very short at the beginning,
and to lengthen them slowly over time. Some
puppies take to the collar and leash
immediately, while others may require some
additional time.
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To Learn More About Dog Training, go to
http//howtohousetraindog.com/go/dog-traininghtt
p//howtohousetraindog.com/go/theonlinedogtrainer
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