Dog Lead Training: Top 7 Tips
“To lead or not to lead, that is the question.”
My Shakespeare isn’t great, but I hope you enjoy these seven quick and easy dog lead training tips.
Tip 1: Different Training Styles
There are many different styles of dog training, and finding the one that works best for you is important for helping your dog become a faithful member of your family. All successful methods of dog training work to reinforce the relationship between dog and handler. Fortunately, dogs are wired by nature to seek out leaders, and to follow the direction of those leaders.
Tip 2: Lead/Collar Training
This post focuses on one of the most popular methods of dog training – lead/collar training. Most of the posts on this site focus on the other popular style of training dogs often called reward training or positive reinforcement.
Both lead/collar training and reward training have been around for a long time, and they have proven their effectiveness over time. The type of training that works best will vary from dog to dog, and from breed to breed. It is important to remember that each breed of dog has its own unique qualities.
Tip 3: Dog Personalities
Personalities of individual dogs vary quite a bit, even within established breeds. You, as the owner of the dog, know better than anyone which style of dog training will work best.
Tip 4: High Level Of Reliability
Lead and collar training is the best way to accomplish many types of dog training. For instance, dogs that have an important job to do, such as police dogs, generally benefit from leash and collar training.
Tip 5: Degrees Of Force
In lead and collar training, varying degrees of force can be used, ranging from slight prompts with the lead to very harsh corrections. The amount of correction used should be appropriate to the situation.
Tip 6: Controlling & Communicating
In a dog collar and lead-based training program, first, the dog is taught a particular behaviour, generally with the lead. After the dog has demonstrated that it understands the command, the lead is then used to correct the dog if it disobeys, or makes a mistake.
The lead is the main form of controlling and communicating with the dog in lead and collar training.
Tip 7: Physical Manipulation
When using dog lead training tips, the dog is trained to trust the handler and accept directions without question.
In order for the dog to be fully trained, the handler must demonstrate the ability to place the dog into a position they do not want to take. This may require some level of physical manipulation. This manipulation is most easily and safely done using the main tool of lead and collar training – the lead.
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed those seven dog lead training tips.
It is important for every would-be dog trainer to understand that the lead is simply a tool. It is important for the dog trainer to eventually achieve the same results using whatever tools are at hand.
Even when the only tools at hand are the owner’s body and skill, the dog should be willing to obey.
Creating a leader-follower relationship between handler and dog is still important. A properly trained dog should be willing to obey whether the lead is present or not.
Before you go, read on to discover the secret sauce to dog training success...
Loving Leadership
Have a philosophy of loving leadership when training your dog.
As a loving leader, you should be constantly working on the communication pathways with your dog. At the bare minimum, your dog should also have some basic commands such as the lie-down command, sit command, and stay command.
When your dog knows a few basic dog obedience commands he or she will feel loved because they know what you want and have no anxiety or fear about what they should be doing and when.
Once your dog has a few commands under his or her belt (I mean, collar), practice behaviour dog training, command dog training and tricks dog training regularly to ensure your dog is physically and mentally healthy. As you are probably acutely aware, untrained dogs have a way of taking over the control of a home if not taught otherwise (which can be a nightmare). A trained dog, however, will bring years of doggie love to your household.
Pssst. Don't tell anyone, but you can become a loving leader by getting your paws on my Dog Training Planner. You can get my Dog Training Planner for a limited time at a 70% discount.
