Dog Obedience Leash Training

Dog Obedience Leash Training By Andrew Ledford 714-827-4058

Dog obedience training – Leash Training Tips and Techniques

Control your dog with the leash
Keep the leash loose
Learn how to make a snappy leash correction

Dog obedience training with the leash

Protection Training German Shepherd Dog. Notice the training leash used for control at this stage of the training.

Although obedience training with positive reinforcement has become very popular in the last 25 years, the leash and collar is still the best way to do many kinds of dog training. Leash and collar training is especially useful in situations where you need a great deal of reliability. Leash training is often the best choice when training a dog that’s highly motivated not to obey. An example would be obedience training with a police k-9 patrol dog who is highly motivated to bite and fight.

The leash and collar can be used with varying degrees of force. This could be from a very mild leash prompt to hard corrections. However, when the leash is used, it is best not to nag the dog with ineffective correction. When using the leash know what technique you are using. Are you guiding the dog, prompting, or correcting the dog?

Generally with a leash based obedience training system the dog is first taught a behavior before corrections are introduced. The exception to this is lunging on the leash. While lunging is often corrected, most behaviors are taught by placing the dog into position while using the leash for assistance or guidance. Once the dog shows it really knows the command, the leash is used to correct the dog for not obeying, or when the dog makes a mistake. The most common problem with a leash training system is that most people don’t do enough preliminary training before they start making leash corrections. With this style of dog obedience training, the leash is the main form of controlling the dog.

In order for a dog to be fully trained, I think all dogs should be trained to trust the handler and allow the handler to at least place the dog into a position or a posture the dog does not want to assume. This doesn’t necessarily require a lot of force, but it does require some physical manipulation. This manipulation is safest and most easily done with a leash. At least this much leash training should be incorporated into even the most advanced reward training systems.

Dog Obedience Leash Training In The Park — Holding the leash properly helps control the dog.

One thing that must be understood is “the leash is just a tool.” By learning to train a dog with the leash, one should, in the process, eventually acquire the skills necessary to train a dog with whatever tools are at hand.

It’s best if you can train your dog even if the only tools at hand are your body and your intellect. One of the important skills that a handler can learn with the leash is how to develop a leadership role in the dog’s life. In this aspect of dog training the leash is a tool to help show the handler certain principles of leadership.

Leash training can never replace developing the proper leader/follower relationship between the owner and the dog. An additional benefit of doing leash training is that it will increase the bond between you and your dog. While leash training can assist in strengthening the bond between you and your dog it cannot replace the bond of trust that can only come through treating your pet fairly.

Read more about how to select the best type of dog training leash.

Call 714-827-4058 today to get more information about my in-home dog training programs.
We provide training services to North Orange County, Long Beach, the 562 area, and the parts of the San Gabriel Valley. I do offer convenient customized In home training to a large portion of Southern California’s most dog friendly communities.
Andrew Ledford
714-827-4058
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