It takes discipline, consistency, and time to teach you dog to walk at your side, never tugging on the leash or taking off to chase squirrels. But if that’s what you’re after, then you can do it. On the other hand, you may not mind if your dog walks ahead of you, so long as she doesn’t tug too hard on the lease. In this case, a no-pull harness or head halter might do the trick without any extra training. Knowing what you are aiming for – and being on the same page with anyone else who walks the dog – is key. You’ll want a four to six foot, fixed length leash. Extendable leashes and very long ones will make training more difficult. For a collar, use: a regular buckle or snap collar; a slip collar; a head halter; or a no-pull harness.  Do not use a choke collar, unless training with a professional trainer. Never use a pinch or prong collar, unless training with a professional trainer. Consistency is the key, so until your dog can walk without pulling, every walk, no matter who gives it, is a training session. Keep them short and fun. Going on a long walk with a dog who is not yet trained will only frustrate both of you. This is important for two reasons: 1) until your puppy is trained, your walks will be too short to fully exercise her; and 2) dogs with lots of energy are more likely to pull. Play fetch or tug, or let your dog romp with other dogs at the park before your leash training sessions. You’ll need lots of them to train your dog. For walks, soft ones like cheese, cooked hot dogs, jerky, or chicken are best, since they can be eaten quickly while your dog is walking. Moving fast makes you more interesting to your dog, and she will be less likely to stop repeatedly if she’s moving fast. It will also be easier to teach your dog not to pull if you’re going a bit closer to her natural pace. There are four main methods to teach your dog not to pull. Some work better with some dogs than others. If you choose a method and appear to be making no progress after several weeks, pick another one.  Stop and go – When your dog reaches the end of the lease, stop. Wait until she puts slack in the leash, then call her to you and ask her to sit. When she does, say “yes” and give her a treat. Do this every time your dog reaches the end of the leash. Also give your dog treats regularly whenever she looks at you or walks close to you. You want her to associate walking near you with treats, and tugging with the walk stopping. If she tugs to smell something, stop as usual, but instead of giving her a treat after she sits, let her explore the scent she was going for as her reward. Lure and reward – Fill your left hand with treats, hold it in front of your golden retriever puppy’s nose, say “let’s walk”, and start walking. Give a treat every few seconds. If she pulls, stop and call her back to you, then reward her. Don’t go too far – these walks take lots of treats and bending over. After a week, stop luring. Say “let’s walk” and walk with your left hand held normally. Give a treat every other step. In the coming walks, gradually increase the number of steps between treats: 2, 5, 10, 20. Eventually, you should be able to walk your dog with only occasional treats. About face – This option is mainly for dogs that struggle with the first two methods. When your dog is nearing the end of the leash, say “easy.” If she slows, say “yes” and reward her with a treat. If she keeps going to the end, turn abruptly and head the other way, letting the leash check your dog. Praise your dog as she hurries to catch up, and when she reaches you, turn and resume walking in the original direction. Do this every time your dog pulls. When your dog is walking near you or at your side, treat her regularly.  This method should work quickly. If pulling does not decrease after several sessions, stop. Do not use this method with a head halter or pinch collar, as it may injure your dog.   Collar correction - This option is mainly for dogs that struggle with the first two methods. When your dog is nearing the end of the leash, say “easy.” If she slows, say “yes” and reward her with a treat. If she keeps going to the end, jerk abruptly on the leash. It may take several jerks to get your dog to slow down. Be sure to reward your dog regularly when she is walking near you with a slack leash.  Be aware that pulling too hard can hurt your dog’s neck or throat. This method should reduce pulling in a couple of days. If it does not, you need to stop and try something else.
حدد مستوى التمرّن الذي ترغب من كلبك الوصول إليه. احصل على المعدات المناسبة. اجعل كل نزهة جلسة تدريب. درّب كلبك قبل تدريبه على الطوق. أبقِ معك المكافآت دائمًا. امشِ بسرعة. اختر طريقتك.