Loose Leash Walking

Young puppies will not be able to walk very far, and you will need to be careful not to push them beyond their capabilities. Remember, teaching a puppy to walk nicely on a leash is a marathon and not a sprint. Rushing a puppy can lead to bigger issues down the line.

You will also need to be mindful that the puppy will not be fully vaccinated until 16 to 18 weeks old. Until then, you should only attempt walking when your Puppy Development Trainer deems it safe to do so. We will need at least 2 sets of vaccines completed before your Puppy Development Trainer will be allowed to give approval.

How long can a puppy handle walking?

Goals for walking:

• Make sure the puppy relieves before the walk and give them another opportunity after the walk.
• Walk at the puppy’s pace.
• Make sure walks are enjoyable. In the early stages, don’t worry about the puppy bounding after leaves or sniffing during the walk – we can fine tune this later.
• Always walk the puppy on the left-hand side.
• Using a positive tone, verbally encourage your puppy and use your marker cue “yes” followed by a food reward – walking nicely on a loose leash, walking in guiding position when rear legs are in line with your legs, for choosing to ignore distractions, and for checking in with you.
• Do not bribe the puppy with kibble in front of them to get them moving. Sometimes the puppy just needs to absorb the environment before they get moving. If you find the puppy is stopping as you reward them, you may need to cut out rewards when they are walking nicely.
• If the puppy is pulling persistently, stop and wait for the tension on the leash to loosen or encourage the puppy using a positive tone to come back to you before setting off again.