Many, many owners out there experience the very common problem of taking their dog out on a leash and being pulled by them. It's annoying, it's uncomfortable, and it can also be dangerous. The best approach is a preventative one. It's far easier to spend a little time with your puppy to teach him how to walk well on a leash than it is to correct your dog once his pulling has become a habit. There are two training methods that can help to prevent this problem. For both methods, you want to make sure that your puppy has first had some playtime to burn off all that puppy energy, but you don't want him too tired that he won't be able to concentrate.

For the first method, you need a regular buckle collar and a six-foot leash. Start by attaching the leash to your dog's collar. Stand in one place and give your pup enough of the leash to walk about four feet from you. When he allows the leash to go slack rather than pulling on it, reward him by saying ‘yes' or ‘good dog' or by using a clicker. Once he's gotten this down, say a command like ‘let's go' and begin by taking a few steps. Most likely your dog will begin to pull right away, but you do not want to keep walking while your dog is pulling. You also don't want to yank or pull back on the leash. Instead, stop walking and wait for the leash to go slack. Reward your dog again when the leash goes slack and then try walking again. Continue until your dog has learned to walk without pulling.