Teaching your dog to walk on a leash without pulling or lagging behind requires time and training. In general, before you start leash training, you should keep in mind that:
- Teaching a dog to walk on a leash requires rewards. Keep treats on hand.
- You should keep walk training sessions short and fun.
- It’s good to make sure that your dog is getting other forms of exercise, because short leash training sessions won’t be adequate.
- It’s helpful to calm your dog down before walking. If she gets wildly excited for a walk, it’s going to be much harder to keep her calm on leash. One way to do this is to stand perfectly still until your dog has all four paws on the ground and is not barking or spinning, and then slowly reach down and attach the leash.
You should use a 4 or 6 foot leash for leash training. Flexible leashes, though great for exercise, are not as useful to teaching your dog not to pull. Also be sure to use an appropriate collar.
For more specific training methods and to see the information cited in this article, check out the link below:
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/teaching-your-dog-not-pull-leash