Biting And Mouthing

Training your new puppy to accept the collar and lead

Walking on a collar and lead is an important skill that every dog must

learn. Even the best trained dog should never be taken outside the

home or yard without a sturdy collar and leash. Even if your dog is

trained perfectly to go off lead, accidents and distractions do happen,

and a collar, with proper identification attached, is the best way to be

sure you will get your beloved companion back.

Of course before you can teach your new puppy to accept a leash, he

or she must first learn to accept wearing a collar. The first step is to

choose a collar that fits the dog properly. It is important to measure

the puppy's neck, and to choose a collar size accordingly. After the

collar has been put on the puppy, simply let him or her get used to it.

It is not unusual for a puppy to try to pull on the collar, whine, roll or

squirm when first introduced to a collar.

The best strategy is to simply ignore the puppy and let him or her get

used to the collar. It is a mistake to either punish the dog for playing

with the collar or to encourage the behavior. Distracting the puppy

often helps, and playing with a favorite toy, or eating some favorite

treats, can help the puppy quickly forget that he or she is wearing this

strange piece of equipment.

After the dog has learned to accept the collar, try adding the leash.

Hook the leash to the collar and simply sit and watch the puppy.

Obviously, this should only be done either in the house or in a confined

outdoor area. The puppy should be allowed to drag the leash around

on its own, but of course the owner should keep a close eye on the

puppy to ensure that the leash does not become snagged or hung up

on anything.

At first, the leash should only be left on for a few minutes at a time. It

is a good idea to attach the leash at mealtimes, playtime and other

positive times in the life of the puppy. That way the puppy will begin

to associate the leash with good things and look forward to it. If the

puppy shows a high degree of fear of the leash, it is a good idea to

place it next to the food bowl for awhile to let him get used to it

slowly. Eventually, he will come to understand that the leash is

nothing to be afraid of.

After the puppy is comfortable with walking around the house wearing

the leash, it is time for you to pick up the end of the leash for a few

minutes. You should not try to walk the puppy on the leash; simply

hold the end of the leash and follow the puppy around as he or she

walks around. You should try to avoid situations where the leash

becomes taut, and any pulling or straining on the leash should be

avoided. It is fine for the puppy to sit down. Try a few games with

the collar and lead. For instance, back up and encourage the puppy to

walk toward you. Don't drag the puppy forward, simply encourage

him to come to you. If he does, praise him profusely and reward him

with a food treat or toy. You should always strive to make all the time

spent on the leash as pleasant as possible.

It is important to give the puppy plenty of practice in getting used to

walking on the leash in the home. It is best to do plenty of work in the

home, since it is a safe environment with few distractions. After the

puppy is comfortable walking indoors on a leash, it is time to start

going outside, beginning of course in a small, enclosed area like a

fenced yard. After the puppy has mastered walking calmly outdoors

on a leash, it is time to visit some places where there are more

distractions. You may want to start with a place like a neighbor's

yard. Walking your new puppy around the neighborhood is a good

way to introduce your neighbors to the new puppy, while giving the

puppy valuable experience in avoiding distractions and focusing on his

leash training.

Puppies sometimes develop bad habits with their leashes, such as

biting or chewing on the leash. To discourage this type of behavior,

try applying a little bit of bitter apple, Tabasco sauce or similar

substance (just make sure the substance you use is not toxic to dogs).

This strategy usually convinces puppies that chewing the leash is a bad

idea.