Teaching Your Dog To Walk By Your Side Effectively
Teaching your dog to walk by your side is not a very difficult task when you follow the following guidelines and training techniques outlined here.
A dog has an ability built into their makeup that is unique. That ability is the “wish to please its owner” With proper positive reinforcement that ability can become manifested to perfection in your dog and its willingness to learn to walk by your side.
The following is an outline of the technique used to train your dog to walk by your side.
• Attach a good solid leash of six foot in length to your dog’s collar. A leash any longer will hinder the process.
• Begin training
by walking forward with a short grip on the leash of about 2 ½ Ft. The dog should effectively be able to sit down next to your leg with a small amount of about 6 Inches to spare between your thigh and the dogs body.
As you walk keep a tight grip on the leash and as the dog begins to outpace you issue the command “Heel” accompany this command with a firm pull backwards on the leash. When the dog complies with your order reward it with a small tid-bit treat. If the dog continues to pull and out walk you you must repeat this order over and over till the animal complies.
• Never strike or become angry with your dog this will cause the learning process to take much longer and can cause the animal to lose the desire to please you as its master.
• Training sessions should last no longer than 15 minutes and should always end with a positive session. This will reinforce your dogs want to please and follow your directions.
