Teaching your dog to walk properly is very important.
Your pet should always be under control, both as a courtesy to others and for its own safety.
There are advantages to using the dog harness rather than a collar or a choke collar.
Regular collars and choke collars can be harmful to your best friend.
They can damage your dog's windpipe and neck.
The dog harness is a safe alternative.
Make sure it fits properly and does not chafe.
Begin by training your pet to walk with the lead in your house.
Keep the lead loose and move slowly and signal and treat your dog when it is in the right place.
Stop if you feel tension on the lead.
Only move again when your canine has slackened the lead, no matter how long this takes.
When leaving the house, do not let your dog go out first.
If he tries to go through the door ahead of you, shut the door quickly and gently, taking care not to hit his nose, to block its path.
Repeat this until it takes a step backwards to allow you right of passage.
This teaches the canine to respect you and it gives you the leadership.
Graduate to the yard, then to larger places like the park.
If he begins to pull on the lead, stand still.
The dog will soon learn that walking calmly will get it to the park faster.
You need to use a lot of verbal praise and you can use dog treats also as a reward when teaching your dog to walk properly with a dog harness.
He should not pull or walk ahead of you.
You need to show who is dominant and your dog should walk nicely by your left side.
Use the word "Heel" and tug gently on the lead so that he is at your left side.
Then praise and pet him or her whenever he or she is walking in the correct position.
Other people and especially other dogs will distract your dog.
When approaching another canine you may want to have your pet sit at your side until the distraction has passed.
Once again, praise or give your dog a treat for sitting patiently until you tell them it is OK to walk again.
Stop at every street corner and tell your dog to sit.
This is a very good habit to develop in your dog to prevent it from running out into the street.
Walking your dog should be a pleasant experience for both of you.
It is a great form of exercise and you also get to socialize with others and their dogs too.