Mastering the Walk

First thing to keep in mind-this is YOUR walk...he just gets to go. What that means to him is you make the decisions regarding where, when, how...what it means to you is you decide when to stop, when to go, which direction you will travel, when he gets to sniff, etc.

§ Start walking when he is focused on you-if he is distracted it will be much harder for him to learn the correct position.

§ Move forward ONLY when he is beside or behind, and the lease has some slack (hold the leash at a place where the is just a few extra inches between your hand and his collar). If he starts to move ahead or is taking up the slack-STOP!! Immediately...do not walk while he is doing this-every step is like a treat...think of how many he could get in just 5 feet.

§ Replace him in the proper position and give him some slack in the leash-if he takes it, put him back in the proper position and give him some slack in the leash-if he takes it, put him back in the proper position and give him some slack in the leash-you get the point!

§ Until he is staying in place, do not walk.

§ When he finally gets the idea, reward him with forward motion.

§ As he gets better, reward with praise and/or treats for longer distances with him in the correct position.

This is an extremely tedious and patience testing technique with most dogs. Think of it this way, would you rather spend 1-2 weeks not getting anywhere, or the next 10+ years getting dragged by your dog? It seems your is small-so not as much dragging, however the lack of respect pulling you shows is setting a precedent for all other behaviors.