Teaching an English Bulldog Puppy to Walk on a Leash - The Right Way

The most essential skill you should teach your English bulldog puppy is how to behave on a leash. Once your puppy is trained well to walk on a leash they are more manageable. Taking him out on walk on a leash will be a bonding experience you can both look forward to.

Train your English bulldog puppy to his first set of skills as early in life as possible. It is much wiser to train your puppy the right way to walk on a leash at a young age rather than trying to re-train an older dog. Start reading and be on your way to have a well-trained puppy.

Puppy and his collar

Let's get down to basics and introduce your English bulldog puppy to his first collar. To ensure that the collar is comfortable, pick a simple light weight leather collar for this task. You can place it on your puppy as are feeding him or when you are playing to serve as a distraction from the collar. As he gets adjusted to the feel of the new collar, he will probably roll around and scratch to loosen and dislodge it. Remember not to take the collar off while he is doing it. Wait until he has settled down and forgotten about it before you take it off.

Puppy and his leash

As soon as your English bulldog puppy gets comfortable wearing his new collar, it is time to move on to introduce the leash. The principle of making him get comfortable to the leash is the same with the collar. Choose any light weight and thin leash for your puppy. Clip his new leash onto his collar then let him check it out and drag it around the house under your supervision. He will likely become comfortable with his collar and leash if he wears them often.

Stepping out

Now that your English bulldog puppy has no problems and is comfortable in his collar and with the leash, it's time to pick up the other end of the leash. Keep your training session as short, sharp and fun. During this early, take advantage of your puppy's alertness since he will love to follow you around everywhere. The basic principle at this point in training is to shower him with praises when he walks along on the loose and to stop when he does pull on the leash. To begin the session, walk around the house with the leash in hand and your puppy trotting along beside you. Observe if your puppy is walking beside you on a loose leash then reward him with praises, petting or even some treats. Stop immediately when he strains on the leash. Refrain from pulling him back to where you are and to just call him over and reward him when he obeys. Immediately stop on your tracks at the moment he pulls the leash. Your puppy has to learn that he gets nowhere when he does yank the leash. The same rule applies when he sits down when you are walking. Don't pull him back to where you are and to do same by calling him over and reward him when he returns. Avoid creating an impression to your puppy that the leash is associated to something to be feared. Be gentle yet firm as a trainer. Lengthen your walk over time as your puppy learns walking on a leash in the right way.

Arm yourself with loads of patience and lots of treats for your English bulldog puppy. Make use of new ideas and make your training double the fun and before you know it your puppy will be walking calmly by your side.

From the English Bulldog Puppy Blog