Leash Work. It’s important to introduce the leash early on in a puppy’s life. I like to start by putting one around one of their stuffed toys so they can pull it around and get the general idea. I then will occasionally place a little slip lead over the puppy’s head and let him walk around with it on for a good long while… inside and outside. These gives the puppy the feeling of having a leash on and knowing that it should feel loose as they walk about.

When you later pick up the lead and begin walking with the pup he/she then knows they should be leading or following but whichever they do the line needs to be loose. I additionally like to do off leash work, calling the pup, patting my leg encouraging it to come and praising as it does, “Gooood puppy!” It is also important that the pup get to walk on a variety of surface knowing that this is part of life and part of out and about with their owner.