Teaching a puppy to a collar and leash

Collar and leash

Although it will be several weeks before you can walk your puppy outside on a leash (before vaccination, you should keep your pet in an environment that eliminates the risk of infectious disease), you can start training him on a collar as early as a few days after moving to a new house. 

Which collar to choose?

The first collar for your puppy should be with a buckle and in no case should it be a chain or a garrote. The collar should be fastened so that you can slip two fingers between it and your puppy’s neck.

When to start

Pick a time when your puppy is expecting something enjoyable, such as feeding, playing, or taking a walk. You should be prepared for the fact that he will first try to remove the collar. Ignore it, and when he stops, praise him. After a while, divert his attention and remove the collar, and then put it back on.

How to train a puppy to a collar

It only takes a few days to train your puppy to the collar. When he stops paying attention to him, you can not shoot him at all. However, you need to remember two things. First, your puppy will grow at an alarming rate, so check every few days to make sure his collar isn’t getting too tight; secondly, at first, your puppy can easily get lost, so attach an address tag with information and contact details to his collar. In addition, by law, all dogs must have an address tag on their collar if they are in a public place. Later, when your puppy gets used to human hands, begin to accustom him to the fact that the collar restricts his freedom. With one hand, hold his torso to prevent him from escaping, and with the other, grab the collar. Try not to pay attention to the fact that he will spin, and when he calms down, praise him. This way your puppy will get used to not being able to go where he wants to go when he has a collar on.  

Leave

Once your puppy gets used to the fact that the collar restricts his freedom, you can fasten the leash. So that he can get used to it, let him run freely with him. You can pick up the leash from time to time, but then hold it tight. This is how your pet will learn to understand that when he is on a leash, he cannot go where he wants, because he is connected to you. Once the puppy accepts this restriction, praise him and let him go.

Puppy identification

As we have already said, the law requires dog owners to attach a label to their collars, which must clearly contain the contact details of the owner. However, there are other precautions you can take to make sure you can find your pet if it gets lost. Learn more about Microchipping.