Question: My dachshund Oz and I have weathered the chewing phase (the Chinese rug did but so be it) . We've master housetraining, he comes consistently when called and he sits on command...most of the time..but I can't seem to get the leash thing down. We walk just about every evening and every step of the way he jerks, pulls, and strains at the leash. I use a harness type collar so he's not strangling. I really like taking him for a walk but feel like I'm being dragged from one end of the neighborhood to the other by 9 lbs of raw puppy energy. What would you recommend?

Answer: First, congratulations on all the great things you have accomplished with your pup! Good job! Loose leash walking can be a very challenging thing to teach, but if you are consistent and make it very clear to the dog, it's really not that difficult.

Here is what you want to remember: all dogs (all animals in fact) repeat behaviors that are reinforcing (or rewarding) to them. If a dog pulls on the leash it is because he wants to get wherever he is pulling to. If he pulls on the leash and is successful in getting there, the behavior has been reinforced.

The firt thing you need to do is teach him that pulling no longer works. You may walk him on a regular buckle collar (no choke chain, no pinch collar) just a regular collar or a harness. Take very high value treats with you when you go on the walk. I recommend using a clicker too. By using a clicker you can "mark" the appropriate behaviors (little bouts of walking without pulling) and then click and treat.

Here is what you are going to do. Get your treats, put the dog on leash. Hold the leash and clicker in your RIGHT hand and have your treats in your left hand. Take off walking and click and treat before he even has a chance to pull. click and treat often EVERY single moment he isn't pulling. If he pulls on the leash, don't jerk him or say anything, simply stop and wait and be very patient. Eventually, he will turn and look at you (as if to say "hey, mom, whats the problem, why are you stopping?"), at that point, click and treat and take off again. So, walking next to you gets him movement and a treat, pulling gets him nowhere.

If he pulls a LOT you can purchase and Easy Walk Harness. An Easy Walk Harness is a humane, anti pull harness that hooks on the chest so the dog turns when he attempts to pull. I have used these on 180 pound dogs and had immediate results. The only thing is, with a Dachshunds short legs they can sometimes step out of the harness, so I have clients hook the leash hook to the front of the harness AND the regular everyday collar. That anchors the harness to stay in place.

As he becomes reliable and understands the game (no pulling means I get to move forward and get treats and pulling means Mom stops) you can slowly use food less and less, although I recommend using food sometimes forever. Not all the time, but sometimes to keep the behavior solid.

This is how I teach loose leash walking to my own dogs and client dogs and I have had spectacular results.