Loose Leash Walking for Puppies: Start Right from Day One

Loose leash walking is one of the most important skills to teach your puppy — and one of the easiest to get wrong if pulling becomes a habit early.

At Eazy Dog Training, we focus on teaching puppies how to walk nicely on lead before strength, excitement, and distractions make it harder.

1. Start Indoors First

Before heading outside, practise loose leash skills:

• Inside your home
• In the backyard or driveway

Low-distraction environments help your puppy understand what you want before adding excitement.

2. Reward Position, Not Distance

Loose leash walking isn’t about how far you go — it’s about how you get there.

• Reward your puppy for walking near you
• Mark and reward a loose lead immediately
• Take just a few steps at first

Short, successful sessions build clarity.

3. Stop Before Pulling Becomes a Habit

If your puppy pulls:

• Stop moving
• Wait for the lead to loosen
• Reward as soon as it does

This teaches your puppy that pulling never works, but calm walking does.

4. Keep Walks Short and Positive

Young puppies don’t need long walks. Instead:

• Aim for quality over quantity
• Focus on calm engagement
• End the walk before your puppy becomes overstimulated

Tired puppies learn better than over-excited ones.

5. Let Sniffing Be the Reward

Sniffing is powerful reinforcement for puppies.

• Ask for a few steps of loose lead
• Then release your puppy to sniff

This builds impulse control without frustration.

6. Be Consistent from the Start

Every walk teaches your puppy something. Consistency matters:

• Don’t allow pulling “just this once”
• Reward good choices every time
• Keep your expectations clear

What you allow now becomes the habit later.

Puppy Training Takeaway

Loose leash walking is a skill — not something puppies are born knowing. Starting early, keeping sessions short, and rewarding calm choices creates confident, enjoyable walks as your puppy grows.

Our private puppy training lessons teach loose leash walking in a way that suits growing bodies and developing brains — setting your puppy up for success.