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What to do FIRST – Getting Started with Leash Training

- by MarkW2002 - 45 Comments.

This video shows me getting my latest puppy Epic comfortable and well mannered wearing a harness and leash. Without prior training and just putting on a harness and leash and "seeing what happens" usually ends in something the handler won't like. Some things that could happen is that the dog could have an immediate negative experience to wearing the gear, backing away from it or perhaps biting at the harness and leash and that can turn into a habit. The best solution is proactive behavior management. Show the puppy what TO do. Reinforce what you want FIRST to get the ball rolling than take the risk of one trial learning where the puppy finds out he loves playing tug with his leash and your pant legs when you go for a walk. Letting an animal rehearse a behavior makes it more likely to happen than if the animal was set up to never think about doing the behavior at all.

00:00 Working with my own puppy with the leash for the first time
10:46 The leash pressure game tutorial
19:07 Game to teach your dog to enjoy putting his head in the harness
23:33 Stop biting the leash, clothes and shoes

Video tutorials mentioned:

Attention Game- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiziN7mluz8
Recall- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjd99MlmqqI
Leash walking reinforcing for standing next to you – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voW2Vkq0u6Q
Direction changes- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo-L2qtD7MQ

#puppytraining #dogtraining #professionaldogtraining

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Happy Training!

– Emily Larlham (AKA Kikopup)

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45 Comments on “What to do FIRST – Getting Started with Leash Training”

  1. Thank you so much for these videos! We want a puppy in the future and I’m just so overwhelmed with what to do. When we got our first dog I didn’t know as much about training and behaviour as I do now. I happily work away with our lovely pupper over the years, but bringing a bouncing baby into the fold, and making sure out first boy (Misha) is happy too, feels like a lot. I love it when you get a new pup, as these videos in particular are very helpful for my confidence in getting a puppy (all your videos are wonderful though). I’ve been wanting a new puppy since you brought Wish home, my boy is now 7 and I’m delighted you’ve got Epic so I can get a little more information before taking the Big Step. All this rambling is basically just a thank you for being so amazing and sharing your wonderful skills with us 💛💛

    1. My partner works in a special needs school and it’s amazing how similar some of the behaviour plans are for raising and helping both kids and animals, especially when dealing with stress and fear responses. Her class in particular is very sensory based and the young people in it respond well to animal interaction. The reason I’m so nervous to raise a well balanced puppy is partly because I want to have an advanced PAT dog that can visit these schools and hospitals. Your videos really do help me so so much. You and Hannah Brannigan are two of my top media role models. Thanks again for everything!

    2. @April Khan Honestly April, what really defines how the puppy will be is the genetics and personality, what happens in the womb, and the first 8 weeks… A puppy that is happy go lucky will bounce out of a negative experience and one that is sensitive will struggle. Even with service dog programs usually only 50% pass… Its luck getting an easy puppy. If you get a harder puppy its not the training that makes it harder, its the puppy you have and the issues you have to work through. Not all dogs can be therapy dogs. When you get your puppy you don’t have to be nervous. You can only make the puppies life “better”. If that makes sense?

    4. @Dog Training by Kikopup Yes, that does make sense. And in a way it’s a big relief and takes some weight off my shoulders. Hannah Brannigan said in one of her podcasts that puppies are a lucky dip, even when you take every precaution. I will, of course, do my best to take every precaution, but I acknowledge my puppy still might not be suitable for the work. I will love them regardless, of course!! Any living creature I bring into my home is a valued family member first and foremost, my top priority is ensuring their quality of life. Taking the time and effort to find a suitable adult rescue is also an option I’m keen on. Either way, your videos are priceless, thanks from me and Misha 🐾

  2. I would love seeing the puppy training process for 1 full week, documentary style. I love your tutorials and my family has learned a great deal and we’re just getting started with our puppy (2nd family dog tho). I know it’s not practical, but i think it would be awesome to see you go thru the very beginning and through the first week, but without addressing the audience. Just you, the pup, and how you undo unwanted behaviors. Then moving on to basic puppy readiness for training. Not knocking trainers, but most all videos show an already well behaved pup gobbling treats while the trainer talks to the camera. I wanna see the part where you step in a puddle of pee in the kitchen as you are making your own lunch… cussing while you scoop up the dog to rush it outside. I wanna see the part where you are snuggling with the pup on the floor and it licks your nose, then bites it. I want to see the part where your older dog is barking at the FedEx truck and the puppy joins in, then bites the older ones tail. I want to see the how you take a completely untrained pup and acclimate it to the idea of obedience/training. Don’t get me wrong, we love our pups very much, and they are mostly angels, but learning to train is so hard when you have all these little constant obstacles that derail training. PS: we love your style and demeanor when you train.

    1. Check out my instagram I post daily on our daily life and snuggles and my dogs doing silly things. Perhaps I can set up a camera that films me 24/7 and you can pay to watch lol, Its very boring. This puppy is great with house training… but I can tell you that a month ago, Kiko had diarrhea in the night and I got up 3 times, and every one of those three times I stood in the diarrhea the funny thing was is in my huge house, I managed to make contact with the quarter sized blob of poop with my foot 3 times in a row… Lesson learned after that! Dog with diarrhea put on lights or a flash light before moving.

    2. @Dog Training by Kikopup lol idk about a 24/7 livestream but I’d love to see a video about your daily routine owning so many dogs. Like morning routine, feeding, down time, playing, and training schedule. And then especially what managing the puppy during all this is like.

    3. Haha that was a joke about the live stream hehe. None of this would be helpful to anyone besides my very own puppy because all puppies are unique in what they need. At the moment Im writing to you the puppy is asleep inside my sweater, not something a person with a large breed pup could do lol. 🙂

  3. Would appreciate your thoughts on what to look for when purchasing a harness.
    Your instructions with rationale have helped so much. You’ve trained my family and now we’re able to train our new rescue dog, recently adopted when he was about 6 months old. We’ve been recommending you (your YouTube channel and website) to other dog owners.

    1. From my experience Y-style harnesses are often the best fit. Look for one where the strap that goes under the dog, along the center of the rib cage, is longer (but not so long that it goes past the ends of the sternum and causes the dog to choke, a strap that is the exact length of the sternum or just slightly shorter is ideal) and the strap that goes along the spine is proportionally shorter. Some breeds might be more “barrel-shaped” and do better with a harness where the top and bottom straps are more similar in length, these are called H-harnesses. Unless your dog never pulls I would avoid the T harness since the strap that goes across the chest will interfere with normal leg movement.
      The strap that goes around the neck should not interfere with the movement of the scapulae and front legs, but also not press on the throat or neck (this is a difficult one to get right). The strap that goes around the rib cage should not be so close to the armpit that it chafes, but also not further back than the rib cage.
      Measure your dog’s sternum from the bump on the chest to the arch of the rib cage and measure the corresponding part on the harnesses in the store to know which ones are worth trying on. You can usually find the neck and chest circumference of different harnesses on the internet, so make a short list of suitable models and sizes before going to the store.

    2. What Emma wrote is great. To simplify when telling others I just say, make sure that it doesnt impede leg and shoulder movement, doesnt rest on the throat, doesnt chafe the armpits and doesnt have buckles that are in the places they lie down on or that touch them.

    4. @Emma Memma Thank you for your thorough, succinct response – this is really useful information that I haven’t been able to find. Will help me get a safe, comfortable harness for my pup. Grateful.

  4. What I love about your videos is that they are so clear, structured and well-thought-out. No unnecessary stuff, but everything you need. Thanks for another wonderful tutorial! Good work!

  6. Aww, thank you for the video. I’m so excited to go with you on your new dog’s training journey 🧡🧡 I’ve always been curious on the things you train first

  7. i’m in italy and currently taking a course on dog training with a vet behaviorist at a force-free, aversive-free center (not very common here, tbh). i was happy to see they use some of your videos to show certain techniques like shaping or luring because i’ve been watching your channel for years. thank you for sharing such wonderful resources!

  9. Thanks for the video! This worked great with my dog that’s less nervous about harnesses. But I’ve been struggling to get my more nervous dog to like a harness. I’d been shaping it (holding up the harness and letting him get as close as he can to putting his head in), but I’ve been working on it for two months and he just can’t get his head past the ears. I tried this method starting with the harness at my elbow and the treat in my hand (so it’s moving towards him but the treat gets to him first). I’ve been moving the harness closer and close to the treat and now I can move in with the harness at my hand (same place as the treat) get it all the way to his ears. At that point I can tell his comfort drops a bit (though still taking food). I’m thinking I should probably work in more games that get him to move things past his ears and keep working on this exercise in between. He also hates things touching his back. He’s absolutely fine with his back being touched by humans, but when a harness or dangling leash touches his back he will strain his body in awkward ways to get it off him, so the distraction technique once it’s on his body will help for sure. Thanks! Any additional tips or tricks from the community welcome too.

    1. I just tried a fabric grocery bag. A little hesitant at first, but once he tried it out he had a good time and it was hard to stop him from sticking his head inside. 😀

    2. Awe my terrier is like that and so is Kiko my chi. I walked kiko so much on my right side when she was young that if she walked on my left side she would walk like her back was broken if the leash touched her as she walked. One time my mom walked her and came back horrified that something had happened to her but it was just the leash touching her… It can be frustrating because some dogs come completely comfortable with everythign and other dogs come sensitive… But those sensitive ones, that sensitivity is also a gift I believe. I suggest finding a lighter softer perhaps wider harness? Sometimes getting one with a larger head hole or a step in to get the ball rolling?

    3. @Dog Training by Kikopup Thank you for the response. I’ve tried lots of different harnesses (4 different ones now) and none of them made a difference. But I haven’t tried a step in harness! That’s a great idea. I agree, the sensitive dogs are some of the best. Although they are all good. 🙂 Your poor mom! Heh. Interesting about Kiko being walked on the right side. I do the same with my dogs and I started teaching side switching. My boy with the harness issue is clearly more uncomfortable walking on the left side. My girl, while she has issues with the car and overhead fans, has no issue with walking on my left or right side. Thank you again for the video and the response!

  12. This is so informative. I’m actually going to write down the stages into reps and slow it all down for myself. I have a dog that is very harness and handling sensitive, she actually vomited from having the harness on and this video is a god send. Plus my cat is also enjoying the more basic videos on how to sit and target 😻

    1. Just realised that you have a leash program on your website. Would it work for my nervous dog? She doesn’t pull on the lead but finds the any pulling very aversive and the harness itself. I’d rather pay for your handouts and videos and save myself the trouble of doing it.

  13. It’s amazing that even someone with the knowledge you have admits to still learning throughout the process of training. Its wonderful. Also Epic really is an attentive puppy! Wow. Her littleness is absolutely knock me over adorable

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