"Specializing in Yorkshire Terriers & Maltese"

Leash Training Your Yorkie or Maltese

The faster you start leash training your puppy, the faster it will be for you to enjoy a nice walk around town with them in a safe, secure manner.  However, most puppies are afraid of leashes and often, it is not the easiest thing to do.  Therefore, you must train them in a loving, caring way with a lot of patience after their immunization shots have been completed.
 
First of all, before you leash train your puppy, you must, of course, buy a collar with an ID tag, just in case you loose track of your precious pet.  A regular collar will be perfect, not a choke collar.  Also, be sure to have a lot of their favorite treats for rewards to use during training.
 
First step is to place the collar onto your puppy in a secure, yet comfortable way around their neck.  They're going to be uncomfortable with it and try to paw at it or even roll around to get it off, but don't scold them in any way.  After a few minutes, they won't even know it's there.
 
Next step is to attach the leash onto the collar, but don't pull on it at first.  Just let them walk around with the leash attached.  Make sure you do this in an indoor area with your supervision as the leash may get tangled or caught somewhere and could hurt your puppy.  After a few minutes have past, take the leash off and repeat the process numerous times.  A good suggestion is to attach the leash during meal times, to let them associate it with something pleasant.
 
After your puppy is comfortable with the leash, grab the other end, but don't walk them yet.  Let them lead you where ever they desire.  Be sure not to pull or put any strain on the leash.  Instead, try to lure them towards you by using a treat or his favorite toy.  When they do come to you, reward them with the treat.  If this takes time, do not scold or punish them for this will make them even more afraid of the leash, which will pro-long the process.
 
When they begin to walk, praise them greatly.  This is the most important step, so, be very generous.  Every process of leash training has to be a happy, pleasant encounter for your puppy to make them want to be on a leash.  When fully comfortable, train them to walk in a safe familiar environment without any distraction.  Slowly expand the walking area.
 
Finally, after they actually start walking with you, it is time to master the stairs.  Once again, you will need a lot of patience and encouragements.  Locate a wide and open staircase and use them.  Start from the base of the stairs and move up one step at a time.  Encourage them to follow you up with a treat.  Once they do, again give them your praise and love, along with the treat.  Do not force them or push them to climb the stairs as this will give them something else to be afraid of.
 
Once finished, you will be able to take your puppy anywhere.  You must use the leash for the safety purposes of your puppy.  This is only one of the many training processes for your puppy to become a dog, but it is a very important one. Walking and teaching your dog to walk along side you will show your dog who the alpha in the family is.