One of the most important, basic, and yet overlooked skills a dog should have is walking properly on a leash. A dog that can focus on the person holding its leash in spite of distracting activity is one that has few if any other behavior problems. Most dog behaviorists and trainers, no matter what their ultimate goal, put leashed-walk training early in their program. Often a dog owner attempts leash training, fails at every distraction, gives up after a few days of short sessions, and finally compromises on reprimanding only in extreme cases. Conversely, there is the frustrated owner who is incessantly screaming at a cowering or overly hyper dog, yanking on a choke chain or pinch collar with no effect.

Fortunately, in most cases, a quick fix is available. A product for sale at most pet supply stores slips over the head instead of the neck, guiding the dog like the halter on a horse. Once properly fitted, an unusually short training session may allow a small child to walk the largest, strongest dog. Instead of the dog being allowed to put its weight against the leash, gentle tension turns the dog's attention back toward the handler. We at Heartland have been recommending these for quite some time for dogs adopted out without the experience and training needed to walk on a leash properly. Some dogs adapt quite quickly while others may take a day or two to get used to the feeling, but the success rate is very high for these products. An added benefit is that dogs feel less restricted, increasing their overall confidence and reducing fear and emotional tension associated with a tight leash.

Facts you should know about other training products:

A chest/body harness solves the choking problem typical of collars, but the underlying discipline problem may not be solved. You should still consider behavior classes and regularly reinforce the lessons learned at home.

Choke chains, by themselves, are almost useless when specifically training a dog to walk on a leash. A regular collar focuses the strain under the throat, while a choke chain spreads this tension around the entire neck. Dogs that pull on the leash are already accustomed to being choked, a choke chain may actually work against the intended effect by lessening the result of pulling. Consider this fact when frustration causes you to resort to more extreme methods of restraint. Choke chains may be a valid tool in other types of training, but not all trainers recommend them, and often dog owners leave them on all day despite the risks of accidental strangulation.

Obviously, pinch collars cause pain. Dogs that experience pain regularly during behavior they consider to be normal are more likely to develop insecurities and other behavior problems later on.

Leash-training techniques:

Walk your dog with the intention of leash training. If you try to train in short walks mainly focused on bathroom breaks or with a destination in mind you may become frustrated.
Practice where there are few distractions. Other dogs, people, loud noises, and vehicles are an added challenge, and should be introduced once basic skills have been learned. A small, unused parking lot or grassy area is ideal for both you and your dog, in that you can both focus on one thing--basic walking.
Change direction when your dog starts pulling. You need to be the one dictating where you and your dog are headed. Once your dog starts pulling or runs out ahead, it's telling you where to go--undermining your role as leader. This could lead to other behavioral problems.
Walk with a shorter leash. Keep your dog's attention and have it walk by your side and follow your direction. The sooner your dog follows you the better. Try to leave the leash loose unless necessary to correct your dog, and once your dog is again by your side give out some slack. The idea is to train your dog to walk by your side whether it's being physically guided or not. It should be focused on you.
Once you've mastered basic concepts, introduce distractions. It may be difficult to properly train your dog at this level without professional assistance. In addition to expert advice, enrolling in behavior classes exposes your dog to many other dogs that are all being taught the same thing. This makes training easier, as well as helping to socialize your dog.

Leash-training is crucial, not just for you, it also instills discipline, confidence, and trust in your dog and makes for a mentally healthy companion ready to progress to more advanced behavioral conditioning without much difficulty.