Is there a proper way to leash train?
 

So I thought I was doing a good job of leash training Wall-E, but then the past week he's been a stinker and refuses to be good on the leash. The difference I noticed with him is that he started to pull more and more on the leash when I walked him, so I switched him to a harness (we were only using a collar before) thinking that it would cause less stress on his throat.

Anyway, now when I walk him on the harness he seems to have regressed in his leash training :(. He'll stop and sit down in the middle of the street and when I tug on the leash, he just goes limp and refuses to budge! I honestly think he hates his harness and is doing a silent protest against it!

So anyone have advice on training on a leash? How do you teach them to "heel" and follow where I go instead of him pulling every which way he wants to... oh and also, for those of you who run with your dogs, how do you get them to keep the same pace as you so they don't stop every 5 minutes to sniff something???? Please offer some training tips!

I've tried holding the leash real short so that he walks right next to me, but then he stops and sniffs at EVERYTHING so our 10 minute walks don't make it very far!

there is not a proper way to leash train, but there are improper ways.

the reason you are seeing this setback is because you switched to a harness. the harness is designed so that a dog can comfortably pull a weight.

there is no longer any reprecusion for your dog when pulling. i would recommend you switch back to the collar for his training, and when he pulls, you give him a correction.

my 4.5lb yorkie took about a week of being stubborn before finally understanding that i was the one leading the walk, and he had to walk weather he wanted to or not, then probably about 3-4 weeks before he would finally properly heel. but to this day i still need to correct him from time to time (especially when distractions, i.e. other dogs, rodents, garden gnomes are present.)

a lot of people dont like to use a collar on their yorkies because they say their yorkie pulls and then coughs (because of the pressure put on their throat) this is sort of true, but as long as your corrections are of the correct magnitude for your dog it should be fine.

i.e. your dog should maybe shift in his walk, but not be turned around, or lifted off the ground. its just a light tug that gets their attention back on you.

Have you seen those sensation harnesses?? Those worked great for Lola! They're a bit pricey but pulls them from the front, but not around the throat. It's worth a shot. Also, is it that he is resisting the leash?? I had Lola run around the house with a leash on to get used to it for a while. Start off with regular leashes. Retractable leashes are a lot harder to get used to. Hope this helped in some way. Definitely try the sensation harness though! Good luck!