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Having a dog is probably one of the most amazing things that can happen to you. The best thing about them is their unconditional love and loyalty for their human – something that you won’t find anywhere in this world.

As amazing as that feeling is, you must know that with a dog comes a lot of responsibility; from regular walks and proper training to a healthy diet and attention. Dogs can be very needy, especially when they are young or very old.

Therefore, in today’s post, we’re presenting our top 7 tricks to train your dog to walk with a harness.

Choosing the Right Harness

Before we talk about how to train your dog walk in harness, there’s one important subject we must discuss choosing the right harness for your dog.

There are two main reasons why you should choose a harness instead of a collar:

  • You can train and walk your dog without hurting/strangulating your dog.
  • The harness is distributing the weight across your dog’s chest evenly.

Just in case you purchased an ill-fitting harness, here are several sings to look after:

  • Chafing and fur loss around the harness
  • Strong walking resistance
  • The harness is rotating side to side
  • Your dog can wiggle free

1. Introduce Your Dog to the Harness

To us, humans, a harness doesn’t look like a big deal, but to some dogs, it may seem something scary. The trick is to introduce your dog to the harness before you attempt to put it on.

Non-Contact Introduction

Firstly, you should familiarize your dog with the harness by simply showing it to him and letting him analyze and sniff the new object. Next, you should place a tasty treat on the harness so he will connect it with something positive.

Contact Introduction

It’s time for your dog to make his first contact with the harness. Move slowly, don’t insist if you notice your dog is trying to dodge the harness – be patient.

2. Get Your Dog Used to Be Touched

Some dogs are more sensitive than others and may really dislike being touched in certain areas of his body. Now if those areas happen to be exactly where the harness should stay, you’ll have to get your dog used to be touched in those areas.

3. Putting the Harness on Your Dog

Finally, we get to the culmination point – putting the harness on your dog. Remember, the more sensitive your dog is the smoother the process must be. For instance, one of my dogs didn’t need any training, it all came naturally for him. But for my other dog, it was a slow training process that required a lot of treats.

4. Walk around the House

The next trick in training your dog to walk with a harness is to let him get used to the harness in the house. You can’t be sure he will respond well from his first try, so you must let him roam in a safe area where you are in control of the situation.

Depending on your dog’s personality, it may take fewer or more safe sessions, but it’s important to let your dog take his time to get used to the harness and only when he no longer shows resistance you can start training your dog to walk with a harness.

5. Walking with Harness

The first trick is to attach a long rope (15 feet long) to the harness and make him walk by tempting him with delicious treats like cheese and fresh meat. Next, choose the side you want your dog to walk beside you and give him treats only from that side, so when he’ll come to walk by you he will come where the delicious treats are.

The command should be “let’s go” said on a firm voice and it should be used when your dog s walking by himself or smelling things. Before you use this command, make sure that you have his attention by clapping your hands or something. Of course, when he listens don’t forget his reward.

6. Taking the Training on the Street

Now it’s time to apply the training from your backyard. Don’t expect to obey perfectly and reward him more than you did in your backyard to stimulate his attention. For better results, the trick is to make sure that your dog is hungry when you go for a walk so the treats will be even more appealing.

As well, don’t forget to allow your dog to sniff and to go to potty where you allow him to.

Conclusion

After you made sure that you bought the perfect harness for your dog size and needs, the above-mentioned tricks and tips will help you get your dog accustomed to the harness in no time and make him walk with it like a good dog that he is.

Remember that dog’s don’t perceive his world as we do, so they aren’t aware that they do something wrong. Therefore, you’ll need to be patient with your best friend and practice on a daily basis.

Dogs are fast learners in general, but the training may not be so productive when you can’t have his attention because he’s too tired or too full.

Author’s Bio

Sharon is a marketing specialist from Manchester, UK, and a writer at best essay writing service in usa and Dissertation Today. When she’s free, nothing gives her much pleasure than sharing her thoughts on writing, marketing and blogging on platforms. She’s currently working as a marketer and provided assignment help and top paper writing service reviews

This blog was contributed by Sharon Hooper. If you would like to submit a blog please email cynthia@newyorkdognanny.com

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