How to train your dog to walk nicely on the lead

The key to teaching your dog to walk nicely on the lead is to teach them that not pulling is the fastest way to get to where they want to go.

Teaching your dog not to pull takes time, patience and consistency but the benefits can be huge.

Teach your dog to walk without pulling:

Start by standing still and quiet. Allow your dog the full length of his lead. Remain still and quiet when your dog is ignoring you but the split second he pays you attention praise him and give him a treat.
Once you have your dog's attention you can move off - use your voice and treats to encourage your dog to stay close to you when walking. Always reward your dog when they are walking on a loose lead.
If your dog moves too far away from you, before the lead goes tight, stop and be still and quiet until he pays you attention and moves closer to you. Reward and move off again. This must happen every single time your dog moves away.
Practice this in short and regular sessions.
Walking around distractions can cause dogs to pull. Place something your dog would really like to get to on the floor, like a toy. If your dog pulls on the lead to get towards the toy, stop and call your dog towards you. His reward for walking on a loose lead is getting to his toy. Here the dog learns that pulling just slows things down.

Make the area around you fun and rewarding so that your dog enjoys being closer to you. Lots of encouragement through praise and treats will stop him racing towards his destination.