Leash training your Border Collie is not only good for the dog but also the owner. It will help to establish the border collie as your obedient pet and companion.
Dog training with a leash can be done in many different ways. Let’s explore some of them.
How to train a border collie to walk on a leash
The first thing you should know about training a Border Collie is that it takes time and patience. Still, if you’re willing to invest in both, then you will get what you want out of it: A happy, healthy, and well-behaved canine companion.
To train your Border Collie puppy using a leash, follow just three simple steps:
1) Establishing dominance;
2) Teaching basic commands;
3) Repetition.
Establishing dominance
It’s important to establish dominance when training a Border Collie because it will let the dog know that you are the leader and it has to follow your orders.
Although this method mainly focuses on helping you train your Border Collie, it also provides practical information for understanding and dealing with different behavior problems that could arise from training.
Teaching basic commands
There are some basic commands every dog must be taught. The most common ones are: Sit, stay, and heel.
You will need a lot of patience to teach these commands because BCs don’t like being restrained for long periods without getting anything in return.
Repetition
Having a Border Collie means regularly practicing basic commands and leash training. This may seem like a lot of work, but it’s simply what you need to do if you want an obedient pet.
Remember: only practice the commands you want your BC to master. Don’t pressurize your puppy and avoid situations where it will be distracted by other dogs or anything else around.
If you keep practicing, you should see some progress within a week or two. Start with short sessions (10-15 minutes) and gradually extend the training sessions to 30 minutes.
Eventually, your Border Collie should start obeying you without hesitation and even walking without a leash!
Leash Pulling is a Problem
Lead pulling is a big problem for people who are training their dogs.
This type of behavior is usually displayed when the dog thinks it is in control over its owner, simply by pulling forward, so the owner has to follow him/her.
This can be particularly frustrating if you’re trying to teach your Border Collie basic commands such as “sit” or “stay,” and it keeps tugging at the leash, trying to get where it wants to go.
Prevent my Border Collie from pulling on the leash
There are a few standard solutions to prevent leash pulling. Still, the most effective one happens to be using a special collar called “front clip harness”.
This type of harness clips on your dog’s chest, not his neck, so that he cannot pull forward because it will pull him sideways and lose his balance.
There are also two steps you can follow to prevent your Border Collie from pulling on the leash:
- The first thing that needs to be done to avoid dog leash pulling is establishing dominance.
- The next step is to create sound associations with different types of triggers or stimuli, associating something new or negative with their desired action of pulling on the leash.
When put into practice in conjunction with the front clip harness, these two steps will help you reinforce the fact that “dog pulling on a leash” is not something desirable and should be avoided at all times.
However, there is still a chance of your Border Collie pulling on the leash, even with the front clip harness, but you can train it to stop this behavior.
How to Stop leash pulling
Stoping a Border Collie pulling on the lead is relatively easy. Still, you have to be patient and consistent when doing it. An excellent way to start would be by using a training dog leash, a “no pull” collar, or a “front clip harness,” as mentioned above.
If your Border Collie is still pulling the leash after trying these methods, then you might want to try a head halter. Head halters are recommended only for stronger dogs with a high pulling motivation. They can be very effective if used properly.
To stop a Border Collie leash pulling, you can:
- Use a no-pull harness;
- Use a head halter;
- Use a choke collar;
- Do not allow your dog to walk in front of you;
- Slowly reduce the area where you train it;
- Teaching Basic Commands (It’s important to teach your Border Collie basic commands like “sit,” “heel,” and “stay”).
Teaching your Border Collie basic commands is key to having a well-behaved canine.
You can teach it using either verbal or hand signals, but I recommend you to use both, so the dog learns how to listen and follow both and make it easier for it to learn new things.
Tips for Leash Training a Border Collie
If you’re having trouble with training your Border Collie not to pull on the leash, then it’s probably because it hasn’t learned what “heel” means. This is one of the most basic commands.
Training your Border Collie with a leash is not only good for the dog but also the owner. It will help to establish the border collie as your obedient pet and companion.
Once leash training starts, you will find that it becomes difficult for your Border Collie to focus on what you’re trying to teach it because of the excitement and distractions on the road.
This is why it’s important to first train these basic commands in a quiet, isolated place so that your dog can concentrate better.
But, after your BC is comfortable and listening to every command in a quiet place, you should always train him in every different environment where you want it to behave well.
This means always trying to make leash training your puppy fun or playing with your dog before starting the session.
Concluding
By following these steps, you should be able to train your Border Collie not to pull on the leash and become a well-behaved dog.
Start by teaching it basic commands, and always treat reward your dog when it performs the command correctly, then gradually increase the difficulty of the exercises you ask it to do.
And never punish your dog when it fails. Just try the next time again, giving it more chances to succeed, but remember patience is key when leash training a dog.
Remember that Border Collies are very intelligent dogs and should be trained in an enjoyable way for both you and your four-legged friend!
