Paw Pals Pet Sitting

Dog Walking & Pet Sitting in Northern VA

(703) 345-1695
Schedule Our Services
  • About Us
    • Client Reviews
    • Common Questions
    • Team Bios
    • Join Our Team
    • Who We Support
  • Pricing
    • Dog Walking
    • Dog Sitting
    • Cat Sitting
    • Pet Sitting
    • Additional Services
    • Holiday Fee Service Schedule
  • Policies
  • Dog Sitting
    • Areas Served
      • Centreville, VA
      • Chantilly, VA
      • Clifton, VA
      • Fairfax Lakes, VA
      • Fairfax Oaks, VA
      • Fairfax Station, VA
      • Fairfax, VA
      • Manassas ,VA
      • Oakton, VA
      • Reston, VA
      • Vienna, VA
  • Dog Walking
    • Areas Served
      • Centreville, VA
      • Chantilly, VA
      • Clifton, VA
      • Fairfax Lakes, VA
      • Fairfax Oaks, VA
      • Fairfax Station, VA
      • Fairfax, VA
      • Manassas, VA
      • Oakton, VA
      • Reston, VA
      • Vienna, VA
  • Cat Sitting
    • Areas Served
      • Centreville, VA
      • Chantilly, VA
      • Clifton, VA
      • Fair Lakes, VA
      • Fairfax Station, VA
      • Fairfax, VA
      • Manassas, VA
      • Oakton, VA
      • Reston, VA
      • Vienna, VA
  • Pet Sitting
    • Areas Served
      • Centreville, VA
      • Chantilly, VA
      • Clifton, VA
      • Fair Lakes, VA
      • Fair Oaks, VA
      • Fairfax Station, VA
      • Fairfax, VA
      • Manassas, VA
      • Oakton, VA
      • Reston, VA
      • Vienna, VA
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

How To Train A Puppy To Walk On A Leash

March 16, 2020 by Mary Telesz

Husky puppy walking on leashOwning a puppy is a delight for most people, although it also obviously comes with a high degree of responsibility. They need to be taught to behave, fed properly, and walked, among other things. The ability to train a puppy to walk on a leash is a simpler task than you might imagine, however.

It should be noted that most experts recommend against using a retractable leash, as these have often resulted in injuries or other unfortunate incidents. According to Consumer Reports, there were 16,564 injuries in the United States in 2007 that were associated with the use of retractable leashes. Of these, 23.5% were finger-related injuries. Here are some important things to remember when teaching your puppy this basic skill.

Pair The Collar Or Leash With Positive Affirmations

If you associate your puppy’s collar or leash with sources of joy for your pet (like treats), he/she will be more likely to positively respond to being walked with it. Just like with young children, never underestimate the power of association and positive reinforcement. Letting your puppy get used to wearing a collar for a few hours indoors.

Teaching And Repeating Unique Cues

Find a sound-based cue to notify your puppy that they are going to be fed, and use it in an area that is relatively distraction-free. This can be the use of a certain word like “here” or a click of the tongue, for example.

Practice Walking Indoors First

Let your puppy walk a few steps inside your home before taking the big leap outdoors. If he/she does this without making any kind of mess, reward him/her with treats.

Start With Small Increments Outside

Puppy sitting and getting treat on walkEvery new process should always start with a few steps, and walking a puppy outside is no different. Make sure your puppy doesn’t get into any major trouble while on his/her first short walk. If your dog lunges at anything while walking (a cat, a person or a car, for instance), redirect his/her attention to something else. Don’t ever yank too hard on the leash or drag your pet. If he/she barks while on a walk, this may be a sign of insufficient exercise. Therefore, you should strive to ensure your pup receives the adequate amount of stimulus corresponding to his/her breed and age. According to The Kennel Club, a London-based organization, every puppy should get roughly five minutes of exercise per month of age (up to twice a day), as a general rule of thumb. You should also ensure your puppy is not being walked in an unsafe area or on a full stomach, as he/she may end up bloating.

Bring Treats For Rewards!

If your pup behaves, you will eventually find that you don’t need to give him/her as many treats as a reward. Some puppies may even find other sources of motivation, like toys or the company of a specific person.

Work With Trained Walkers From Paw Pals

Reach out to the experienced dog walkers from Paw Pals Pet Sitting to learn more about how to train your puppy to walk on a leash. Although based in Centreville, Virginia, Paw Pals also serves customers in the Chantilly, Clifton, Fairfax, Fairfax Station, Manassas and Reston areas. They support several organizations in Northern Virginia, including Fairfax County Animal Shelter, Friends of the Fairfax County Animal Shelter and the A Forever Home Rescue Foundation.

Founded by proud Australian Shepherd puppy owner Mary Telesz, Paw Pals is dedicated to taking care of pets whenever an owner needs this service (e.g. when they are traveling for long periods of time for pleasure or business). Paw Pals are bonded, licensed and completely insured. They are also PetTech certified in First Aid and Pet CPR, so they can take care of your dog swiftly in the event of an emergency. Their dog walking services include playtime, brushing, treats, fresh food and water and provision of medications if necessary.

Woman and dog training on leash Paw Pals can also walk dogs on weekends and after-hours (10am to 4pm) on weekdays. Prices start at $16 for a 15-minute walk in the case of older dogs. Additional services include dog supply pick-up, dog waste pickup and dog transportation. Paw Pals are also big on safety, so you never have to worry about your puppy being thrust into a precarious situation.

Call Paw Pals Pet Sitting today at (703) 345-1695 or (703) 393-7297 or contact them online to learn more about their services or to schedule a service. Don’t let your puppy drag you down, take him/her to Paw Pals instead and he/she will be treated like royalty!

Filed Under: Pet Training

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

Have a question?

Send us a message and we'll get back to you in a timely manner.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Certifications & Associations

PetTech-logo

PUPS-logo

KennelPro

Northern Virginia Magazine - Best Pet Care 2019 Award

 2020 Best Pet Care Award

Powered By

Pet Sitter Plus logo

Office Location

Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

professional dog walking software

Office Hours

Monday
9am - 5pm
Tuesday
9am - 5pm
Wednesday
9am - 5pm
Thursday
9am - 5pm
Friday
9am - 5pm
Saturday
Closed
Sunday
Closed

Areas Served

Centreville – 20120, 20121
Chantilly – 22151
Clifton – 20124
Fairfax – 22030, 22033
Fairfax Station – 22039
Manassas – 20109, 20110, 20111
Reston – 20191, 20190

Google Rating
5.0
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
5.0
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
See All Reviews Write a review
powered by Google

© 2021 · Paw Pals Pet Sitters, LLC · Website Design by 321 Web Marketing