Use the "Follow" direction whenever you’re walking your puppy on a leash or encouraging him to follow you. If he’s disinterested in you, start teaching this direction by shaking a treat cup filled with dog treats or his meals and rewarding him as you go. Gradually lengthen the distance he cooperates between treats.
This exercise is ideal for a clicker if you’re using one: Click when he cooperates, and then treat him.
If your puppy stops dead in his tracks while learning to follow, you should not drag him. Not only could it cause physical discomfort, but it also may frighten him. You may be thinking "What are my options then?" Be creative. You can shake treat cups, skip and bounce, squeak a dog toy, or kneel down and encourage him by pretending you found something on the ground. However, you must do all of these without looking at him. Reward and face him only when he’s near, and near he’ll stay.
The "Follow" direction isn’t optional. If your puppy doesn’t want to go and you stop to cajole him, you reinforce his resistance. Say the direction happily and then skip, bounce, or dart ahead – do whatever you can to encourage his quick and willing participation.
Excerpted from Puppies for Dummies, published by Wiley Publishing Inc., Hoboken, N.J. Copyright 2006. Reprinted by permission.
