Teaching your Dog to Walk Alongside You

Before starting with the following lesson on how to teach your dog to walk alongside you, it is convenient for your dog to know how to sit obediently. Begin by training him in a quiet room, walking to a door that doesn't lead outside. Increase the distractions until the dog walks quietly alongside you towards the front door. If your dog is strong, rowdy or rebellious, you should be able to control him better by using a head collar. Try to constantly repeat the "next to me" order.

1. Begin the training with the dog sitting to your left and secured with a retractable leash that you will hold with your right hand, in which besides you will have, a food reward. Hold the other edge of the leash in your left hand, near the collar.

2. Once the dog is able to walk twenty steps without any problem, use the food reward to induce him to turn right.

3. Sliding your left hand through the leash up to his collar and guiding the dog with your left leg, increase your speed while your dog stops and turns left.

4. Now you can turn in circles. Keep on using the food to motivate your dog, call him by his name and give him the "next to me" order while you make a complete turn.

Alongside you Without a Leash
Once your dog has learned to walk alongside you on a leash, repeat the exercise without it. Put the leash on your shoulder and bring along a food prize with you. Keeping the dog next to your left leg and holding the food prize in your right hand, give him the "next to me" order and lead him to the right.

Show the dog the food you have in your right hand by crossing your arm in front of your body; meanwhile, with your left foot keep the dog from turning right and give the "next to me" order. The dog will slow down in order to get close to the food.