Walk Nicely on a Leash
Dogs love to sniff, even short-nosed dogs such as pugs. And as low to the ground as a pug is, his nose is always alerting him to interesting things to smell. Then there are other dogs to meet and new people to greet. All of these distractions can make for an unpleasant walk if your pug is always pulling on his leash in search of the next best thing.
Use your pug's name as part of the command any time you want him to move; for instance, with “Come” or “Let's go.” Any time he needs to stay in place (“Sit” or “Down”), use only the command word, without his name.
You can, however, teach your pug to walk nicely without pulling. He doesn't have to walk sedately at your side in a formal heel position (except in the obedience ring), but not pulling is a must. You always want some slack in the leash.
Teaching Your Pug to Walk Nicely
Attach the leash to his collar or harness. Hold it in your left hand with your pug standing on your left. Encourage him to walk forward by saying, “[Dog's name], let's go” (or whatever phrase you choose). Praise him or click and treat (or praise, then click and treat) when he starts to walk with you. He'll probably stop to eat the treat. When he's finished, begin again, this time clicking after more steps forward. Click only when he's moving.
As you walk, reward your pug with praise or a click and treat any time he is paying attention to you and not pulling. Keep his attention on you by smiling and saying, “Watch me!” Gradually increase the length of time he walks before you give a reward. Vary the rate at which you give rewards so he's motivated to walk nicely all the time.
Any time your pug starts pulling, stop walking, but be careful not to jerk him to a stop. When he looks at you and there's slack in the leash, start up again, reminding him to focus on you (“Watch me!”)and rewarding him periodically for walking nicely without pulling. Stop and start again as necessary.
Practice Walking Nicely
Practice inside your home, in the yard, and around your neighborhood. Introduce distractions such as other people or dogs walking by to help your pug learn to stay focused on you. Schedule walks after playtime so your pug is less likely to have energy to pull. Here's one trainer's test for mastery of the art of walking nicely: when you can walk your dog while holding an open cup of liquid without spilling it (don't try this with something hot!).
