Of all the basic things we need to teach our puppy, leash protocol is the very most important thing, because the leash sends the most significant message about our leadership, and provides the daily exercise our dog will always require. - Most of us are not seeking obedience titles but still, our dog needs to have a good idea of what to do on the leash because from time to time we'll need to take him to the vet or other places out in public.

His requirement for daily exercise cannot be overstated either. And running around in your back yard is not sufficient physically or psychologically. He sees your back yard as a big kennel. He needs to get out in his territory with you, his leader. And we need to teach him how to do this the right way, but it's important to be very careful to not create what I call "a bad leash experience" with your little guy. We want him to love the leash, not hate it, and if we expect too much too soon from him and start jerking him around (essentially acting like a jerk ourselves), this will slow the process.

An average age for him to learn how to heel (or walk at your side), is 6 months, but some puppies are ready by the time they're only 4 months, so it really depends on the pup. At first, just to give him the idea of what you want, keep things very simple. There are only a few things he needs to know in the beginning. The first thing, is that we keep moving. In other words, we continue to move along at a regular to brisk pace, not stopping until you (the leader) initiates the stop. - Next time, more on leash work.

A native of Louisiana, SRQ Daily Columnist Gregg Flowers owns Dog's Best Friend Dog Training Services here in Sarasota, where he "teaches dogs and trains people." Gregg became fascinated by our relationship with dogs as a boy in the '60s, and by 1985 had developed his own unique style of working with dogs and their humans.