• The dog needs to be exercised, particularly if it is kept in a small yard or apartment;
• The dog needs the stimulation of seeing other things outside its home environment;
• It is a bonding experience for you and your dog;
• It creates an opportunity for you to train your dog and reinforce your position as its owner;
• It can help remove boredom and problems that may be associated with boredom (such as excessive barking or chewing);
• It can help your dog feel less anxious;
• It helps keep your dog healthy.

Buying a Leash

The best way to walk your dog is with the appropriate dog leashes and collars for your dog. A good dog leash makes it much easier to walk, control and correct your dog. This is one area where it's worth spending a little bit more to get a quality product that you know will perform in the way that it is expected to. You do not want the risk of your dog leash or collar breaking.

The best length for a dog leash is around four feet for walking, or six feet for training. You want a length that enables the dog to have some room to move, while still allowing the owner to keep control. Retractable dog leashes give your dog a lot of room to move, while allowing the owner to reel the dog in when necessary. However, it does have the disadvantage that your dog may run into a dangerous situation before you can get it under control.

Here are some tips for buying dog leashes and collars:

• Ensure that the collar is comfortable for your dog. You want to ensure that it does not rub or chafe.
• Ensure that there is some room under the collar, but that your dog cannot get his head out of the collar.
• Ensure that your leash can be firmly attached to the collar.
• Ensure that the leash will not break.
• Consider nylon if you think your dog may bite or chew his leash.
• Think about buying reflective materials if you plan to walk your dog at night.
• Consider a buckle collar for puppy leash training.

Leash-Related Problems

The most common problem when walking your dog with a leash is that your dog will pull and jerk too much. This is most likely to be the case when your dog is not used to walking with a leash, has not been trained properly or does not get walked very often. It is not pleasant for either the owner or the dog. If both owner and dog get anxious, it can create even further problems and can ruin the whole walk. Sometimes this pulling and jerking causes such annoyance, that the owner makes the mistake of walking his dog less often. This is only likely to make the problem worse. Instead, the owner should take steps to correct the problem and make walking a whole lot pleasanter for both owner and dog.

Continue to: Steps to Combat Dog Leashes and Collars-Related Problems