When Do Puppies Stop Flopping On Walks?

[Kempe]

21 week old female BC, fit and healthy but keeps flopping down when on walks on a leash, at what approx age do they out grow this??

Cant figure out a reason other than sometimes she just cant be bothered but at the start she is really keen.

The other night was the worse, within 75 metres she had flopped down 8 times, and just lies there looking up at you but as soon as you say "heel" and start walking she is straight up again....

At puppy training she can sometimes go the full hour without flopping and the trainer said it's because she's a pup she flops, it's like "I've had enough it's boring my attention is elswhere"

She can play for ages in the back garden chasing and retrieving so I doubt it's a physical thing, is it possible she's rebelling against the discipline?....heel, back, close etc....or is it just normal puppy behaviour

edit, She gets walked mainly at night so she might just be too tired lol

Edited May 1, 2009 by Kempe

[ness]

What are you expecting on a walk? I don't ask my guys to heel just that they aren't pulling. They are allowed to sniff, be a dog or whatever. Most of my walks when my BC was a baby were to the local park and then she could run off-leash. She had a few issues just prior to christmas (so around 8 months) she would sit down on walks on the way home and she had a strained hip flexor.

[poodlefan]

How far are you walking her? A dog that keeps lying down would signal tiredness to me. It's dead easy to overdo it with a pup.

[Kempe]

What are you expecting on a walk? I don't ask my guys to heel just that they aren't pulling. They are allowed to sniff, be a dog or whatever. Most of my walks when my BC was a baby were to the local park and then she could run off-leash. She had a few issues just prior to christmas (so around 8 months) she would sit down on walks on the way home and she had a strained hip flexor.

I don't expect much on a walk at that age, am certainly not over disciplining.

I have a reserve just down the road and as there are cars about to get there I like her to heel and not pull, which she can do, once she's there it's play time.

I'll start taking her earlier in the morning and see how she goes

[Kempe]

How far are you walking her? A dog that keeps lying down would signal tiredness to me. It's dead easy to overdo it with a pup.

She flopped 8 times in about 75 metres, but am stating to think it's tiredness to as it's at night, am gonna walk her in the morning see how it goes

[ness]

Yeah probably worth a shot in the morning 8 times in 75 m sounds like a lot. Is she pulling when she isn't flopping? How did you condition her to walking on a lead initially? Did you clip it on a have her run around etc?

[poochmad]

I'd suggest making the walk fun rather than training at the moment until she's comfortable and happy on the lead. Perhaps leave the formal training, back, heel, etc until she's a little older?

[poodlefan]

How far are you walking her? A dog that keeps lying down would signal tiredness to me. It's dead easy to overdo it with a pup.

She flopped 8 times in about 75 metres, but am stating to think it's tiredness to as it's at night, am gonna walk her in the morning see how it goes

I'll ask again. How far/long are you walking her. Is it just to the Reserve?

Edited May 1, 2009 by poodlefan

[Kempe]

How far are you walking her? A dog that keeps lying down would signal tiredness to me. It's dead easy to overdo it with a pup.

She flopped 8 times in about 75 metres, but am stating to think it's tiredness to as it's at night, am gonna walk her in the morning see how it goes

I'll ask again. How far/long are you walking her. Is it just to the Reserve?

Yeah just walk her on a leash to the reserve which is about 100m away from home, once there it's play time and she can do what she likes, sniffing and being a dog etc but there is a lot of traffic to get that 100m and I like her to walk without pulling etc which she is good at.

[sas]

To me it's either A) Tired or B) starting to test boundaries

I'd personaly have pup checked at the Vets to make sure everything is ok there.

If you think it's puppy testing boundaries, perhaps speak to a trainer about how to show puppy you don't want this behaviour. I know what I would do but it may not be right for your pup.

[persephone]

but there is a lot of traffic to get that 100m and I like her to walk without pulling

Ok... to me, it sounds as if you have a pup who is , the only way she knows how, trying to avoid the noise and fumes and proximity of the traffic.

Smaller pups are just the wrong height.

They cop the exhaust fumes and noise, and changes in air pressure/draft as cars go by.

Try her with a favourite squeaky toy..let her carry it.. or hold it yourself.. and do not ask to heel.. see if she is happier doing it that way

Years ago- I was training a young lab... and the only way I could get her to walk along confidently and happily in a busy area was to let her carry a rolled up piece of 'junk mail'

This was phased out after she gained in confidence...

[stacyk]

Make it fun!

Play a game along the way, take treats and make sure you don't go too far.

Maybe she is doing it to get a reaction from you.. ie asking her to heal?

that may be more fun then just walking....

[sandgrubber]

Might be a good thing to get advice from a good vet and a good trainer. Could be she's sending you a message and you're not getting it. If it's physical (OCD or HD, for example) you must deal with the root cause.

[pesh]

I had a GSD that would try it out, and came across it with other dogs at obedience training more than once.

Ignore it, just tell her "heal." And when she's up and moving keep it up at a steady pace. Start of moving on with your left leg, that later will become a silent command when she see's you walking off with the left leg, hope that makes sense.

The dog needs to be walking correctly to play area, and not before. There's time to play and there's time to walk. Get it right while she's a pup and you'll enjoy your walks. As she learns, then you can give her more space, when she knows what you want and when you know what she'll get upto.

Using two leads can help, one for walking and a longer one if needed for play time. Walk to destination with walking lead, then when you get there put the longer lead on. Longer lead only needed if she won't "Come."

Or, two leads can be also used for walking. One for training and when you want her healing close to you. The second longer one for her to wonder and sniff about.