Walking On Lead Need Help Urgently Please. Cheers

[BigBlueTyson]

hey guys i have a 10 week old male staffy pup. i have been trying to get him walking on his lead since 8 weeks, i have tried treats and positive encouragement, it interests him for a couple of minutes than he goes back to laying on the groud and wont move. apparently the intructor from puppy school said i need him walking on his lead by next tuesday night because thats when im taking him to his first puppy school lesson. Im thinking of leaving it as i dont think he will be ready. does anyone have any ideas im in brisbane south side if anyone knows any good puppy schools in the area?

cheers

Dan

[Sandra777]

Some aren't ready at this age and the more you force the issue the worse you will make it. Personally I'd tell the puppy school instructor to get stuffed if they said my puppy "needed'' to do anything by a certain age!

Have you put his collar on him and just left him to it? From there progress to giving him treats if/when he follows you, gradually making it only if he's somewhere roughly around where he'd be on leash that he gets a treat for. After that, get a piece of light cord or rope about a metre long, tie it to his collar and leave him to it. Treat when he follows you, when he follows you closer. Let him play with the cord (since he's probably a bit over the whole leash idea, let him learn this thing hanging off him is fun)

Pick up the cord, then drop it as soon as he walks one pace, treat. Then two paces, treat.

Buy a different lead to the one you've been using (only needs to be a cheap one) and repeat.

After this if you have a friend or relation with a placid well behaved dog then it could help to walk the two together - first just on the lawn, then out in public.

Don't rush him - Staffords, especially the dogs, can be incredibly slow at this age, the bitches' brains seem to start working a bit earlier than the dogs'!

[BigBlueTyson]

Some aren't ready at this age and the more you force the issue the worse you will make it. Personally I'd tell the puppy school instructor to get stuffed if they said my puppy "needed'' to do anything by a certain age!

Have you put his collar on him and just left him to it? From there progress to giving him treats if/when he follows you, gradually making it only if he's somewhere roughly around where he'd be on leash that he gets a treat for. After that, get a piece of light cord or rope about a metre long, tie it to his collar and leave him to it. Treat when he follows you, when he follows you closer. Let him play with the cord (since he's probably a bit over the whole leash idea, let him learn this thing hanging off him is fun)

Pick up the cord, then drop it as soon as he walks one pace, treat. Then two paces, treat.

Buy a different lead to the one you've been using (only needs to be a cheap one) and repeat.

After this if you have a friend or relation with a placid well behaved dog then it could help to walk the two together - first just on the lawn, then out in public.

Don't rush him - Staffords, especially the dogs, can be incredibly slow at this age, the bitches' brains seem to start working a bit earlier than the dogs'!

yea i might tell em to stick it! i thought it was abit weird when she said "yes he needs to be walking on his leash" he walks around fine with it dangling on him but soon as you try to lead him he dont like it to much lol

cheers dan

[Guest Ams]

If he walks fine with it dangling have you tried letting him lead you for a few steps and then stopping, and waiting for him to change directions, then letting him walk a couple of steps and repeat, that way he will get to learn that a taut lead means he can't continue in the direction he was heading but not necessarily mean he has to be dragged in another direction? Does that make sense?

It allows him to get used to the lead "checking" him but he still gets to decide what other direction he gets to go in? It's a method I have tried on a few puppies that don't like the lead and means you have to be really patient as you may be waiting for a while at first for them to understand they can't go in the direction they were intending but they have the ability to go in any other direction. Once they get that in their heads it is usually pretty easy for them to accept gentle coaxing to walk with you on lead.

I do agree, don't force it as you will just end up with a dog that refuses to walk on lead at all.

[dark angel]

If he walks fine with it dangling have you tried letting him lead you for a few steps and then stopping, and waiting for him to change directions, then letting him walk a couple of steps and repeat, that way he will get to learn that a taut lead means he can't continue in the direction he was heading but not necessarily mean he has to be dragged in another direction? Does that make sense?

It allows him to get used to the lead "checking" him but he still gets to decide what other direction he gets to go in? It's a method I have tried on a few puppies that don't like the lead and means you have to be really patient as you may be waiting for a while at first for them to understand they can't go in the direction they were intending but they have the ability to go in any other direction. Once they get that in their heads it is usually pretty easy for them to accept gentle coaxing to walk with you on lead.

I do agree, don't force it as you will just end up with a dog that refuses to walk on lead at all.

Firstly he may be a bit young but then again if he can walk dragging the lead he can walk with you holding the lead. Does he come to you when you call him ? If so half your problem is solved.When he refuses to walk call his name pull him to you when he gets to you lots of praise

You say he sits when you want to go ?Well go..dont wait for him.We know he can walk he just doesnt want to walk when you want him too.He will soon realize its much more pleasant walking than sitting when you take off.

At least he isnt doing body rolls on the ground biting the lead etc.

And finally i have never ever ever seen a dog that WONT walk on a lead or refuses to walk on one after you have "forced" it

Of course ,i train on the other side of the fence but sometimes that grass has slight tinges of green too

[poodlefan]

The whole reason we take our dogs to puppy training is to learn about how to get them started with issues like leash training.

I would either go and ask for help or find another trainer- but you do neither yourself nor Tyson any favours if you don't get him into classes NOW.

Could you not ring the trainer and discuss this? If Tyson is doing his best impression of a baulking donkey (I call this "donkey dog") on leash, this is extremely common in pups and something I'd expect any trainer to advise on.

ETA: Have you tried encouraging him to follow you using a toy or food?

Edited April 23, 2010 by poodlefan

[BigBlueTyson]

The whole reason we take our dogs to puppy training is to learn about how to get them started with issues like leash training.

I would either go and ask for help or find another trainer- but you do neither yourself nor Tyson any favours if you don't get him into classes NOW.

Could you not ring the trainer and discuss this? If Tyson is doing his best impression of a baulking donkey (I call this "donkey dog") on leash, this is extremely common in pups and something I'd expect any trainer to advise on.

yea i rang the trainer and she advised of the hall way technique and just encouraging him with treats making alot of turns. maybe i should just ring tommorow and say im still having trouble

cheers

Dan

Edited April 23, 2010 by BigBlueTyson

[poodlefan]

The whole reason we take our dogs to puppy training is to learn about how to get them started with issues like leash training.

I would either go and ask for help or find another trainer- but you do neither yourself nor Tyson any favours if you don't get him into classes NOW.

Could you not ring the trainer and discuss this? If Tyson is doing his best impression of a baulking donkey (I call this "donkey dog") on leash, this is extremely common in pups and something I'd expect any trainer to advise on.

yea i rang the trainer and she advised of the hall way technique and just encouraging him with treats making alot of turns. maybe i should just ring tommorow and say im still having trouble

cheers

Dan

Or just rock up...

Personally I think its better to get pups walking along without tossing in a whole bunch of turns too early... got to go forward before you try to 'steer' them too much. Verbal encouragement helps too.

[nicolatu]

Try going to youtube and type in "loose leash walking". Putting a treat behind your heel and get him to walk to you. I have been trying to apply what they teach and it seems to work quite good.

My puppy school dog trainer said that you could use a food to lure them to look at you and then reward them for following you. If the puppy does not focus on you while walking, you could try walking faster. My pup works well on this.

I am by no means expert but that was what i learnt in puppy school and on youtube.

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

i made it a game. in the hallway, had dog on leash, i held leash, i was very excited and dropped food around my feet and called puppy's attention to food. then once she got the idea, i put the food further out. before long she was walking on the lead.

i didnt bother too much bout loose leash walking until she knew that walking on the leash was fun.