[Bettanygirl]

Hi

Can anyone help with some tips on how to enjoy walking with your puppy more?! We have been able to take Sunny out for about 10 days but are really battling with walking on a loose lead. She runs ahead like a mini golden steam train and then huffs and hacks away nearly choking at the end of the lead. We have tried stopping and changing direction and she whimpers for a minute and then promptly charges in that direction and does the same. Our little walks are becoming very stressful! There is no park nearby that is really safe to run in off lead as they are all bordered by roads.

We are going to some puppy school classes but the lady running it is not very helpful or engaging and while she has showed us how to hand her treats if she is walking on a loose lead seems at a loss to explain how we get her walking like that to start with.

What do we do?!

 

[MissJ]

The good thing is that your lab is still a pup and she can get out of the habbit of pulling.

So you've tried the changing direction? How long did you try this for as you have to be consistant.
Have you tried the stopping every time she pulls and calling her back to your side, then treating her by your side?

 

[miley]

We tried everything withHolly 9months old and it wasn't untill we attended a training day organised by LF members we now have a pup who is a pleasure to take out and all thanks to a little thin rope slip lead.

 

[Silke]

I think we started training in the garden with Buddy, getting him to sit in the position we wanted him to walk (next to our right knee) and them showed him the treat, took one step with him still near the right knee with the command "heel" and then rewarding with the treat and "good heel". We built up very slowly to increasing the number of steps but he got the message quite quickly.
We also got a harness for him so that if he did pull, at least we had a bit more control and weren't choking him on the collar.
Whenever he pulls these days I make a disapproving noise and give a little tug on the harness and he usually gets it - unless he sees a cat or another dog!
Hope that helps!

 

[-Heather-]

Have been reading this with interest as our puppy gets her second jag tomorrow and have been wondering how to go about training to walk to heel.

Thanks folks

Heather[/list]

 

[Silke]

There is a great "sticky" post in one of the sections - either puppy stuff or training, that was sooooo helpful for us. In actual fact, what I wrote will be much better explained in there!!

 

[treecity]

This is how we did it...

- Use a whole meal of kibble and put it in a pouch in a pocket or on your belt on your left side.

- Dog on lead in a sit on your left.

- Food in left hand and get down nice and low so your hand is just in front of their mouth.

- Walk forward and feed in this position.

- Try for about 5 mins and give them as much food as they can take but only feed when they are in the correct position. i.e. keep your left hand right by your side.

It's difficult when they are small but they grow fast and it will become easier.

It's actually very difficult to be able to dispense enough food to keep them there but you will get the hang of it!

You can practice this multiple times per day so that they eventually associate walking at your side with eating.

Finally, I would urge you to not use a harness at this young age. Persistence does pay off with heel training but it can take a long time.

Good luck!

 

[Topseyt]

Not much that I can add to the above really. Whatevery method you use, it really is persistence and consistency over a prolongued period.

Charlie took a long time with this, and is still far from a shining example of a great heeler. :roll: These days though, he normally walks nicely at heel whilst we are out on any of his regular "patches" (unless he sees another dog, that is :twisted: ). If we go anywhere else for a change then I have to use a headcollar for about the first 15 - 20 minutes until he has settled down a bit. Then he will listen to me again.

One thing I would say is - if she starts pulling like a steam train the second you set foot out of the front door then turn round and go straight back inside again. Hopefully that will give her the message that she will only get out if she starts off by behaving reasonably well. Do that as many times as it takes. Some days you may not even get as far as the end of the drive, but that won't matter.

 

[Bettanygirl]

Thank you all v much - we shall be trying these tomorrow! We are trying the food when in right position but are finding it tricky as she so little I have to stop and bend over to get it to her which starts to defeat purpose of the good walking habit

Love the sound of the LF training day - do they still happen?

 

[gixju]

Good luck tomorrow.

Try all the above.

Don/t give in, or up.

You are incharge of the lead.

They will do their best to take over.

Walk at your speed. Not theirs!!!!!!!!!!!. When they pull. Stop. Pull them back to your side.

Give them an inch at this stage. you will have a problem. They are never to young to learn the rules of the lead.

(I know from experience)