i need dog leash help?

Question

i have tried to put a leash on my puppy for months now and she hates it she is 7 months and still hates it and i always wanted a dog to walk in the park or any where but i find myself fussing with her and this leash

Answer 1

Take a day keep the dog on the leash and whatever you do the dog is always on your side. I did this even doing housework and yardwork. My dogs are the best dogs to walk.

Answer 2

It can be really hard to get them to adjust. There are a few things you can do.

* put the leash on in the house and let him drag the leash around. Only do this when you are right there to watch him. This will get him used to the feel of the leash.

* dont try going on long walks, but start out short. Take a walk to the mailbox or the end of the street. put treats in your pocket. reward him with a treat when he is calm and not pulling on the leash. DONT pull the leash but walk a few steps and then coax him forward. Be calm and reassuring. If you start getting stressed out and frustrated it is time to take a break. Increase the distance slowly. When he is doing good and walks calmly reward him by telling him how good he is.

* You may also want to try a harness instead of a leash. You can use your leash (not a retractable one) Hook the leash onto the collar, pull the leash back toward the tail. with the handle end wrap the leash around your dog's tummy and then put the handle end under the leash where it started to wrap around the belly.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Answer 3

Is your dog afraid of the leash? If so put the leash on just before you feed the dog and let it drag around the house for a while. Then put the leash on the dog in the house, walk around with it in hand and let it drag also. It'll work out. What you do not want to do is force it, allow the dog to resist but don't force. And do not reward the dog for resisting the leash, such as taking it off. That is one of the biggest mistake people make in socializing or training is that they often mistakenly reward a dog for bad behavior. Like when the dog is barking, they pick it up and tell it no. Picking up a dog is a reward and you've just taught the dog that barking gets a reward.

Answer 4

Instead of a collar, you might want to try a harnesss. They strap around the chest and back and have a clip on the back for the leash to be attached. Put it on for a little bit and keep an eye on her to see how she does. Once she seems to be comfortable with it on, try attching the leash and letting her walk around with it by herself. Next, tie the leash to a solid object so she gets the feel of pressure. This will help her to understnad that she can not go further than the leash allows her too. Hope this works and good luck

Answer 5

Try a 15 ft lead,and start walking with purpose towards some kind of landmark 50 ft away.Don't look back just keep walking.If the leash tightens, stop but do not look backwards.Your dog will not understand why you are not bribing or cajoling,begging etc.She will be confused that you are ignoring her. When you feel the lead lose tension,it means your dog is starting to come closer.Begin walking again.Walk to your landmark and don't look back.If the leash tightens then stop until she comes close enough to allow slack and start again. Remember your dog has decided she's boss, and as long as you act like there is an option in whether or not she walks with you, she will continue to chose to be the boss. As long as you continue to ignore her and continue with the walk she will remain curious and start to follow rather than be dragged or have to fight the leash

Answer 6

The dog is learning that she can control you with the leash. Keep using it and she'll get over it. With all my dogs who've had "leash issues", I put it on them in the house and the only time I took it off was at night (the time I wouldn't be around in case of choking). Doesn't take but 2-3 days and soon there'll be no difference between it dragging behind them in the house or when you pick it up to walk her.

Answer 7

Rather than using a collar try a harness that looks like this:
http://www.petco.com/product/7813/Aspen-Pet-Single-Ply-Nylon-Adjustable-Dog-and-Cat-Harnesses.aspx
The harness goes round both the neck and body behind the front legs. It takes the pressure off the neck which some dogs don't like. Also if the dog starts acting up while out on a walk you can grab the harness and treat the dog like a piece of luggage. Let the dog live in the harness for a couple weeks, then only bring out the harness for a walk/outside time and the dog will love the harness.

Answer 8

Hmm. She probably never got used to it properly before it became the "thing" that stops her from going where she wants to. Get a small, light leash, like a 4' nylon, clip it to her collar, and let her drag it around the house for a few days. (Take it off any time you can't watch her, you don't want her to get tangled on anything.) Next, put on the leash and just walk around the house or back yard holding the end. Let her go anywhere she wants to, but try to keep the leash slack. If she starts heading someplace you can't allow her to go, call her or make a noise to get her attention, then give her a treat when she looks at you. This will teach her that the leash ALLOWS her to go where she wants, and doesn't STOP her from going where she wants. That's your job (she'll be okay with that if you give her plenty of treats for staying near you.)

If you keep doing that, your puppy will be used to having a leash on and won't automatically fight it because it's a bad thing. Now, your next step is to teach your puppy to walk on the leash where YOU want to go, without pulling. Using lots of really tiny but ultra-yummy treats (I like a hot dog cut into about 50 pieces, or diced ham), take her into the back yard, on leash, and let her get distracted and start wandering. Call her name, and when she looks at you, give her a treat. Then let her go get distracted again, call her name, and give her a treat when she pays attention. Keep doing this and pretty soon she'll be riveted on you and won't be distracted by anything else.

When you have her full attention, start walking. If she comes with you and keeps the leash slack, give her a treat. If she lags really far behind, bait her with a treat to get her to keep up. If she forges ahead and starts pulling on the leash, immediately turn around and walk the other direction. When she hits the end of the leash, she will turn and come with you, then give her a treat. Every time she pulls, you walk the other way, and every time she stays with you, pays close attention to you, and keeps the leash slack, you give her a treat.

A few days of this and you should be able to walk anywhere. You should still take treats with you while you go on walks, and slowly phase them out. But you will want to have them and do the same turning around thing when she gets excited about other distractions like dogs, people, etc. Eventually, she will learn to ignore the distractions and stay by your side no matter what, then you can phase out the treats completely. Although personally I still take treats every now and then, just to keep my dog on his toes. If he never knows when treats are coming, he's always on his best behavior. :-)

Answer 9

I would suggest a Gentle Leader. This leash is put around the dogs muzzle and head. It does not hurt the dog in any way. It simply makes it easier for the owner of the dog to move around freely and still be in control of his/her pet. It´s great for training, especially big dogs. Remember to give praise when she starts to accept it. Give her a treat or a good pet. She´ll get use to it sooner or later.

Answer 10

I love the gentle leader. It is safe, effective, and very helpful. It usually costs around $24 but I think it's worth it.

do this...

1. Be sure you are authoritive and confindent. Dogs are more likely to follow a leader than someone they see as submissive.
*Stand up straight, shoulders back, strong-firm voice

2. Give a quick and firm tug to the leash.
*If the dog does not stand up and/or start walking cease the pulling, because you don't want to drag her around.

3. Even if your dog walks one foot praise her with a treat. One foot is better than 0 feet. Continue praising her (with small treats or verbally) each time she walks

4. If your dog is the type to flip around like a fish stand like a tree stump until she stops holding firmly to the leash, but do not pull; afterward, begin walking her and praise her when she is walking. Continue praising her as she is walking.

Do
-praise
-be patient
-be a leader

Don't
-drag
-pull (you pull, dog pulls = tug of war!)
-be too soft