Leash Training

Dale refused to walk on a leash when we first got him. He would just sit there, and we would drag him, lol :) Eventually, he got the hang of it. We just took him out a lot to get him used to it. Dale grew about 4 lbs a week, and Bon will probably grow more than that...so we didnt take him for LONG walks, b/c we figured his joints got sore quicker, b/c he was growing so rapidly...our breeder agreed with that. Also, after long walks, we noticed that he wouldnt want to sit right away, from sore joints...if i was growing 4 lbs a week, i think i would feel growing pains too :)

We did take him to puppy kindergarten and he was the most gentle dog there, the largest, and the most quiet. They only let him play with the toy poodle, all the others were too jumpy for the poodle :) Anyway, i would surely recommend puppy kindergarten, especailly for a pup of his size...he needs to know who is boss from the get go :)

~Robyn

He definately is going to be going to obedience training, that's a given!
I will definately be trying the cheese and any other good stuff that will help us along:)

The only problem I have with a buckle collar is will he slip out of it?

Yes, Mark was reading up on them last night and it says no long periods of play, no long walks and no jumping. It could really damage their fragile bones and joints.


Thanks everyone for the good advice.

And here's a cute picture of him for you Micki!!!

I feel really stupid because I havent been here for a while and I think I have missed something - Anna - you got new dog? That´s really awesome and I´m really happy :) Thought I cant help you with that leash problem...

Quote:

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Originally posted by anna_66

The only problem I have with a buckle collar is
will he slip out of it?

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Isn't his Head at least a lil bit Larger than his Neck?

You need to adjust the collar so that he can't pull it off by
"backing up" or "pawing" it off over his head...
but you should be able to find a happy medium that isn't too harsh
on his neck, yet won't come off over his head/ears too easily.

Cinder & Smokey both wear their leather collars *just* tight enough
that it's a real struggle to ease them off over their ears;
but they can't really manage to "slip" them off -
it takes two hands to evenly pull them off.

As long as the collar is "tight enough" that BON can't take it
off by himself; it will be plenty tight enough
to get him used to dragging his LEASH around.

You want to avoid letting him discover that IF he
"back up" or "pulls back" quickly - the collar will slip off!!
When he does start to walk again WITH the collar/leash on -
always try to carry a lil bit of "extra" leash in your hand -
so that IF he pulls back suddenly - you can drop the "extra" length
of leash and and move yourself towards him - this prevents him
from being able to put any strain on the collar.
HE can't "pop the collar off" IF you don't let him put any pressure
on the leash that works towards pulling the collar off.

Remember your *goal* right NOW is to get him to just *move* with
the leash on - don't be to *phussie* about WHERE he moves to! :p

"Directional Control" can come later!

it should fit nice and snug,so it cant pull over his head when he pulls on it backwards.But not too tight;) Mabye try a no-slip collar??

I too recommend a halti. I don't have a large dog, so I've never used one, but I know people who have used them and have had great success with them.

As far as the little slip collar from the vet goes, it's too thin. It would work fine for a 10 lb. dog but probably not too well for a 40 lb. and growing dog. He needs something thicker that he can feel and respond to. I don't see the problem with choke chains for training as long as you use them properly.

Be careful getting him a regular collar, get him one with room to expand as he grows. He shouldn't be able to pull out of it if it is tight enough. Defiantly get one with a buckle, not a plastic snap.

I'm not a fan of harnesses at all, they are too easy to pull out of even if they are tight. I do use one on Nacey because she's a pug and she really shouldn't have anything around her neck, but I hate the thing.

Everyone gave great advice. Both Sarah and Dusty originally hated their leashes. What I did is attach the leash to them, and I just let them run around the house dragging the leash. Once they got used to it being attached to them, I gradually started leading them.

Hey Anna,

Just checking in to see if you and Bon got to do any training with the leash today. Hang in there and be patient. He will catch on soon.

Give the kids a hug from me.......Robin :)

Thanks for all the ideas everyone. I didn't get a chance yesterday since it was rainy and yucky but it looks like today is going to be a great day. I have left the leash on him and he doesn't mind that at all, in fact he never did.
I called this morning and obedience school just happens to start next Tuesday! I hope he doesn't embarress me too much:o
So we will try some today and see how it goes!

Anna, have you ever seen "The Dog Whisperer"? It's on The National Geographic Channel every day at 6:30 PM, Eastern Time. It's a great program because it trains people on how to handle their dogs with consistent , gentle discipline. One of the things he insist on is that the collar should be placed right behind the ears, like in dog shows, not in the middle of the neck. This will keep the head up and stop the dog from doing goofy things like trying to get at the leash. Also, he'll tell you to make very sure you establish your "Alfa" position as soon as possible. His mantra is "discipline first."
This man has a dog psychology clinic in CA with a pack of 30 dogs he has adopted and rehabilitated from all kinds of problems.
Watch it if you can and good luck with baby Bon. :)