Retriever/Mix puppy and the leash...

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ALFies
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Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2008 12:47 pm
Location: Travelers Rest, S.C.
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Retriever/Mix puppy and the leash...

Post by ALFies »

I tried running a search on puppy-leash training tips, but I could really only find breed-specific aggression issues, potty-training, and a few other things.

My brother-in-law and his wife bought a puppy from our local Humane society and named her Eve, since she was purchased on Christmas Eve. She is a very, very adorable pup and I know if we don't start some good habits with her, she may end up being very spoiled!

In any case, I have one firm inquiry and another side note. I'll start with my inquiry regarding the subject line.

Last night, after watching IMOTD, my fiance and I made a resolution to help his brother and sister-in-law raise and train this pup right- we've been taking her out often to run her around and let her explore to stimulate her. When we run around, we let her chase us and then we chase her. She seems to enjoy this because she always wags her tail and comes back inside a tired pup.

My future father-in-law bought her a traditional collar that is too big for her and a traditional leash. It's not a long leash, but long enough for a pup for the time being.

However, I noticed a few things while attempting to walk her today.

-She would not walk "with me," but rather tugged on the leash with her head and slipped out of the collar (it's too big for her!)
-She would bite on the leash itself and tug on it, too.
-Her tail was not wagging while she was doing this (I don't think this was a game to her, but perhaps a dominance play?)
-When she escaped the collar/leash, she would run around freely and try to get me to chase her, like how we play.
-I would attempt an "Ah-Ah!" whenever she went to bite on the leash or pull away; it seemed to "work" when she would bite at the leash, but when she would tug with her head it would not work.

Currently, we're thinking of a few things to perhaps remedy some of the issues:
-Obtaining a harness (I don't want to tug on her neck with that collar!)
-Obtaining a longer leash

If anyone has any tips or could link me a prior forums post to help address this current dilemma, I would greatly appreciate it!

My side note: I know puppies chew things. But her chewing has led her to chew on a console controller wire; while it's not that important if she chews on a controller, I don't want her chewing on electrical wires. I do notice, however, the chewing is significantly less after we exercise/walk her. We've given her rawhides and chew toys, too, but after a while she apparently has no more interest in them! I will continue to exercise her to help this issue.
passionate61
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Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2008 2:24 am

Post by passionate61 »

:D Hi there, read your post and thought that I'd tell you what works for me.
Firstly, get a collar that is going to fit your pup, not too wide, and it should be tight enought that you can fit two fingers under it comfortably, but so puppy can't pull her head out.
Put the collar on the puppy and leave her to get used to it. Don't leave her with it on unsupervised though. When she is used to the collar you can attact the lead and take her outside, and just let her wander around with you attached but not pulling her or leading her. She'll get used to it, then with a treat start to encourage her to follow you, after a few steps of her following nicely, give her the treat, then carry on a few more steps, treat until she is walking nicely alongside you.
It will take a few times but you will get there, I'm training y Neapolitan Mastiff puppy at the moment and his big thing is to sit his bum down and not move, LOL, but now I have found a trea the can't resist and we are walking nicely on the lead now.
As for chewing things, all you can do is reinforce a firm No to the non chewable things and offer her chew toys, or even a nice big bone.
If you can wrap your cords or remove them, that could help too. Not leaving things like remotes etc around at her level will also remove the temptation to pick them up and chew them.
I've been through it all with 4 dogs and it has been trial and error, but I have found Victoria's book a valuable source of information on other methods of training.
Good luck and do let us know how you get on. :D
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Nettle
Posts: 10753
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:40 pm

Post by Nettle »

Re; the chewing - pusp MUST chew, so block off/put away everything dangerous/that you don't want chewed, give pup plenty of safe things to chew, and don't leave her unsupervised qwhere she can get at things you don't want chewed.

"No" means nothing to a pup. All she knows is she HAS to chew.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
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