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When can I start leash training?


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I searched old threads and did not find anything. Can anyone tell me when is a good age to start leash training? Maggie is 7 weeks old. I put the leash on her and let her drag it aqround (supervised). She does OK but sometimes chews on it. If I hold the leash she sits down and will not walk. Is it too early to be doing this?

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I started leash training Skye right away. Our major challenges were leash chewing and pulling. The first was fixed by putting a bit of bitter apple solution or tabasco to make it taste yucky :rolleyes: (you don't need much! thankfully Skye didn't have a taste for spicy food) and the second has many, many possible solutions. I held a treat at my hip to get her to walk next to me in a spoken "heel" while on leash (or not, for that matter). I never used a "promise" collar or "haltie" with her, but others who have would probably suggest that you introduce her to this type of lead sooner, rather than later (although I don't know if 7 weeks would be too early...you may have to buy different sizes to accommodate her growing head...I don't know if they're adjustable -- others know more about this I'm sure!)

Good luck!

A.

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I started leash training as soon as I got Daisy, about 9 weeks. She wore the leash around the house when I was home to get used to it, and to help me catch the little bugger when she was running around with my uh, under-garments (thankfully she's out grown that!). I don't remember ever having troubles with her walking on it though. I agree that coaxing her with a treat would be a good idea, just to get her used to it. Daisy always like to follow me around so when she was doing this, I would pick up the leash and hold it while she followed me around the house. I used a regular collar until she was about 9 or 10 months old then I switched to a gentle leader when we went on walks, the malamute in her makes her want to pull, pull, pull, so a harness was out of the question! They are somewhat adjustable so once the dog is almost full grown there will be some room for a bit more growth. 7 weeks is young, so give her some time to get used to the idea of it first! They usually catch on quick!

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Definitely not too early, I think you just skipped a step. :D

 

like others were saying, the step in between letting her drag the leash and you holding the leash is having her walk with you - with the leash dragging. Just try to get her wanting to walk with you and follow you around (treats or toys or whatever works) and then once she walks with you, you can pick up the leash (be sure not to put any tension on it at first though! Keep the rewards going! :rolleyes:). Good luck!

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And they have to know how to walk on leash. :rolleyes:

 

I carried Jett to and fro for the first week I had her because she was 7.5 weeks when I got her and quite wee (as well as slightly overwhelmed by city life) and used a Flexi for potty breaks. (I have no yard and so I had to walk and potty her in public places -- this would not be safe somewhere with a lot of parvo, but my vet clinic in SF hasn't seen a case of parvo in years and years.) After that I just walked her with the others.

 

At first she had some issues with staying consistently on one side of me and accidentally wrapping herself around poles, but I ignored them and eventually her brain developed and she figured it out.

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You can't start to early. Even if it's just putting a leash on her collar and letting her run around with it. Then slowly taking it and leading her around. I think the best way is to put another dog (that is good on a leash) on a leash and walk them together. Dogs learn best from other dogs.

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