The Leash

[GatorGrrl 0]

We've had Gator 1.5 weeks now. He is starting to come out of his shell and becoming part of the family. I knew when I got thim that he hadn't been on a leash much. His former house had a fenced yard (as do I) and he just went out there. When I put the leash on him, he instantly goes from following me everywhere I go to dead weight. He just won't budge and looks at me like I'm mean for even getting the leash. He actually starts to act nervous when I even get it out. I would like to be able to take him on walks and be comfortable on the leash in general. When I leave the house, he cries and tries to follow me out but if I put the leash on to take him with me, he won't budge. I can't let him run free and I'm not going to drag him!! I don't know what to do!!

I took him to the petstore when I first got him, holding him 90% of the time, and the guy there suggested letting him run around the house with the leash on to get him feeling more comfortable with it. I've also read that walking tall and confidently will make the dog naturally want to follow it's leader. So far I've had moderate success.

Has anyone else had a dog that did this. Any advice?

[kcsheperd 13]

If he is scared of the leash, then start out slowly.. first get out the leash..Treat him.. Do that a few times until he is comfortable with that.. Then put the leash on him and let him walk around with it on, just wandering around.. treat him. When he is okay with that, then proceed to go outside..if he still goes frigid offer a treat for him to move a few steps.. and go with that for awhile..Make sure its something that he REALLY likes and wants to have.. It might take a few days, but he will get the hang of it.. Its also helpful if he can watch or walk with another dog.. they will automatically want to follow the other dog, so if you have access to a friend that walks their dog, that might help too.. Good luck. Gator will be walking on leash in no time! :huglove:

[GatorGrrl 0]

Good idea. I did try the treats at first but he won't even take it when the leash is on. Maybe I need to start out slower and find what kind of treats he really likes. I got him 3 different ones, which he likes as a reward for other things, lol.

I forgot to add, the best he did was when I was outside with my son and a couple of neighborhood kids came and walked with us. We all acted really excited, some of the kids skipped and ran. He wanted to be part of the group and kept up happily.

Maybe he had a bad experience on the leash before. He is very small and I can see how it could be intimidating for him. It's just gonna take a little time.

[Kae+Gizzy 5]

I like KC's advice. Baby steps is a good idea also having another nice dog to walk with will kind of teach him the ropes (so to speak) Good Idea!

When Giz was a baby I would let him run around indoors with his leash attached under supervision. He soon got used to it, when we wanted to move him from one room to the next we would just gently pick up the leash and guide him into the next room. He got the hang of it, although his first few walks outside he would sometimes do his Pancake Dog Impression and lay flat out on the grass and refuse to move. At that point I would carry him for a little while.

If you have a stroller, you could take him out in that. Attach the leash inside the stroller so he knows he can't move but doesn't have anyone tugging on the end of it. He will get used to the sights and sounds of the outside world too and hopefully forget about the leash for a while.

[GatorGrrl 0]

:console: Pancake dog impression!! That's exactly it. He's like a non-violent protester from the 60's!!

I do not have a stroller but have been looking for a carrier-bag I can take him out in. I know he wants to go more places with us. He does go outside in the back yard, which is fenced. Maybe we can practice there once he is comfortable with the leash.

Thanks for the advice and keep it coming. I will keep you guys posted.

[GizmoHappyKitty 1]

I never really had a problem getting mine to walk on leash since I had the older LabX and they would just follow her. Gizmo does however act like that and go flat to the ground when I first put his rain jacket on him until I get him outside and then he is fine...........lol. He also used to act like that when he was a puppy and thought that he had walked enough, especially during the summer, he would find the first shady tree and then just lay flat on his tummy and refuse to go any further................he he he, I would end up having to carry him home. Thank God he doesn't do that anymore cuz at 20 lbs he's just to heavy to carry after a while.

Michele and the pups

[mr.coffee 364]

I got the Tzu that defies the stereotypes and has been (relatively) easy to train as far as the important stuff goes. Sorry, but I didn't have to go through that part with the leash.

Actually, sometimes he will get thickheaded and try to resist or take me for a walk. If he thinks he's going to stay put, I just keep going. He knows it's easier for him to come along willingly. If he thinks he's going to go for a run, I stand my ground and shorten his leash. He can pull all day, but again he usually figures out the path of least resistance is to do it my way.

Mind you, this is all stuff for once you've gotten past the pancake stage...I wouldn't recommend dragging Gator around while he lays there in a state of refusal, you'd grind his little legs down to nubs before you made positive progress and that's no good. Shih Tzu are cuter with legs.

-m

[GatorGrrl 0]

Haha, yeah, I think I'll let him keep his cute little legs....for now!!!