Top tips for walking shih tzu puppy

[Jo 30]

Hi,

First time out walking Milo today and he didn't do half bad. Am used to handling much bigger dogs and with that comes different issues to those experienced with a tiny dog, such as Milo.

Was very unsure (as can be expected) and liked to have a good bark at everyone that went past..

Any top tips for making walkies going smoothly??

many thanks

[PipsMom 34,988]

Oops, Sorry Jo....your question went unanswered.

Mine are older but anytime mine bark at other dogs, they get a quick Quite command. It takes heaps of practice for them to associate the command with the action....and rewarding good behaviour with a tiny treat.... Socialisation around other dogs helps too. I'm sure others can be more helpful than I can...my girl is still in training to be good around other dogs. 

[Crinkly 15,586]

I thought that teaching my two how to behave on a lead was going to be easy - exactly because of their size.

But in many ways, I think it is the opposite.  Sometimes my back hurts.  Walking and bending is good for it, but if it hurts a lot, then I can't face the bending... and that means that I wasn't always consistent with the treats for good behaviour.  I simply cannot get a treat into Cato's mouth without bending, even if he sits up and does 'a meerkat'.

Also, Cato is a Snuffle Hound.  Every smell is a delight that automatically switches off his ears.  I think I spent most of his first year with him lurching from sniff to sniff like a ping pong ball.

This tells you a couple of things - firstly that I am probably not the best person to give advice on leash training!  And secondly that puppies will be puppies, but eventually they DO grow up, and I am pleased to say that I now have 2 dogs, Cato 2.5 yrs, and Tara 1 yr, who both behave on the lead, most of the time.

Oh, and I think the biggest mistake I made with the lead was to get one of those extending ones.  That reel in and out.  Dreadful idea.  I got the smallest one, for the lightest dog, and it STILL taught him to pull.  Took him months to un-learn that one.

However, having learned all my mistakes and lessons with C, young Tara's leash behaviour is much better.  She never learned to pull, so never had to un-learn it, she isn't so sniffy, so isn't desperate to reach the next pong.  And she is more aware of my feet (after an early accidental kick, that made her realise that human feet can HURT).

Maybe by dog no.5, I may have learned to do it properly...

[Luna 8,676]

When lead-breaking puppies, I tend to put the lead on them and kinda follow them around.  Once they're used to it, I encourage them to come with me a give the lead a little "pop" when they try to wander off.  Last phase is having them gait properly at my left with head always up.  I don't treat at all, just lots of "good puppy!" when they're doing it right.  Once they get that down, I walk them saying, "Walk pretty!" which caused a great deal of laughter at one show.  I had to take a friend's Special in the ring and we recruited another handler to take my girl.  Great big guy.  He asked me what I said to them while gaiting and I told him.  Ringside (as well as the judge) were almost falling-over laughing as this very large man walked along with this very small dog saying in falsetto, "Walk pretty!  Walk pretty!"

Edited October 16, 2015 by Luna

[missy dawn 22,220]

When lead-breaking puppies, I tend to put the lead on them and kinda follow them around.  Once they're used to it, I encourage them to come with me a give the lead a little "pop" when they try to wander off.  Last phase is having them gait properly at my left with head always up.  I don't treat at all, just lots of "good puppy!" when they're doing it right.  Once they get that down, I walk them saying, "Walk pretty!" which caused a great deal of laughter at one show.  I had to take a friend's Special in the ring and we recruited another handler to take my girl.  Great big guy.  He asked me what I said to them while gaiting and I told him.  Ringside (as well as the judge) were almost falling-over laughing as this very large man walked along with this very small dog saying in falsetto, "Walk pretty!  Walk pretty!"