newf pulling

[dreamtwister302]

My newf puppy decided that she should pull on her flat collar. I use it when taking the kids to the bus stop with the pup, when potty training to make sure she uses her designated spot, or short walks. She is 12 weeks old. When outside in the back yard today, she decided to dart to the back door (which was like 5 meters away) when I was holding the leash, and she ended up doing what looked like a back flip and landed on the ground hard. Going for short walks, she wants to walk much faster than me and ends up wanting to pull. I correct/praise her as needed. (correct by stop walking and only moving where there is slack) Some walks she will heel (not trying to get her to heel) and others it will be a one step at a time "walk", just getting her to move forward. (Maybe I just need tiny hotdog pieces or burger pieces to get her to go? she doesnt like "treats" from the pet store.)

Usually when she walks well it is because there are no distractions. But with people nearby or dogs barking, she wants to go greet and is very determined! (When distracted, she will not pull her hardest to get there, but she will not listen to any commands I give..)

Any ideas or different collars that can be used at this age? most corrective collars are one year or more (illusion collar; or prong) but she isnt big enough or hard enough for any of that kind of stuff.

Should I just stick with the training and keep praising/correcting?, I'm worried that she will catch me off guard one time and take all her energy and I may drop the leash, for her to greet someone on the other side of the street.


Got wonderful advice on other post from some of you, training is going great for the most part. just some better days than others really. most dog owners i meet think she is behaving like a champ, she can sit-stay for ~30 seconds easily, is doing much better understanding what toys are hers and what isnt, etc. Unfortunately she is not taking to the car very well - baby steps are in progress to get her to be calm in the SUV. with closest obedience classes currently available being a 30 mins drive, its not happening at the moment. I am basically doing the best I can for now and am working hard. classes will be given as soon as possible, or if I find something closer!

 

[Puppypeoplenj]

No ideas but you seem to be doing very well! Better than I was with my 12 week old puppy. we had the opposite problem, that he refused to walk, and then he just switched to pulling one day, nothing in between!

 

[dreamtwister302]

hahah okay. she does refuse to walk sometimes, but it doesnt last long. then she pulls when distracted.

also, she likes to nap outside a lot. I dont know if that is normal? maybe it's too hot inside the house, but she still has baby fur though. its like 72 degrees inside. but she will nap in 40-50 degrees outside right by the door, not wanting to get in.

 

[wrknnwf]

At her very tender age, do not use anything but a plain nylon collar on her. It is too easy to damage a puppy with other collars. And she may learn to hate walks. Also remember that a very young pup can only walk so far. I forget the rule of thumb, but just keep them short until she's a month or so older and then add just a bit longer walks. Long, forced marches can damage a pup's joints. If she is sitting down, she may be telling you that it's just too far or it hurts. Don't take that chance. Again, she may start hating her walks if they are too hard on her.

Keep up what you're doing...stopping when she pulls and resuming when there's slack in the leash. At first you will be stopping quite frequently. And remember that it may take a whole lot longer for you to walk anywhere at this stage due to stopping frequently. If you have to be somewhere (like the bus stop) then either start out early or leave her at home until she learns not to pull.

It's gonna take a while so be patient. Do use treats to help her learn that staying near you is rewarding. If you slice those hot dogs into coin-like thicknesses, and briefly nuke them until crispy, they will last longer and you can keep in fridge for your walks. All she needs is the tiniest treat.

Also, work very diligently on having her sit (or down) and stay on command when anyone approaches. Get her used to sitting by your side while someone comes up to you and pets her. Meaning that when you see other people/dogs, etc., you must also stop and get her under control at your side, and then they can approach. Shorten up your leash so you have better control if she jumps or lunges.

Let people know you are training and ask for their help. People are almost always very cooperative when they know you are trying to fix this sort of problem with your dog. If she tends to jump/lunge, ask the person to stop and fold his/her arms across the chest and look the other way. In other words, they should ignore her. Get the pup under control again and ask them to come closer (not in a sneaky way, though...just natural). Ask them to look at you, not the pup. If she behaves, they can attempt to pet her, but if she gets worked up, they must stop and ignore her again. Takes a lot of starts and stops, but the more you practice this, the faster she will get it. Have neighbors, family, friends, anyone assist you and as often as you can.

A clicker, if you know how to use one, will speed this up dramatically. And now is the ideal time to get her in a puppy class. Don't wait until she's older. Make sure it's a positive reinforcement class. That's important for teaching her that learning is fun. You want a happy, sweet, well adjusted girl, not a sullen dog who hates training.

Keep us posted and we'll try to help.

 

[CathyC.]

This time last year we were in your shoes. Now, a year later and some training under our belts and Obi is a great companion on a walk 99% of the time. It sounds like you are taking a good approach. I wrote some write ups on our first training classes if you are interested in what those might be like and some of the issues we ran into.

 

[NinaA]

Obedience school. Puppy school first and a couple of sessions of regular school. They will train you to train her and also answer any questions and point out possible problems. Worth the investment. Start right away.

 

[dreamchaser456]

Keep working on leash walking nicely. You can actually start the "training" inside where there are no distractions getting her used to staying with you. I personally do train heel first because it's easier to relax the rules later. I use a command for "free time" for sniffing and exploring where they don't have to stay with me. Lots of reward and praise for staying in position, a gentle pressure sideways when needed to remind to stay in position. I do also train to sit when meeting someone, not sitting equals no attention from new person until that happens. That's handy when they are 100 pounds and excited to meet someone because they already know they have to sit calmly first. I start on flat collars and only move to something else (martingale, slip lead etc) if needed.
Short structured walks at this age, rule of thumb is 1 min/week of age or 5 min/month of age on soft surfaces. I do leash while potty training also because it makes rewarding them easier. Keep up the good work and find training classes to help you move along.

 

[jane]

I use a certain trick with my bichon frise and any rescue newfs I take in. With the dog to my left, I hold the leash behind my back with my right hand. Anytime the dog attempts to get ahead of me, I give a quick correction with my right hand. I find it works very well and holding the leash behind my back, keeps the dog right next to me.