# Rebel Yells! My puppy screams when I try to lead him.



## Byakuzo (Mar 19, 2015)

Hi my puppy is 9 weeks or so, I have only just started taking him for walks the last few days. He is getting better confidence and hasn't started jumping at people or dogs yet. Well he sometimes starts to when a girl walks past making squealing sounds like they do when puppies are near but i will be able to stop that behaviour in time. The problem I am uncertain of how to handle is his Screaming in certain situations. When i first leave the house with him he starts to pull me towards the garden. I have to lead him past the garden in order to get to the pavement. He doesn't want to go to the pavement he wants to got to the garden. Screaming ensues. He pulls with all his might (which is pitifull) and screams. If i pull him he screams harder. If i pull him so far as to drag him towards me he chokes & screams like i am butchering his families. I don't enjoy this so i stop. the leash is taught both of us at an impasse, he whines endlessly. Once we are far enough away from home he calms down and becomes quite adorable and well mannered but upon return the closer we get to home and the garden the more insane he gets. He pulls the lead and if i try to go in a direction that does not lead directly home, he screams murder. I have found if i am using the extendable lead i can slowly walk the way i want to go allowing the lead to stretch out he will cry because I get far away from him and come to me, if i crouch down and call him. this is a pause button though and not a fix to the cause of the problem. So... Is he too young? (9weeks). Have I inadvertently taught him this behaviour? What can I do to fix this?
Keep in mind that any training that involves treats is not possible because he takes 5 minutes to eat a treat and gets full after 1 or 2.
Is there anything I should avoid?... like using the lead to drag him when he is screaming and pulling (i assume i shouldn't do this).
Also i dont know if this is related but he hasn't defecated when out on walk he saves it for the garden. i dont think he has urinated either.
So If you have experienced this problem before and resolved it could you let me know?


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

First, if he has not been fully vaccinated, he shouldn't be walked and exposed to areas where other dogs walk, because he might catch distemper or parvo.

Back to the question. He's a young puppy and he tries anything he can to get his own way. Don't be too surprised if he growls and snaps, sometimes. My suggestion is to try to ignore his whining, and at this age, you might pick him up to take him where you want, if he refuses to move. If he moves and screams, ignore the scream and lead him where you want, rather than picking him up. After a week or two, he will 'unlearn' any bad habits that he picked up, and probably stop screaming. 

If you've ever seen a two year old child having a temper tantrum .... this is the puppy equivalent


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Can you just carry him through the garden until you get to the pavement?


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

Don't pull  Lead gently and reward profusely for following you! Make it a game 

And yeah if he isn't fully vaccinated he shouldn't be walking on pavement where other dogs might have been.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Depends on the area whether it's safe for him to walk on pavement. Where I live, parvo is such a non-risk that my vet recommended I walk my pup from the day he came home.

Even if parvo was a higher risk, I would have walked him on my street because it's a cul de sac with 4 other dogs, all vaccinated and well cared for, and nobody else ever walks there (it's off of a busy road). 

So I don't think you can make a blanket statement that a 9 week old puppy shouldn't be walked on pavement. It really depends.


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## ireth0 (Feb 11, 2013)

Also, if he takes that long to at a treat and gets full after 1 or 2 your treats are too big!

For training your treats should be about pea sized.


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## petpeeve (Jun 10, 2010)

If he seems to 'light up' by the delightful squealing of young girls, you might try squeaking a toy as motivation to get him to follow you. Just make sure to actually give the toy to him occasionally at least, as a reward for complying and moving forward. Gentle motivation of some sort, and subsequent reward, are the two key elements. Using any type of force will likely only cause your puppy to plant even more.

If he hasn't relieved himself during walks, perhaps his hissy fit is him attempting to tell you he needs to go first in the garden before taking his walk.


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## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

Oh mine screamed and fought like a wild horse for a few days LOL, I just ignored it and reinforced him with treats when he was walking calmly and just ignored his fits, now, fast forward 6 months and he walks nicely on a leash


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

> So I don't think you can make a blanket statement that a 9 week old puppy shouldn't be walked on pavement. It really depends.


Well in a perfect world there would be no squirrels or racoons that can have parvo and do not mind running on pavement. 

It depends on choices and gambling with a new pup.


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## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

wvasko said:


> Well in a perfect world there would be no squirrels or racoons that can have parvo and do not mind running on pavement.
> 
> It depends on choices and gambling with a new pup.


At the ranch house they ALL came into my yard at night and of course there is no way to keep them out LOL, so unless I wanted to put my puppy in one of those bubbles like in that movie "bubble boy", I had to take a risk. 

He fought EVERYTHING, wearing a collar, a leash, leash walking OMG he was such a drama queen and he shrieked like I was KILLING him. Luckily I had the luxury of walking him in the dead arse middle of no where so no one heard him (I dont think they did ... he WAS pretty loud LOL) but I did reward profusely for when he walked quietly and the fits became less and less until when I would tug on the leash that was his cue to come on. Now when he hits the end he just comes back to me.

We are working on off leash and I DO NOT want him being put on the leash to be a punishment, so several times during our walk, I will call him back and put the leash on and treat him handsomely for it and make a huge deal out of it. Sometimes I will walk for a bit on leash with him (depending on where we are) other times I will just unclip the leash and let him go again right away.

I also have gotten really good at anticipating situations where I believe he will NOT behave off leash and leashing him BEFORE we get to that area (like around the tank on the back side where there is a lot of goose poop LOL) or if he is really rowdy and not feeling like listening that day, I dont even take him off leash in the first place. Long story short, I try my darndest NOT to present him with an opportunity to blow me off LOL.


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