# Puppy walks fast with head down sniffing



## RONDAGOT (Jan 3, 2009)

How do I get my bright 5 month old ShihTzu puppy to walk with her head up? She keeps her head down, walks VERY fast, consistently sniffing the ground. I tried talking to her, a squeeky toy, easy jerks on her harness (NO choke collar allowed). HELP?


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

I guess it depends on what you want from your walks. I'm heavy into obedience but on our walks I really don't want them in a forrmal heeling position with total attention on me....this is their time to be a dog....sniff, watch the squirrels, maybe pounce on a grasshopper. At the other end of the spectrum I don't want pulling or a total lack of attention either. If you're just looking for a small amount of attention at various times then I suggest whispering her name, smacking your lips, singing a little ditty or coming to a halt and wait for her to look at you....that's what you want...eye contact/attention and then treat/praise/pet.


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## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

I agree with Tooney - for regular walks I don't need total attention on me. I want her to sniff and explore -- helps her get her doggy ya-ya's out. But it can be annoying stopping every 5 feet because she's sniffing something. I put up with it until I decide I want her to move along a little more quickly. Then I just start jogging and it breaks the sniffing behavior and she follows along pretty quickly. She goes back to sniffing when I slow down but if I keep up a brisk pace, it's kept to a minimum. Then I slow down again and tell her to "go sniff!"

That's generally how I walk her, i.e. alternating between sniffing periods vs. brisker walking periods, intermixed with a little obedience training. If I had to break it down I would say it's 45% sniffing, 45% brisk walking & 10% obedience (this is when you get her attention on you). Let's you maintain a measure of control and still let the dog be a dog. If we end up at the park, I take another 10% off the walking and sniffing for play (fetch, tug, chase).


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## deege39 (Dec 29, 2008)

I agree with everyone else... There are times for their eyes to be focused on you, then there are times where for their eyes to be focused on other things. Like TooneyDogs said, taking your dog on a walk is like "doggy time"... They don't get to have private time to themselves; So when you take then on a walk that's time for them to spend it how they wish. Donatello frequently does the same thing you complain of. Donatello will find a scent and literately track whatever he's picked up until he's found the cat/dog at cause for the scent. It's frustrating at times, but I think, "_Hey, this is -his- time, not mine, if he wants to spend it fruitlessly chasing other animals, then have fun, Donny!_"... 

I'm sure though there may be a training technique out there to help you out.


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## D&D'smom (Jan 4, 2009)

I thought I was alone, you always hear about having your dog have a perfect walk , next to you, never straying. when I walk my dogs, I let them sniff what ever they want, I do let them stray but no more than a foot or so away from me. As long as they are not pulling and lundging then im fine. My older dog I think has some hound in her, shes more sniffy than the puppy. The puppy is more keen to sounds, and can hear everything 

Our trainer had told us, dogs get the neighborhood news from sniffing on walks, and you should let them sniff for the first 5 minutes or so, then start your training after that (loose leash training, stopping at corners that sort of thing)

If the puppy gets to far ahead, I stop, wait to her attention is on me, when it is, I say "back" and she comes back to my side. LOL sounds easy but this took many months of getting the right combination of things to work.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

D&D'smom said:


> I thought I was alone, you always hear about having your dog have a perfect walk , next to you, never straying. when I walk my dogs, I let them sniff what ever they want, I do let them stray but no more than a foot or so away from me. As long as they are not pulling and lundging then im fine. My older dog I think has some hound in her, shes more sniffy than the puppy. The puppy is more keen to sounds, and can hear everything
> 
> Our trainer had told us, dogs get the neighborhood news from sniffing on walks, and you should let them sniff for the first 5 minutes or so, then start your training after that (loose leash training, stopping at corners that sort of thing)
> 
> If the puppy gets to far ahead, I stop, wait to her attention is on me, when it is, I say "back" and she comes back to my side. LOL sounds easy but this took many months of getting the right combination of things to work.


I'm not sure what a perfect walk entails. A smorgasbord of Pizza would be very tough for me to walk through as I am a Pizza freak. To a 5 month old puppy the world smells could be exactly the same as me with all that Pizza. The perfect walks will come later when all the new smells are not screaming adventure & good stuff to a puppy.


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## skelaki (Nov 9, 2006)

I use two different walks. One is a plain old fun walk, where the pup/dog is free to sniff or whatever as long as it's not trying to pull me off my feet. The other is what I call a power walk. This is a walk where the pup/dog must walk politely, but not necessarily heeling perfectly, on a loose lead without sniffing, pottying, marking, pulling, etc. unless I first call a break. This walk has the dual purpose of physical and mental exercise for both of us.


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