# Puppy HATES walking on leash



## BenTheMan (Aug 18, 2009)

My puppy, Daisy, really hates to walk on a leash. 

I would LOVE to get up in the morning, take her out to pee, and then take her on a jog around the block. But when she follows on the leash, it's only for a little bit. In the week since we brought her home, she has perfected the non-violent protest, wherein she decides that running is too much, and she just flops down on the ground, happy to be dragged.

I've tried getting her to follow by dangling treats in front of her, to some success. This is hard, because she's short and I'm tall, so it's easy for her to just give up. This morning, I looped one of her favorite toys into the leash, and that worked a little bit, too.

Is there anything else that might be effective?


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

Around the block might be too much/too far from home. Try just back and forth in front of the house, then down to the corner and back, then the other corner and back. Build up her confidence slowly to get further away from home ground.


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## Binkalette (Dec 16, 2008)

Maggie hated walks at first.. What I would do with her, is I would just carry her down to the end of our walking path, while Zoey would be walking.. and then when we got to the end, I'd set her down and loop her lead onto Zoey's. She was MUCH better about walking back in the direction of home, and even better when Zoey was the one leading her. She walks like a champ now at 3 months old.


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## BenTheMan (Aug 18, 2009)

TooneyDogs said:


> Around the block might be too much/too far from home. Try just back and forth in front of the house, then down to the corner and back, then the other corner and back. Build up her confidence slowly to get further away from home ground.


I don't think it's a confidence thing, but I could be wrong. It seems like she just doesn't like to be on a leash, being told where to go. It might be that she doesn't like the way the concrete feels on her feet, as she does a LITTLE better when she can run in grass.

I want to run with her so she gets tired out, so that I can work with her obedience training. But I can't get her to follow me without dragging her, so I our training sessions are not quite so productive.


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## skelaki (Nov 9, 2006)

Use games, play to tire her out and teach her.


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## Marsh Muppet (Nov 29, 2008)

TooneyDogs said:


> Around the block might be too much/too far from home. Try just back and forth in front of the house, then down to the corner and back, then the other corner and back. Build up her confidence slowly to get further away from home ground.


This is good, but it might also be the puppy asserting herself. I would do as Tooney said, but add the twist that you make sure you are stopping before she does.

You take the pup on the leash and do whatever holds her interest while you walk together. The second her focus lags, you stop and change the activity. You face her, whip out a squeaky toy, give a pop quiz on the capitals of African nations...whatever. When she starts losing interest in the change-up activity, you can go back to walking. Lather, rinse, repeat. 

You are not trying to achieve anything but maintaining the puppy's interest for longer and longer periods. Don't worry about how far you are walking. The point is that you are setting the pace and you are directing the activities. She doesn't get to decide when an activity comes to an end. If it is a confidence thing, this should still help.


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## klaire12 (Jun 5, 2009)

I'm so glad someone else has posted about this. My puppy's just the same. She runs out the door, round the corner to the field, and then refuses to budge and wants to go back home. She flops down several times during the short walk up the field, so it takes us about 15 minutes to get up there, but on the way back home she pulls all the way lol. 
I'm taking her on a smaller route and that seems to be helping, she doesn't stop as frequently  good luck


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## BenTheMan (Aug 18, 2009)

I ``invented'' a tool to help this behavior, but I don't know how well it will work long term. Anyway, I took one of her favorite toys (a Kong ``Wubba'') and tied it to the leash, about a foot in front of her face. Then I run and she chases the toy, dangling in front of her. (I call it a Daisy Chain, because Daisy is the pup's name.)

She's doing a bit better, but still has bouts of Gandhi-esque passive resistance.


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## snickers mom (Aug 24, 2009)

we had the same problem with our Snickers where she would get to the end of the front walk and then park her butt and not budge. We decided then that every time she went out in the front yard, she had to be in her harness and on the leash. Even if it was to play in the yard. I think it was a bit of not being used to walking on the leash and also a bit of her stubbornness coming out. Now she loves going for a walk and we take her every evening when the dredded Texas summer heat dies down! 

Now our only issue is she loves people and dogs so much she lunges at them when we pass by. Mind you it is not aggressive lunging... she just wants to get close enough to give everyone kisses! We are practicing modification of this behavior now by making her sit until the people or doggies pass. If they stop, she is allowed to go up and calmly greet them. Slow going on this training, though so any other suggestions would be helpful!


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