Is it necessary to leash my new puppy for every outdoor potty break?

I would not recommend taking a dog off leash when in a public area, ever, to be honest. You never know when a strange dog will run up, Noble could get distracted and run into a street, find and eat something that he shouldn't, etc. He will be much safer and healthier in the long-run staying on a leash. Teaching him a strong "heel" and requiring him to walk next to you are also good behavior things to work on.

Magdalene is adorable! Thanks for posting a picture. I think the answer to your question really depends on where you will be taking her. She will not be fully protected until 2 weeks after her last vaccination, so you will certainly want to avoid any areas that other puppies may have been to avoid exposing her to Distemper, Parvo or respiratory viruses. Since Leptospirosis is also a concern in HI, you will want to avoid water or areas that flood. I am attaching a handout about Lepto below. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=573 I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Put Maggie on a leash and take her outside to her designated spot. Do not walk around. Just stand there and repeat "go outside" or a similar phrase. As soon as she starts to go, repeat "go outside" and praise "good dog!" as she goes. When she is finished, bring her directly back inside. If she does not go after a reasonable amount of time, bring her in but do not remove the leash. Attach it to your belt loop and keep her with you. Don’t let her out of your sight! When you see her start to circle or sniff, take her right outdoors again and repeat the process. If she does mess in the house, do not scold her unless you actually catch her in the act. In that case, say "NO!" and take her right outside. Tell her to "go outside" and praise as she finishes. Keep her in a crate at night, or for short periods when you are not at home. Remember that any accident she has will be reinforced if she is not reprimanded as it is happening. For further assistance with this, click on the prompt to initiate a consult. Good luck!

The main reason for the leash is so that she does not run or jump. She needs to be controlled. You may try walking Momo outside by holding onto her collar and staying right next to her at all times (ideally holding her collar). You may also try attaching something not associated with a walk like a belt to her collar to take her out in the back yard to potty. I hope this helps.

Damon is still a puppy so I do not recommend not leaving him off of a leash. You can always get Damon a gentle leader to help with the pulling of the leash. Here is a gentle leader you can get from PetSmart https://www.petsmart.com/dog/collars-harnesses-and-leashes/collars/petsafe-gentle-leader-training-dog-collar-5010512.html?utm_id=500%7Cpg115630%7C4580359283606212&utm_term=5010512&utm_campaign=PLA-BPA%20-%20High%20-%20Online%20Pricing%20Initiative%20-%20Hardgoods%20-%20PLA&lsft=utm_source%3Agoogle%2Cutm_term%3A5010512%2Cutm_medium%3Acpc%2Cutm_content%3AGSC%20-%20High%20-%20Online%20Pricing%20Initiative%20-%20Hardgoods%20-%20PLA%20%7C%20Petsafe%2Cutm_campaign%3AGSC%20-%20High%20-%20Online%20Pricing%20Initiative%20-%20Hardgoods%20-%20PLA&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=bing&utm_content=GSC%20-%20High%20-%20Online%20Pricing%20Initiative%20-%20Hardgoods%20-%20PLA%20%7C%20Petsafe I never recommend having a dog off leash unless in a fenced in area. The reason for this is because if they see an animal or someone they can run off and either scare someone, get hurt or always can get hit by a car. I would talk to a trainer to get help with training Damon to not pull on a leash if the gentle leader does not help. Thank you for using PetCoach.

Some dogs cannot go off leash outside. I would keep her on a leash until you can have the fence installed in the summer. Once the fence is installed you can work with her a lot easier to try to get her to listen to come back to you when called. My concern would be that she would run and get hit by a car, attacked by another animal or run after someone (even if she would never hurt them it can still scare someone). I would try to get a trainer to work with you now since she is so young. If you have a trainer and are consistent you may be able to have her off the leash one day. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your new puppy. Dogs do not gain physical control over their urination and defecation until 4-5 months of age. At this stage, you are just trying to be consistent and create predictable routines for him. This will teach him what to expect and where he should go to the bathroom. However, he is much too young at this point. As far as walking on a leash, this takes time for puppies to learn as well. Most are more comfortable with this by 3-4 months of age. Most puppies can sit on command by around 8-10 weeks of age. Continue to work with him and be patient. He will learn. As far as exercise, playing with toys with keep him occupied at this age. I hope this information helps!