When can my 9-week-old puppy safely walk outside? She won't walk!

Related Answers from Veterinarians

• Answered By Mara Howard, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Congratulations on your new puppy! The best time to start basic training to learn how to walk on a leash is right away, but very slowly, as she is still very young. Are you planning on walking her with a harness or a leash? Initially I would recommend a harness to protect her neck as she is developing. First I would have her get used to wearing her harness, so she would wear it around the house (supervised) when she is doing normal activities to get used to how it feels. After that, I would start with a short, thin leash (3-4 feet only) attached to it while you move around the house to accustom her to the feeling of the leash attached to the harness, and allow her to drag it behind her to get used to the weight of it. When she is comfortable with those things, then I'd start with it outside on walks. Good luck!

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

• Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Ideally, you should not walk your puppy outside on the streets until she is fully vaccinated, meaning she has at least had her 3 set of vaccines. You can start to train her to walk on a leash at home without necessarily having to go outdoors. For socializing exercises, you may consider puppy classes to allow Luna to meet other puppies and people under a controlled environment.
  
  There are many reasons why a dog may pull on his or her leash, but the most common cause is from lack of proper training. An owner may encounter difficulties in training certain breeds such as sled, working, or tracking dogs that were bred to pull. Dogs that exhibit fear, anxiety or aggression will need to see a veterinary behaviorist for assessment; these issues need to be addressed separately prior to training.
  Is positive or negative reinforcement for me? We teach a combination of positive and negative reinforcement as the best tools for learning.
  • What is positive reinforcement? Adding something that is likely to make the dog repeat the behavior. Rewarding a wanted behavior, such as walking nicely by your side, with praise, petting, or treats would be an example.
  • What is negative reinforcement? Taking away a negative stimulus when a correct behavior is performed. An example may be something as simple as relief of pressure on the neck when a dog stops pulling.
  • What is positive punishment? Positive punishment is adding a stimulus to
  decrease the likelihood of an action from happening. We don’t recommend positive punishment because it breaks the human animal bond.
  
  Controlling the Behavior
  Here is a short list of tools that you can use to control leash pulling. Each tool has its advantages and disadvantages. And tools are just that, tools. Dogs also require some form of training to walk well on-leash.
  
  Head collars (i.e. Gentle Leader ®, Halti ®)
  Controls head using pressure points
  May be mistaken for a muzzle
  Dog may need to gradually get used to wearing it
  
  Front attachment harnesses (i.e. Easy Walk Harness ®)
  Front chest leash attachment decreases pulling
  Some dogs still pull
  
  Flat collar
  Easy to use
  Dog can still pull
  
  Choke/training collar
  None, unless dog is highly trained to use it
  Difficult to use correctly
  Can cause neck injury if used improperly Dog can still pull
  
  Prong/pinch collar
  Potentially easy to use
  Difficult to use correctly
  Can cause neck injury if used improperly
  Works by instilling pain when pulling
  Must fit correctly to use properly
  Dog can still pull
  
  Correcting the Behavior
  To train a dog to walk by his or her owner’s side with a loose leash, some methods are listed below. You should remember that, for all training, you should reward the dog when he is doing something you want, instead of just telling him what you don’t want. Training can be a long process; these methods require consistency and perseverance. Training sessions should begin after your dog has had sufficient exercise and not as a substitution for exercise. Be sure not to give up!!!
  1. Reward your dog when he is not pulling
  Start with your dog in a quiet area. Walk your dog on leash. When your dog is walking next to you for 2 steps, give a treat. Gradually increase the amount of walking and distractions. The idea is to catch your dog doing something right and reward that behavior☺
  2. The “Tree Method”
  When your dog pulls, become an immoveable object. Once your dog stops pulling and the leash is relaxed, call the dog to your side and praise or give a treat. This reinforces the positive behavior of maintaining a loose leash.
  

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful