Why is my puppy acting stubborn and pulling on walks sometimes?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would recommend using a Gentle Leader collar to help control him better. When he stops and you tug on the leash, it will pull his entire head to the side you are pulling making it uncomfortable for him to the point that he should respond to your command. Be persistent with this technique and don't give in to him stopping in the road. Dogs test us and will continue to push boundaries to find out what they can get away with. It is your job to make him understand who is in charge. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Zuko. This is completely normal behavior for a puppy his age. It takes young dogs several weeks if not a month or two to become accustomed to a harness and leash. Keep practicing with him, but do not become discouraged if he is uninterested. He will eventually figure it out. You can start by just trying the harness and not attaching the leash in the house. You can also try outside in a grassy area with both attached. Throw a ball or toy and see if that encourages him to walk. Good luck!

It sounds like Bear is developing some anxiety about walking for some reason. If you're pulling on his leash, correcting him, speaking to him in a frustrated way in any manner, stop all that immediately. It may also be nothing that you're doing and just genetics coming in to play. I recommend bringing really special treats on your walks and keeping him happy and relaxed with those. Plan on continuing this for a few weeks to a few months. If that doesn't work, I'd highly recommend speaking with a qualified positive-only dog trainer. As a final note, definitely do not use an electric collar on this pup under any circumstances, or you will see worsening of his behavior.

If your new addition is otherwise feeling well (eating well, interacting and playing with you) she may be a shy puppy and/or adjusting to her new home. Some puppies are more confident than others and it can take some time for them to figure out their place in the new house. If you got her from a breeder you could certainly contact the breeder to ask about her personality previously with her littermates. The breeder will likely know if she was one of the more timid puppies. As most dogs are food motivated using treats can be really helpful. Or if she has particular toys she loves these can be used as well. Basically it's important to make her home a positive and not scary environment for her right now. For example if you get her to leave the house on her own show her praise and give her treats so that she knows this was a good behavior. It can take some time for some puppies to develop confidence. The other really important thing for puppies is a consistent routine as far as when they are fed, when they go outside, etc. Dogs are very smart and will learn a routine quickly and gain confidence in it. The other option is that she may not be feeling very well and that may be why she's reluctant to do some activities. It would not be normal for a puppy to just want to sleep all the time as they should have more energy then an adult dog. This would be even more concerning if you feel like she is not eating well. If any of these seem to be the issue, or just to ease your mind that what you're seeing at home is normal, then having her checked out by your family veterinarian would be a good idea. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Pack leader ideology is an outdated training method, so I wouldn't put too much weight into it. I would highly recommend checking out training techniques such as loose-leash walking, and working on sit and look at me commands to help improve focus while out on walks (and decrease pulling). Training tools such as an easy-walk harness and gentle-leader can also help during the training session by gently redirecting your dog's pulling force back to you, preventing them from being able to tug your arm off while you practice good walking behavior. As for the other issues, a basic obedience class together is a good thing to look into as it can help you better learn to communicate and help instill some impulse control with jumping and other behaviors. Working on things such as air-planing treats, not jumping up (by turning and walking away, or having him sit calmly), etc can help with this as well. There are several videos on YouTube that offer great step-by-step instructions on all of the commands listed above.

3. WalkingtheOtherWay In order to reinforce a dog’s natural tendency to follow, once your dog pulls out in front, you should turn quickly and walk the other way. Reward once you feel slack on the collar. This can cause a walk to go no more than a few feet at the beginning, so be patient. The pull back should only be strong enough to get your dog’s attention. Excessive force, especially when using choke chains, may cause neck trauma. For more information, please contact your veterinarian or a trainer who uses humane training methods.

A lot of puppies striggle with the concept of walking beside people at first, especially when a lead is introduced. If you have him on a lead this is likely the issue. What I usually find helps is getting him to follow you round a safe environment first such as your garden or home. You can do this on/off lead. Never ever pull him if he isnt walking as you will make him fear the lead. If yiu have a favourite toy or treats you can coax him to walk alongside you and praise him when he does. I would focus on this for a while befire trying to get him out into the world. When he is walking well in the garden try him on the street. He will likely take a bit if a back step so be prepared to work with him again. If he continues to plant his bum when you go outside he is likely scared of all the new things going on. Try not to force him, keep coaxing him and making it look fun outside and he will eventually realise it is ok. A friendly older dog can be a great help in guiding a young pup so you could borroe a family member or friend's dog to try and show him tbat outside is fine. It can be very frustrating with a pup, but persevere and eventually it will just click with him. Good luck!