Utilize pup's food kibble to first just get him used to your presence daily. However, it takes her anywhere from one to two hours to warm up to women, and a few visits before she will even consider going near a man. Leash acceptance article: Using a leash without a handle can also help it not get caught. Read the guides all the way through and see what you think will be effective for Poco's personality. I try to make his harness a positive experience for him but he doesn’t seem too bothered about walking/going outside and will sleep for majority of the day. Take a look here for tips:https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-small-dog-with-separation-anxiety. And again has come so far. First of all I would recommend that you work on building Manuka's respect for you. When pup stops, tell pup "Let's Go" in an up beat tone, then tug and release the leash several times in a row until pup takes a couple more steps - at which point give another treat. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-your-puppy-to-accept-leash She has come a long way in her journey of trusting us and letting us pet her, love on her, etc. Giving it time and continuing to play with him without touching him are good. 4 tips to add to your dog’s basic obedience training to make sure they survive the off-leash walk. If not, pup likely needs more time adjusting before she will take food. The leash tugs should stop as soon as pup starts moving. Next, move the leash slightly toward him, then away while feeding him treats from your other hand. Every time we allow the dog to pull the lead, we are establishing and reestablishing a pattern. Practicing obedience, like a structured heel can also help but because she is a flight risk, I suggest tethering her to a tree and helping her adjust that way before moving onto things that require more movement - where she might bolt. Know that this will take time. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-your-puppy-to-accept-leash I am not a vet though. Reinforce your dog for walking on a loose leash by continuing the walk. I put his collar on him and he eventually relaxed, I tried letting him sniff his harness and then putting it on him and giving him treats, but he tries to run away and bolts off to hide under the table as soon as he has got his harness on. After that clip a leash without a handle to his leash and let him drag it around the house for a week while you are supervising to get him used to the feeling of it. If your dog has not been hurt but is just proving stubborn and refusing to accept a leash, you may be better off checking our other posts on how to get a stubborn dog to walk on a leash and our other post on how to train a dog to wear a harness.how to get a stubborn dog to walk on a leash and our other post on how to train a dog to wear a harness. Once he is comfortable with it's general presence, make the leash fun by moving that around right before a toy toss or during a tug. But once we get out, she is petrified. He bonded quickly with me. Rescue dogs are special in your lives because At first he will probably just watch and eat the food after you leave. https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-socialize-a-shy-dog/ Check out the Exercise Pen method from the article linked below - since your end goal is outside potty training, don't phase out the exercise pen or let him pee in any other areas of the house - you will just go straight to outside potty training and no longer take him to the exercise pen when the time comes. Anywhere from a couple of days to a few weeks. Many dogs are actually more enthusiastic about their food if they have to earn it and consider it a treat. We took him from the street two weeks ago, he already went on a car ride to the vet for consultation and castration. Hi there, I have a 5 month old rescue who refuses to go on walks with me. As pup improves, gradually increase how much the harness is moving back and forth while pup reaches their head through it. I suggest creating a lightweight, short drag leash - such as two feet without a handle, and attaching it to pup's collar while you are home. Spend time on each of those steps until she is comfortable with the current level of muzzle touch. What should I do next? Once we got him he was extremely scared and still is very timid and nervous. For example, touch his shoulder while you give a treat. So she is very curious when we go outside. Thanks for your support! Check out the article linked below and work on the confidence building and socialization methods. He was at the shelter for a little over two weeks. If this takes several days of trying this for thirty minutes or longer each day that's okay. She will not walk on her leash though. Once he is more tolerant that may work well so you can touch him occasionally at the end and beginning of the day to take on and off but not have to touch constantly - for a drag leash check out something like Vir-Chew-Ly that is less likely to get caught. When she gets as nervous as she does outside, it seems like no amount of treats or physical affection will calm her down. Again, seek out the help of a trainer if he may respond aggressively, and work on helping him become more comfortable with you in general before working on touch. Once she is used to the leash or if she is already used to it now, check out the Turns method from the article linked below. At first we had to carry her over door thresholds, she pooped and peed while she ate. All of the methods are good - you can start with the Turns Method and once Poe gets it down pat, you can start the Treat Lure Method. It may seem opposite but what a dog can't have without working for it, often makes it even more appealing. Pup will of course still have a leash on for added security but the goal of the training is for pup not to even feel the leash most of the time because they are heeling due to actually focusing on you. When pup is comfortable in that area, choose a new calm area and repeat in several locations. Check you can put a harness on him, but he is still a flight risk due to other's in public, then check out something like ruffwear webmaster harness that's hard to escape from but comfortable. When that happens try to take things a bit slower with him, give him time to warm up more, or simply be aware of his surroundings. Take him for short walks as long as he’s comfortable. Don't rush getting to the point where you can practice this though because you don't want to reach toward a dog that may react aggressively due to fear or you risk being bitten. His reward for walking on a loose lead is getting to his toy. Use treats and follow him around while you hold onto the end of his leash without pulling on it. carry him after waiting for him to walk. Please give us any advice you can on how to overcome this situation. She was in the shelter for about 4 weeks before we got her. Expect this to take pup time - don't rush them. She needs to be exposed to a lot of people in a nonthreatening way. She could benefit from toys that promote mental stimulation. She panicked on leashes. She does not want to be around us or our dog or cats. What you will learn. We’ve done the stop when she pulls and got no where. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-your-puppy-to-accept-leash It’s just the front door and the outside world she’s scared of. Just at wits end on this one issue. Learning to walk nicley on a leash is done by giving direction, not old school corrections. Luna was rescued almost two years ago from the streets where she relied on factory workers for food. Start with low distraction/calm locations first and very gradually move onto busier/harder locations as she becomes more relaxed at the current places. How do I get her to focus on our walks and to actually walk? Hi my dog loves walks and has no problems with leash’s but when we are out on walks she doesn’t listen or acknowledge me.she only listens to sit but that’s after various trys. Pup needs to keep their muzzle behind your leg (I know that sounds impossible right now), but what will happen is that each time pup's muzzle starts to move past your leg, you will turn directly in front of pup at a ninety degree angle (probably bumping into pup a bit at first). Expect this to take time. Don't expect to see too much improvement the first time you go, but do this regularly as often as you can to give her exposure. Outside, when he pulls, I either stop or give a gentle tug. She is well-behaved but she doesn't stay by my side; crossing the road, running into gardens etc. Caitlin Crittenden. Best of luck training, Over time I have lost some patience with the leash and have started walking with her without it. Choose a very calm area, use a padded back clip harness that he can't escape from or go to a fenced in area. We’ve tried the lead collar, but he makes these loud noises during the walk (like he cannot breathe well). If you are taking pup outside to go potty, if pup does okay being carried I would carry them outside (while still leashed for safety), and use a long lightweight leash while out there while you are getting them used to the normal leash, so that they don't feel it as much and there isn't much tension on it - just until you get to the point where pup has completed all the methods in the order I said, then you can transition to pup walking outside and a normal length leash. Cutting in front helps a dog learn to stay behind and pay attention to where you are. Once she is used to the harness, use a high quality leash with a clip that won't break on you. You want pup to be working during the walk - having to stay behind you, focus on you, perform commands periodically, and not have his mind on scanning the area in search of other dogs. As a result, you’ll have to spend some extra time getting your dog used to wearing one. Leave it near his bed or in his crate or even near you so he can explore it without you at the other end. Lies on beside me follows me around in house. Once she will take food, also work on teaching following to build more trust. Walk as far away as you can while holding the other end of the leash without tugging on him at all. As you can imagine, it’s not easy to reteach an older dog that pulling is bad after he has some experience that points to the opposite. When i brought her home, she was very apprehensive about taking walks. So glad that you feel encouraged. https://www.amazon.com/Fresh-Patch-Disposable-Potty-Grass/dp/B005G7S6UI Remi is a rescue dog with beautiful manners but she’s never been walked on a leash. Can you recommend anything? Enjoy a happier, healthier relationship with your dogs. It's a common habit seen. We need all the advice, education we can get. Best of luck training, Take a look here: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel. Reel In method: Is he a recent rescue or has he been like that with you his entire life? She clearly has not had favorable or much human interaction. Good luck! When we pick him up he will just let us hold him and seems very content. Until you can touch him I would walk him on two slip leads. Her love of food is a huge asset. I was reminded of these episodes from my childhood when I stumbled on the question “How do we leash train a 2-year-old rescued dog properly?”. We’ve tried picking her butt up and helping her but she just stiff legs and doesn’t move. Once you have worked on Manuka's respect for you, then I would recommend getting her used to wearing a soft silicon basket muzzle. Do not turn around until she has walked at least one step on her own though. Caitlin Crittenden, Hi there! Come with the Reel In method: First, I suggest laying a good foundation of communication by practicing commands like Leave It, Watch Me, Out, and Heel. She doesn't like the leash or baths. After he receives the treat, let the leash become slack again. Once pup has worked up to a six foot leash and will follow you around easily on that (Give affection, calm interactions, or play as rewards - whatever they seem to like best), then take pup outside and simply spend quiet time outside with pup without the expectation of walking. Have pup perform commands and tricks and use the dog food that has been mixed with freeze dried powder from a ziplock bag, as rewards for pup obeying commands. Go somewhere calm and simply sit in the grass and act calm. The walking issue might even resolve itself when she relaxes more. If your dog pulls you or even if you find yourself pulling your dog along, take a step back and stop walking. When you stop, he will stop as well. You would then work up to the dogs being closer and closer while you reward Benny for his tolerance, then finally practicing having them pass by him while you reward him for ignoring them. Scatter treats around the car, but avoid any spilled anti-freeze or gasoline! - Practice each step until he is comfortable with that step before moving to the next step. When he will let you do these touches without any signs of aggression, then feed as many meals as you can, piece by piece this way to desensitize him. Best of luck training, Hopefully it will go fast though - some dogs recover quickly, others need time depending on personalities. So it’s up to you to judge its pros and cons. If you take it off too soon, she will be more scared the next time. If you make your goal something huge like the whole neighborhood at first you are less likely to succeed - work up to distance overtime. You want to find a trainer who trains with e-collars similar to how James trains (who works with livestock killing and chasing dogs too so has a lot of high drive dogs he sees). She’s warming up to me and now sleeps with me in bed. Practise different ways of moving the dog by using the food lure. Kikopup does positive reinforcement counter conditioning well - where something scary is paired with something pleasant. Next, when pup can hold their head in the harness longer, have pup poke their head through the harness, sprinkle several treats on something that's at pup's chin height so that your hands are free, and slide the buckle that adjusts the harness size back and forth while pup eats the treats. Best of luck training, I would want to evaluate how he does around people when not being touched to see what the next step in training is. With the leash on, walk your dog outside. I suggest using something like a padded front clip harness (not back clip or that can encourage pulling). Zach George has a lot of great general how to videos on obedience and trick training done in a gentle way. Bought many reduce the chance of Pepe developing fear-based aggression from being attacked by Manuka, when can. Practice her following you around the neighborhood important for safety training a rescue dog to walk on a leash though - it can help! 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