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5 month old Labrador will not walk on the lead

  • 26-04-2012 7:40pm
    #1
    SuprSi
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,949 ✭✭✭


    Our lovely puppy is driving us mad! We bring him for a quick walk in the morning so that he can do his business, about 15 minutes, and for the last week or two he has just stopped walking. As soon as we put the lead on, he hunkers down and will not budge. He will go so far as to choke on the lead without actually moving - it's impressive stubbornness!

    Take the lead off, he walks, so it's not like he's scared of his surroundings. Turn around for home with the lead on him and he walks. He has no problem walking, it's just him being difficult but it's really getting on our nerves as quite often he won't do his business as his usual area is about 100 yards away and he just won't walk there!!

    What can we do? We think we may have been spoiling him by bringing him to the beach every evening after work and letting him off his lead as he knackers himself running around the place, but this may have been a bad idea.


Comments

  • #2
    planetX
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,441 ✭✭✭planetX


    5 months is still young for walks, lots of dogs are scared at that stage.
    Maybe the walk isn't fun if it's just to 'do his business'. It's easier to clean that up at home anyway;)
    Maybe shorter walks with a treat at the end, and no pressure to perform?


  • #3
    tk123
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,045 ✭✭✭✭tk123


    SuprSi wrote: »
    What can we do? We think we may have been spoiling him by bringing him to the beach every evening after work and letting him off his lead as he knackers himself running around the place, but this may have been a bad idea.

    You need to limit a pups exercise especially bigger breeds like labs - the rule of thumb is 5 mins per month of age per day so 5x5=25mins for your guy.

    What's he like if you leave the lead on him in the house just trailing behind him? Is there traffic or anything he could be frightened off on the walk - my guy took a lot of coaxing cos he got spooked by busses, bins etc?

    In my experience with my retriever treats, praise and patience work best - ie don't just drag him along, coax him and make it fun and give him loads of praise and a treat when he's walking along on the lead. While your at it treat him when he's at your side on the lead so he starts to learn how to walk nicely and not pull - the sooner you start on this the sooner he'll learn. Your shoulders will thank you as he gets bigger :pac::pac:


  • #4
    SuprSi
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,949 ✭✭✭SuprSi


    Thanks for the feedback. We got him moving again by baiting him with very small bits of chicken. He walks on the lead now that he knows he's going to get a treat, so the problem for the moment has been resolved!

    Point take about the exercise though we usually only bring him out for 20 - 25 minutes.


  • #5
    are you serious
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,047 ✭✭✭are you serious


    If he knows he's not going to the beach where he has most fun he wont want to go on the other walks as much. Stop taking him to the beach as much and make his regular walk more fun with tasty treats in your pocket for every time he does something good!!
    Take a squeaky ball or his favourite toy with you on the normal walk, its the little things that make them forget!


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