Help Needed! Advice needed on walking puppy with a leash

Hero4u2b

New member
Aug 24, 2012
180
4
Palm Beach County Florida
Bulldog(s) Names
Buddy
Hello, everyone. I have a 5 and a half month old ebd who is the love of my life and I take him outdoors probably 8 times a day to use the potty. I live in a condo and other people here have dogs. Well when I first got him the breeder from whom we got him states on her website to always use a harness with an ebd so I went out and bought a little harness and with little more thought to it all, also purchased one of those retractable leashs. Well I soon leaned that he needed a straight leash and a collar. (thanks to several suggestions here). Now when we are alone and walking the property. most of the time he will walk fine. He does stop at times and smells the grass. ect but with a little." come on" Buddy or " Lets go" and a light yank of the leash he soon follows me.. When there is another puppy around and I let him play for a few mins ( 10 or so) and when it is time to go. I cannot seem to break his focus from wanting to continue to play and stay. I bring frozen green beans with me and get down at his eye level and at times can get his focus off the other distraction but most of the time he wants to stay and I actually have to pick him up and move him away from the distraction so we can continue. I don't know if I should pull his leash harder or not. I do not want to injure him in any way but I have never had to train a puppy to walk on a leash with me. I was told by someone here to get a british slip lead which is basically a rylon, one piece, choker thing but even if I had that. what do I do? give him a snap to the neck? Doesn't seem like something I would want to do. I am on the fence about bringing him to puppy class but if it would help I would probably do it. When we are alone outside at times I just drop the leash and say " Bye Buddy" and walk away and he always follows after I get about 20 foot ahead. This morning thou he did not and was still sniffing around in the grass. I swear he is like a blood hound.. Anyways I am at my wits end. I love him but if anyone has had any experience in training a puppy to walk on a leash I would sure appreciate some advice. Thank you
 

bullmama

Owner/Administrator
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Jan 28, 2010
24,756
1,251
Tucson, Arizona
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The Home of the Desert Sky Pack
This is why I prefer the harness, it can be pulled without hurting them. But--- it sounds like you should probably work on the come command at home and go to obedience school. When you say come, he should stop anything and come to you.

I am sure others have better suggestions to help guide you.


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk :)
 

dalmatina38

The Stripe Wearing, Broom Wielding, Voodoo Prieste
Community Veteran
Jul 13, 2012
1,145
66
Sierra Vista Arizona
Bulldog(s) Names
Amber and Ruby
What I have learned over the years is to work with them in the yard with no distractions on sit, stay, and come both with a leash on and without a leash on. Once they get these commands down it becomes a little easier. Now, I don't know about others but I teach my fur babies leash time is time to walk and I do not allow them to play while they are on a leash. If we are in a park in a contained area I leave them off the leash and let them run and that is time to play. All of mmine know when they are on the leash play time stops. Amber is our first bully and it took a little more work then the Great Danes to leash train her but she is coming up on 11 months old and when I take her into petsmart or anywhere on the leash if another dog comes up she will sit down and look at them. For me, it is easier to have the line of divide between play time and time for serious business. Good luck, I am sure there are others with more information but this is what works for me.
 
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Hero4u2b

New member
Aug 24, 2012
180
4
Palm Beach County Florida
Bulldog(s) Names
Buddy
  • Thread Starter
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  • #4
Thanks you guys. I am so fustrated. We just left from being outdoors. I am not mad at him as much as just not being skilled myself enough to know how to train him. I would bring him to the pet smart doggie training school in a second if I thought it would help. My fear is that it is possible that these people might be certifed in a few weeks to train puppys and it not really help but I don't know I think in the end I am just going to have to pay someone to help me and good trainers, I believe, are expensive. He wants to please me. like any dog I believe he wants to know what I want from him. it is just a matter of relaying it to him so he can understand it. Thanks
 

elearn

Bully lovin' gypsy
Community Veteran
Jul 31, 2012
1,207
53
Northern New Jersey
Bulldog(s) Names
Herman
Hero if you can, bring him to a dog training school (not Petsmart). I've seen some of the sessions in PetSmart and it was a little different than what I experienced at dog training school. At PetSmart and PetCo there was one instructor standing up talking in a small enclosed area in the middle of the store (where people, like me, could peek in and distract the dogs) while the owners and dogs were sitting down listening - and the instructor would demo an instruction.

In training school there was a main instructor and a number of "helper instructors" in a large training room. The instructor would demo with her own dog(s) or the 'helper instructor dogs', then everyone would practice as all the instructors would come around. We'd also get a few minutes for puppy socialization in puppy class. For recall commands everyone would get a turn and the instructors would tell what the OWNER was doing wrong LOL Basic Obedience class is similar and there is homework! Check some training school websites in your area and you can make yourself feel a little better about their credentials.
 

elearn

Bully lovin' gypsy
Community Veteran
Jul 31, 2012
1,207
53
Northern New Jersey
Bulldog(s) Names
Herman
BTW I'm happy that Buddy is doing OK - you're a great daddy. Buddy seems to be very happy!
 

Izzy's Mom

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Sep 25, 2012
817
43
Houston - TX
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USA
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Izzy
Mine is 13 week old today and I am always very firm with her when I want her to do something. She is not even 50% there... she tends to get very distracted when any person or dog or objects passes by us while doing our walks (she usually sits and waits a few seconds till she focus back on the walk) but I think it has a lot with the energy that you give to the dog. From the moment that you step out of your house and how you lead them has everything to do with how they will behave with you.

I am firm but also in challenging situations I keep my cool and repeat the command of what I want her to do, eventually she gets and I praise her with a loud "good girl! good baby". I also try to always be the pack leader with her, when I am eating I do not let Izzy jump on me or beg for me... I also dont let her bite me. With my boyfriend is a completely different story.... she gets out of control!

I would say just be patient and keep the work consistent and she will learn what you are expecting from her. Remember to always praise your puppy when he/she is behaving the way you want without a command being given. :) Hopefully we will all get there
 
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Izzy's Mom

New member
Sep 25, 2012
817
43
Houston - TX
Country
USA
Bulldog(s) Names
Izzy
My veterinarian gave me a great advice, he told me whatever she wants she needs to work for. If she wants for me to pet her, I ask her to sit first. Before I put her food and water bowl down I ask her to sit.... all those little things help for the dog to see you as their leader and the person to follow inside and outside the house.
 

ModernFemme

Arts'y bulldog farts'y
Community Veteran
Oct 5, 2012
882
61
Delaware
Bulldog(s) Names
Sir Remington (Remi)
Yeah, we found the harness a lot nicer to use. We could correct him without jerking on his neck all the time, and really distributed the weight well. It really comes in handy when you have to teach them to stand to the right/left depending on a door opens, etc. With that being said, Remi is constantly being stubborn when we're going outside. I have found that if I lower myself to the ground, in a squat, pat the ground, and in a cute voice, say, Remi, come, he always comes. And of course I always encourage him in my nice voice, Remi, yes, good-boy when he's on his way. Then praises. It works every time, within 2 calls, but I have found you really have to have patience with it. He doesn't always respond when you are standing. Weird, right?
 

maggies mom

New member
Aug 22, 2012
53
0
Bulldog(s) Names
maggie
Thanks you guys. I am so fustrated. We just left from being outdoors. I am not mad at him as much as just not being skilled myself enough to know how to train him. I would bring him to the pet smart doggie training school in a second if I thought it would help. My fear is that it is possible that these people might be certifed in a few weeks to train puppys and it not really help but I don't know I think in the end I am just going to have to pay someone to help me and good trainers, I believe, are expensive. He wants to please me. like any dog I believe he wants to know what I want from him. it is just a matter of relaying it to him so he can understand it. Thanks
Im sure it depends on the store but I brought Maggie to the beginners class at my local Petsmart and it was great! Before whenever I walked her Maggie would just try to chew the leash and drag me around, now Im so proud of her she walks so nice! I would say for the price it was worth it and she also learned sit, stay , come , fetch etc. What I liked is how they train with positive reinforcement no yanking on a choke collar or anything like that.
 

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