Training Puppy to Go on Walks - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Scouts Honor · 11-04-2013, 12:47 PM

Hello everyone, I got my 7 month old Yorkie puppy 3 weeks ago. He's a joy and very playful, but when I put his harness on to walk him, he just freezes up. Has anyone else had this problem? How did you make your puppy more comfortable wearing a harness and walking on a leash?

Thanks in advance.

VKS1 · 11-04-2013, 02:45 PM

I am having the same problem, tried taking him out for a walk today and he just locked up and tried to encourage him but he dug his paws into the carpet.. cute, annoying and hilarious!

dawn27 · 11-04-2013, 03:43 PM

Teaching a pup to walk on a leash is a vey hard thing to do. Every pup I've had just hated it. It takes a lot of practice and probably going to take some bribery.

You cant start with just getting him use to wearing the harness around the house while he is sleeping, playing and eating. Also start teaching him the Come command which will come in handy for walking and stopping once you do get ready for a walk out doors. Once you feel he is adjusting to the harness, once or twice a week work with him in the house with his leash on. Be sure to praise him every step of the way and it wouldn't hurt to reward him with a Cheerio every now and than. Cheerios are great for training, not too filling at all.

CesarTheGreat · 11-04-2013, 03:59 PM

Walk - he will follow. Don't drag the dog, but as you lead him along he will go.

Cesar used to be the same way - now it's kind of a good thing. If he's acting extremely wild I will put a shirt or his harness on him and it will calm him down.

For walks, I take lead and keep the leash as short as possible so that he is next to me but just a step behind. Do not let the leash run out to where he is 5' ahead of you. You are walking him, not the other way around. He should get used to it quickly. One of the things that I did also for discipline was made him sit down at each corner when we stopped. So at every corner, he will sit down as we wait for traffic to pass. Once I start to move, he gets up and walks.

Keeping the leash short and taking the lead is the important thing though.

bubbleh1 · 11-13-2013, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CesarTheGreat

Walk - he will follow. Don't drag the dog, but as you lead him along he will go.

Cesar used to be the same way - now it's kind of a good thing. If he's acting extremely wild I will put a shirt or his harness on him and it will calm him down.

For walks, I take lead and keep the leash as short as possible so that he is next to me but just a step behind. Do not let the leash run out to where he is 5' ahead of you. You are walking him, not the other way around. He should get used to it quickly. One of the things that I did also for discipline was made him sit down at each corner when we stopped. So at every corner, he will sit down as we wait for traffic to pass. Once I start to move, he gets up and walks.

Keeping the leash short and taking the lead is the important thing though.

I walk Oreo everyday and he enjoys it but it seems like I'm not taking the lead because he is always ready to go and pulls me during the walks. I do have a extender leash which lets him have a little more freedom. I just need to know tips on how to take the lead so I'm not being literally pulled all the time.
Thanks
TJ

CesarTheGreat · 11-13-2013, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bubbleh1

I walk Oreo everyday and he enjoys it but it seems like I'm not taking the lead because he is always ready to go and pulls me during the walks. I do have a extender leash which lets him have a little more freedom. I just need to know tips on how to take the lead so I'm not being literally pulled all the time.
Thanks
TJ

When he goes to take off, you yank him back gently. Use a harness so you don't let him choke himself as he can hurt his throat. When he goes to walk ahead of you, pull him back to your side. Do it constantly so that you are always a step ahead of him. Eventually he will walk next to or a step behind you.

Don't let him use that extender leash to take off - he doesn't need freedom he needs discipline and leadership. You walk the dog, he doesn't walk you. You lead.

It takes time to do but I get comments by people on their porch or walking by for how well behaved Cesar is on walks. He is by my side and stops at each street intersection.

theporkieyorkie · 11-13-2013, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bubbleh1

I walk Oreo everyday and he enjoys it but it seems like I'm not taking the lead because he is always ready to go and pulls me during the walks. I do have a extender leash which lets him have a little more freedom. I just need to know tips on how to take the lead so I'm not being literally pulled all the time.
Thanks
TJ

One of the things you can try is doing a 180 and turn around and start walking the other way every time he pulls. Eventually, he will learn that pulling won't get him where he wants.

I've also just flat out stopped until my dog figured out that he had to let up on the leash and calm down before he was going to get anywhere. This can sometimes take a while, but usually my dog will come sit next to me and look at me like "can we go now?" As soon as he pulls...we stop and the exercise starts all over.

In both cases, I didn't get more than a block or so for a while, but it helped a lot. Just recently I watched a friends dog who was CONSTANTLY pulling and within a week, I had him walking next to me without pulling.

bubbleh1 · 11-13-2013, 03:42 PM

Thanks for those tips. I plan on starting tonight after my boy finishes eating.

Britster · 11-14-2013, 02:45 PM

A few good vids:

Tip of the day- toy dogs and harnesses- clicker...

Tip of the day- harness up - clicker dog training...

How to train your dog to love his harness- dog...

1 min dog training tutorial - teach your dog to...

bubbleh1 · 11-15-2013, 05:48 PM

Good videos. Does anyone know what type of little treats are used for this type of training of our Yorkies?

Britster · 11-16-2013, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bubbleh1

Good videos. Does anyone know what type of little treats are used for this type of training of our Yorkies?

I use Zuke's, soft n chewy Cloud Star Buddy Biscuits, and sometimes I use chicken or string cheese.

dawn27 · 11-16-2013, 03:05 PM

Great videos, thanks for sharing.

I also use Zukes. . they are great, just the right size for training.

yipyap · 11-17-2013, 12:16 PM

Ha, it has been so long (3years), that I almost forgot that Taffy had to get used to his collar and leash. He started out with just a little, light cloth collar that he wore around the house. (Cat & Kitten collars are smaller and work well for tiny yorkie pups, but make sure NOT to buy a "Break-away cat collar"--these will snap apart if they are tugged on, so kitties who get stuck on bushes or branches can break free and go home. If you buy a small cat/kitten collar, be sure they are "solid material all the way around".)
As Taffy got his county tags and rabies tag, I added these to his daily collar, he got used to their dangly feeling. (He has a number of different collars and leashes, but I don't swap his collars as much, because he needs his tags moved on to them go into the Cities of Staunton & Waynesboro!) He mainly now wears a favorite, small black leather collar with little 'rhinestone dog bones' around it.
If you have problems getting your pup to follow you with a leash, there is nothing like a yummy treat in front of your puppy to get him moving to follow you. Be sure he has gotten these treats Before & Really likes them and will follow beside you as you hold the treat down along the outside of your right leg as you two walk through your house....before you even try attaching a leash. (I got a light, thin leash when Taff was a pup.) Taffy was following me around in circular "walks" indoors through our kitchen, den, and hallway for a treat. Taffy got used following me indoors early on..it was late fall and chilly outside! (He would also learn to "come" to me when shown I held the treat.) I got the light leash on him while he was following me around and around in the house to get the treats! Now, he had already seen the leash on the floor, and sniffed it, but ignored it for his toys. I tried to keep my voice really happy & focused more on him staying with me for a little treat...I tried to not put much attention on the leash when I clipped it on while he nibbled. And we would walk a forward a bit and I held the treat by my leg...and then he'd nibble...and we walked a bit more.
Now, don't try to do this to long or the pup will get tired and want to finally stop or walk away...you don't want to get tugging the little guy forward or he may start fighting the leash. We did go outdoors both in sweaters or coats. We just ambled along he was excitedly sniffing, so he got used to the feel of the leash, and I walked slowly along until he had peed and checked out the porch plants.
Finally, treat in fingers, I would let him sniff it by my right leg registrationand we'd walk across the short side of the yard. I believe I may have started saying "Heel" Taffy as we walked. I would try turning in different directions, and he usually would turn to follow me & the treat! After 4-5 minutes he had enough treats. We slowly lengthened the walks and streched-out the time between his getting real nibbles of treats. We finally were going down the yard, and he ignored the leash.
*If your puppy is a "real tugger" on his leash, and you feel he his dragging you, and he doesn't respond to gentle tugs on his leash or your commands to come back (even for treat) you may want to try this: our pet stores sell a simple little harness called "The Easy Walker". Have someone at the store show you how it should be fitted to your dog to get the right size. This harness does Not have its 'attachment ring' where the leash hooks on...up at the dog's back like other harnesses. This simple harness fits around your dogs chest area like most, with a little strap over his shoulders and behind his front legs, but the simple strap that goes across the front of his chest is Where the harness's ring will attach. When the dog pulls on this harness, his own pulling acts against him. With the ring and leash on the front chest, the dog actually pulls himself back and toward you...if you have him on either side. Be sure to hold your leash a little higher, don't let it drag in front of his feet...you don't want him to trip as he walks. I go back to use this leash from time to time, especially after my husband takes Taffy for walks! My husband lets the dog pull him every which way, even though I remind him to get Taffy to "Heel". (Sigh!) Now, I DO let Taffy stop and sniff around-on my walks, but I will tell Taffy "Okay, okay" and shake his leash. He knows he can now stop and sniff around for a bit. Then, I say "Heel" and pat my right leg and off we go again with him beside my leg. If he tries to pull me with his regular collar on, I say "Taffy, heel" in a firm voice and won't move till he comes back.
You just pracfice and practice,finally the little pup remembers--"Good Boy!!"

yipyap · 11-17-2013, 01:21 PM

I really wish I could see your videos! Everyone said they were so good.
Sadly, my Kindle device showed gray squares for each video and said, "Device does not support this video". So, I wll see if my husband can get them to play on his computer! Happy dog walking! -- Sue & Taffy

11-04-2013, 12:47 PM	#1
Scouts Honor YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 1	Training Puppy to Go on Walks Hello everyone, I got my 7 month old Yorkie puppy 3 weeks ago. He's a joy and very playful, but when I put his harness on to walk him, he just freezes up. Has anyone else had this problem? How did you make your puppy more comfortable wearing a harness and walking on a leash? Thanks in advance.

11-04-2013, 03:43 PM	#3
dawn27 2+2=4 X the Love ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bean Town Ohio Posts: 9,456 Blog Entries: 1	Teaching a pup to walk on a leash is a vey hard thing to do. Every pup I've had just hated it. It takes a lot of practice and probably going to take some bribery. You cant start with just getting him use to wearing the harness around the house while he is sleeping, playing and eating. Also start teaching him the Come command which will come in handy for walking and stopping once you do get ready for a walk out doors. Once you feel he is adjusting to the harness, once or twice a week work with him in the house with his leash on. Be sure to praise him every step of the way and it wouldn't hurt to reward him with a Cheerio every now and than. Cheerios are great for training, not too filling at all. __________________ Mommy to: Quincy, & Ruby Bella / Miah & Brandi Gone but Never Forgotten Visit: Bella Dawns for all of your Custom Pet Wear needs.

11-16-2013, 03:05 PM	#12
dawn27 2+2=4 X the Love ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bean Town Ohio Posts: 9,456 Blog Entries: 1	Great videos, thanks for sharing. I also use Zukes. . they are great, just the right size for training. __________________ Mommy to: Quincy, & Ruby Bella / Miah & Brandi Gone but Never Forgotten Visit: Bella Dawns for all of your Custom Pet Wear needs. Last edited by dawn27; 11-16-2013 at 03:10 PM.

11-17-2013, 12:16 PM	#13
yipyap Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Shenandoah Valley, VA., USA Posts: 173	I use meat jerky and the Easy Walker Harness! Ha, it has been so long (3years), that I almost forgot that Taffy had to get used to his collar and leash. He started out with just a little, light cloth collar that he wore around the house. (Cat & Kitten collars are smaller and work well for tiny yorkie pups, but make sure NOT to buy a "Break-away cat collar"--these will snap apart if they are tugged on, so kitties who get stuck on bushes or branches can break free and go home. If you buy a small cat/kitten collar, be sure they are "solid material all the way around".) As Taffy got his county tags and rabies tag, I added these to his daily collar, he got used to their dangly feeling. (He has a number of different collars and leashes, but I don't swap his collars as much, because he needs his tags moved on to them go into the Cities of Staunton & Waynesboro!) He mainly now wears a favorite, small black leather collar with little 'rhinestone dog bones' around it. If you have problems getting your pup to follow you with a leash, there is nothing like a yummy treat in front of your puppy to get him moving to follow you. Be sure he has gotten these treats Before & Really likes them and will follow beside you as you hold the treat down along the outside of your right leg as you two walk through your house....before you even try attaching a leash. (I got a light, thin leash when Taff was a pup.) Taffy was following me around in circular "walks" indoors through our kitchen, den, and hallway for a treat. Taffy got used following me indoors early on..it was late fall and chilly outside! (He would also learn to "come" to me when shown I held the treat.) I got the light leash on him while he was following me around and around in the house to get the treats! Now, he had already seen the leash on the floor, and sniffed it, but ignored it for his toys. I tried to keep my voice really happy & focused more on him staying with me for a little treat...I tried to not put much attention on the leash when I clipped it on while he nibbled. And we would walk a forward a bit and I held the treat by my leg...and then he'd nibble...and we walked a bit more. Now, don't try to do this to long or the pup will get tired and want to finally stop or walk away...you don't want to get tugging the little guy forward or he may start fighting the leash. We did go outdoors both in sweaters or coats. We just ambled along he was excitedly sniffing, so he got used to the feel of the leash, and I walked slowly along until he had peed and checked out the porch plants. Finally, treat in fingers, I would let him sniff it by my right leg registrationand we'd walk across the short side of the yard. I believe I may have started saying "Heel" Taffy as we walked. I would try turning in different directions, and he usually would turn to follow me & the treat! After 4-5 minutes he had enough treats. We slowly lengthened the walks and streched-out the time between his getting real nibbles of treats. We finally were going down the yard, and he ignored the leash. *If your puppy is a "real tugger" on his leash, and you feel he his dragging you, and he doesn't respond to gentle tugs on his leash or your commands to come back (even for treat) you may want to try this: our pet stores sell a simple little harness called "The Easy Walker". Have someone at the store show you how it should be fitted to your dog to get the right size. This harness does Not have its 'attachment ring' where the leash hooks on...up at the dog's back like other harnesses. This simple harness fits around your dogs chest area like most, with a little strap over his shoulders and behind his front legs, but the simple strap that goes across the front of his chest is Where the harness's ring will attach. When the dog pulls on this harness, his own pulling acts against him. With the ring and leash on the front chest, the dog actually pulls himself back and toward you...if you have him on either side. Be sure to hold your leash a little higher, don't let it drag in front of his feet...you don't want him to trip as he walks. I go back to use this leash from time to time, especially after my husband takes Taffy for walks! My husband lets the dog pull him every which way, even though I remind him to get Taffy to "Heel". (Sigh!) Now, I DO let Taffy stop and sniff around-on my walks, but I will tell Taffy "Okay, okay" and shake his leash. He knows he can now stop and sniff around for a bit. Then, I say "Heel" and pat my right leg and off we go again with him beside my leg. If he tries to pull me with his regular collar on, I say "Taffy, heel" in a firm voice and won't move till he comes back. You just pracfice and practice,finally the little pup remembers--"Good Boy!!"

11-17-2013, 01:21 PM	#14
yipyap Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Shenandoah Valley, VA., USA Posts: 173	Sorry sent to Brit & Jackson! I really wish I could see your videos! Everyone said they were so good. Sadly, my Kindle device showed gray squares for each video and said, "Device does not support this video". So, I wll see if my husband can get them to play on his computer! Happy dog walking! -- Sue & Taffy

11-04-2013, 02:45 PM	#2
VKS1 YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: London Posts: 1	I am having the same problem, tried taking him out for a walk today and he just locked up and tried to encourage him but he dug his paws into the carpet.. cute, annoying and hilarious!

11-04-2013, 03:59 PM	#4
CesarTheGreat Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Michigan Posts: 119	Walk - he will follow. Don't drag the dog, but as you lead him along he will go. Cesar used to be the same way - now it's kind of a good thing. If he's acting extremely wild I will put a shirt or his harness on him and it will calm him down. For walks, I take lead and keep the leash as short as possible so that he is next to me but just a step behind. Do not let the leash run out to where he is 5' ahead of you. You are walking him, not the other way around. He should get used to it quickly. One of the things that I did also for discipline was made him sit down at each corner when we stopped. So at every corner, he will sit down as we wait for traffic to pass. Once I start to move, he gets up and walks. Keeping the leash short and taking the lead is the important thing though.

11-13-2013, 03:42 PM	#8
bubbleh1 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Suffolk, VA, USA Posts: 48	Thanks for those tips. I plan on starting tonight after my boy finishes eating.

11-15-2013, 05:48 PM	#10
bubbleh1 Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Suffolk, VA, USA Posts: 48	Good videos. Does anyone know what type of little treats are used for this type of training of our Yorkies?