Extending Leashes - P.S.First off, a quick word about extending leashes. In the last issue I was rather scathing about them. As a belated P.S. I will concede that they can be useful when teaching a dog to come when called from a distance...... I suppose! I've never used one for that, nor can I ever imagine myself doing so, as it's completely unecessary as far as I'm concerned. But if you're not terribly confident about the idea of just letting the dog loose I can see why an extending leash might offer you something of a crutch to lean on. If you're rehoming a wild and nervous adult dog that really might run off then an extending leash would have a role to play. But if it's a young pup you're training then please just ditch the extending leash from the word go. All normal young puppies will just natually follow along with you. On several occasions I've had people come to my training classes with young puppies that they've never let off the leash, and they've been paranoid about the idea of doing so. "Trust me", I say, as I let the pup loose. "It's not going to go anywhere". The look of apprehension on the owners face soon turns to one of delight as they discover the puppy just bounds along beside them completely unconcerned once they start walking. |
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Why on earth would it *not* want to go with you? Puppies crave and adore human company, especially that of their owner. The last thing they're going to want to do is run away. And on a personal level I've just had it brought home to me once more how true that is. How come? In the Chastney household we have to watch out for little puddles once more. Yes - I've got a new puppy! He's just seven weeks old and nothing but a bundle of soft puppy hair and needle sharp teeth! And it's a dog pup - my first dog for years, as my last three have all been bitches. I collected him on Sunday and less than 24 hours later he was running free in the fields when I took him for a short walk yesterday evening. I know a lot of people say they shouldn't go out for walks until they've had their vaccinations, but the only real danger is if you walk them in places frequented by un-vaccinated dogs. I carried him to the field and deliberately chose a stretch of path hardly anybody walks on. Yes it was a gamble, but one I don't feel at all worried about taking. Once I put him down on the ground he was quite happy to bound along with me. He's far too young to come when called, and he certainly hasn't learnt his name yet ('Tufter'). But none of that bothered me in the slightest. He's a tiny puppy and I knew full well he'd do what all puppies of his age do instinctively - tag along beside me. I walked slowly, as his little legs couldn't possibly keep up with me if I went at my normal pace. And I didn't let him walk very far - at that age pups need loads of sleep and it's vital that you don't let them overtire themselves. But I want him to get used to the concept of walking along with me right from the word go. That way it's the most natural thing in the world - all he's ever known. And I know without a shadow of a doubt that it'll never even cross his mind to run away from me. He's a bright little fella and I'm hoping that training him will be good fun. However, it's early days and anything can happen.... But already he seems to be cottoning on to the idea of going to the toilet outside. Incredibly on both the two nights he's been here so far he made no mess during the night. I usually reckon on taking anywhere up to two weeks to get to that stage with a pup, so he's most unusual in that respect. He's the first puppy I've ever had who's done that. Long may it continue! Recommended reading "Dog Training Blueprint To Success".
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