Can someone tell me when it is a good age to start leash training a puppy?. I have heard everything from 12 weeks old to 6 months. I have tried to find info online using google but nothing there. I would appreciate any help.
Hi there, With something like leash training it's probably better to start earlier rather than later. Even if it is just putting the collar on the pup and gradually getting them used to that and a lead. So I would start this from 12 weeks of age or so.
Get your puppy on a lead as soon as possible around the house until he is allowed to go for a walk after his vaccines, make it fun reward him as he runs along your side dont worry too much at this stage about heel that can be perfected later when he is not so distracted with such a short consentration span!
Totally agree with the other posts, start leash training ASAP. If the pup seems a bit wary of the leash you could start by leaving the leash around the pups food bowls, bed etc...so it doesn't see it as something scary. Then attach the leash to the pups collar and let him walk around with it without you holding it for a while...if it seems happy with that take the leash and walk him around a bit. We always start leash training with any pups we've had as soon as we possibly can. Good luck
When I was training my pup (Alaskan Malamute) on a leash, he HATED it. Seriously, he'd flop on his side and I'd be dragging him before I realized what was going on. It was a struggle every time with that boy.
For me, it was a 180 as soon as I used a harness with him. As soon as I used that, it was a whole new world.
We recently brought home 2 puppies 6 & 7 weeks old. After seeing the vet to make sure they were both healthy, I asked the vet about leash training. He told me that the first thing to do was put on their collars and let them get used to those, about a day. Then attach the leash and let them walk around with it for a couple of minutes to check it out and see that it won't hurt them.
He said the next step was to pick up the leash and let them walk about freely with me holding the other end for a bit....I let them walk around for about 5-10 minutes, going every where in no particular direction. I bet I looked rather silly, but never the less. Then after 5-10 minutes, I gently guided them in the direction I wanted them to go. And we have been walking ever since.
The one thing my vet told me is people are too anxious to get their puppies on the lead and go for a walk. The mistake that is usually made is they put their collars on, snap on a lead and expect the pups to know what to do, but they don't. The pulling backwards, yipping and laying down is the only defense they have against this strangness as this is all new to them. So following the vets advice the only thing I had to do during our first walk was to keep reassuring them while we walked through this new scenery.
Now the pups are 4 months old and are really pretty good at walking on their leashes. In fact you can't touch their leashes without having 2 pups sitting before you, with 4 eyes staring, waiting for the leashes to be put on.
