Lead help please

Hello everyone im sharon and i found this site yesterday.
I live in Lincolnshire in the UK and i have a 16 week tri called Lola.
She is wonderful but i need a few tips on getting her on a lead please?

When i put the lead on she gets very upset,she runs into the corner and she will not budge or anything.

Ive tried taking her out onto the front but she just sits there and no matter what i say or do she will not walk.

Do you have and advice please as i need to start walking her :sl*p:

At the minute she has a collar and lead,would a harness work better?

sharon x

Sharon, I bought a harness. Maddy does wear a collar with her ID tag on it. But when walking her I use a harness. She likes to walk, but sometimes does not want to leave places! Putting a little pressure on with the harness is so much easier and safer it seems to me.
Pam

Thanks, this is what i was thinking i wouldnt want to pull the lead to try and encourage her as its round her neck,but a harness seems more friendly.

sharon x

I've just started leash training mine. I clipped on the leash and left it there for a while so he would get used to it just being there. only took a day or two and now he doesn't mind it when I walk around with him. Just got to get him to follow me and not try to run off and follow his nose now....

Try leaving the lead on the floor and then ignore it. When she comes close to sniff it reward her with encouragement and gentle praise, then build on this slowly, let her wander around the floor with it on, remove and then clip back on etc, I had this problem with my Sheltie, she hated it for no reason, with time over the week she gained her confidence and now she hasn't a problem.
When she is confident indoors then try the same outside. You can start basic lead and heal training indoors and then venture outside.
A puppy training class would be good also for confidence building and to allow her to mix with others of all sizes!

Good luck and just be patient with her, 16wks is still very early days and she is is still a little baby!

Alison, Wilts, U.K.

Just about every puppy we have had over the years HATED the collar and leash in the beginning. It's just a matter of time and patience.

What we do is start for a few days with just a collar on them. They will scratch at it, try to bite at it and just generally try anything they can to get it off. After they are used to that, attach a very light lead to the collar for a short period of time and let them drag it around the house. I think that the secret to the lead in the beginning is get the lightest weight lead you can find; forget about looks, think light in the beginning. When they are starting to get used to the lead indoors, start going outside and work with them out there. If they don't want to walk, let them sit and getin front of them and try to get them to come to you. Use a little gentle pressure on the lead if you need to. Lots of praise each time they come to you. Then start backing up when they start coming to you.

I promise she will get used to the lead and collar or harness. Just sometimes takes a little time. And like with any training, always lots of praise when she does something right.

When you finally do get her used to the lead, just let her wander and sniff on the lawn. She is too young for walking on pavement or any distance, as it could damage her joints. :flwr:

All the advice is great here. We used Bruce's method. Reward, reward, reward. Never pull them on the leash as you know. Give a treat to encourage movement. Just let them hang out with it on.