Leash Training Questions - 10 1/2 week puppy
My husband John and I have had our new puppy, Bear (formerly named Max) for two weeks and have accomplished the following:
1. Potty trained
2. Collar tolerance; reasonably well adjusted to Lupine Harness (which we use most of the time)
3. Leash Tolerant
4. Exercise (using the harness and a 6 foot nylon leash) 3 times daily (for about 45 minutes each session) at the beach (this is our only "safe haven" for outdoor exercise since we do not have a fenced-in yard, and since Bear is not fully vaccinated). Indoor exercise/play sessions with toys, too!
5. Tolerates crate at night, quiet for ~ 8 hours. His crate is in our Great (living) Room. He rarely goes in his crate voluntarily (despite luring him with treats, toys, nice padding, crate cover, etc.). We crate him during the day only for about one hour or so when we need to run errands, or we need to have some quiet time upstairs. He whines/howls/Shiba screams during the daytime crate sessions.
6. Knows his name. Command trained to sit, lie down, give us his paw (with a treat!). Knows what stay and come mean, but will only do it if he wants to! He is a very smart (and sly) puppy!
Our comments and questions follow;
a. We've been training Bear walking on a leash indoors (praising with treats), which has been pretty successful. But . . . when we are walking him outside, he is easily (and understandably) distracted by other dogs, humans, vehicles, surfboards, blowing debris, smells, sea oats, seashells, sea foam, etc. We know he's still a young pup, and we let him play, but it is difficult to get quality exercise time with us in control of the leash! We've been able to bribe him (with treats/toys/happy sounds from us) for short periods of running and walking, but he will then sit down and refuse to move, or move in the other direction. When should we expect him to walk with us? Are we expecting too much, too soon?
b. Should we shift from a harness to a Gentle Leader or other collar for leash training at this age? We are ready to begin formal leash training but do not want to push him too fast. Your ideas?
c. Any ideas on making the crate more alluring to Bear? Or will he at some point get used to it, and stop whining?
Thank You for your kind advice. We feel you folks are the best place to seek counsel.
John and Barb
1. Potty trained
2. Collar tolerance; reasonably well adjusted to Lupine Harness (which we use most of the time)
3. Leash Tolerant
4. Exercise (using the harness and a 6 foot nylon leash) 3 times daily (for about 45 minutes each session) at the beach (this is our only "safe haven" for outdoor exercise since we do not have a fenced-in yard, and since Bear is not fully vaccinated). Indoor exercise/play sessions with toys, too!
5. Tolerates crate at night, quiet for ~ 8 hours. His crate is in our Great (living) Room. He rarely goes in his crate voluntarily (despite luring him with treats, toys, nice padding, crate cover, etc.). We crate him during the day only for about one hour or so when we need to run errands, or we need to have some quiet time upstairs. He whines/howls/Shiba screams during the daytime crate sessions.
6. Knows his name. Command trained to sit, lie down, give us his paw (with a treat!). Knows what stay and come mean, but will only do it if he wants to! He is a very smart (and sly) puppy!
Our comments and questions follow;
a. We've been training Bear walking on a leash indoors (praising with treats), which has been pretty successful. But . . . when we are walking him outside, he is easily (and understandably) distracted by other dogs, humans, vehicles, surfboards, blowing debris, smells, sea oats, seashells, sea foam, etc. We know he's still a young pup, and we let him play, but it is difficult to get quality exercise time with us in control of the leash! We've been able to bribe him (with treats/toys/happy sounds from us) for short periods of running and walking, but he will then sit down and refuse to move, or move in the other direction. When should we expect him to walk with us? Are we expecting too much, too soon?
b. Should we shift from a harness to a Gentle Leader or other collar for leash training at this age? We are ready to begin formal leash training but do not want to push him too fast. Your ideas?
c. Any ideas on making the crate more alluring to Bear? Or will he at some point get used to it, and stop whining?
Thank You for your kind advice. We feel you folks are the best place to seek counsel.
John and Barb
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
I'm sure someone else will give better advice, but I thought I would chime in! lol
At his age expect complaints in the crate. Even at 5 or 6 months some dogs will complain. You can feed in the crate and teach some crate games. Susan Garrett has video on Crate games.
Leash walking and focus will not be there for sometime either. You have a Shiba so that makes it doubly difficult until they mature.
You can try an easy walk harness or no pull harness that should help some. A gentle leader is an option but it really depends on the face of your dog. Sometimes they do not fit well on a young Shibas snout. Be aware if you use it that it will take some adjustment since your pup will try to rub it off. Some Shibas do not adjust to it.
I would try to find a harness just remember to check for size as he grows and loosen accordingly.
Snf
At 10 1/2 weeks, Bear is going to have the attention span of a gnat and it's likely to remain that way for a while. Snf made a great suggestion about crate games to make him more comfortable. His complaints will pass as he gets older. Puppies want to explore the world on their own terms. He just needs to get used to the idea that you guys are setting the boundaries for him. It will happen, just be patient.
As for leash walking, I think what you are doing in the house is really great! To transition outside, start working with him in an area with fewer distractions. Perhaps a backyard (if you have one) or an empty corner of a park somewhere. At 10 1/2 weeks, you're asking too much of him if you think he'll focus on you during a walk. Depending on his temperament, it may be a year or more before he's really focused on walks. Also, I would not change from his harness to a training tool just yet. The gentle leader is a pretty extreme training tool to be using on such a young puppy. It can be harsh on their necks since it gives you so much control and they are distracted so easily. Let him be a puppy for a few more weeks. If you really feel need to try something else, consider an easy walk harness over the gentle leader. It won't put any pressure on his head or neck and will help deter him from pulling. If he does get distracted and bolt off, he won't get as intense a shock when he hits the end of the leash.
I'd be very careful with walks on the beach at such tender age. Sand isn't a very easy thing to walk on and it puts quite a bit of stress on his joints.
I know he's not of a large breed, but still he's a very young puppy, with fast developing bones. Regular and intensive activity like 2+ hour daily walk on the beach, will be hard on his skeleton, and might get him some structural problems in the future.
Congrats on the new puppy! Sounds like life is full of rollicking good times with him! All the advice above is good, and I echo the best of all --- remembering he is a puppy and eager to be exploring the world. I have to say, there is nothing as fun as the exuberance of a puppy (unless its the same exuberance from a child), and this time of his life should be enjoyed to the hilt by you and him! While it will take a while for him to mature (i.e. become "uber-" obedient, I guess), you will be amazed at how fast that time flies! I would say you have accomplished a tremendous amount in a short period of time with such a young doggie --- Bear should be rewarded for all of his efforts on a daily basis!
We found our dog, Josephine (different breed - a Kai), around 10-12 weeks of age, and truly enjoyed her younger days, then finally took her through the introductory puppy class when approaching a year. After much working with positive reinforcement she is relatively obedient to most commands (now she is about 2 years)! I am grateful that she hasn't totally lost that sense of puppy exuberance and desire to investigate and play, though, and I hope she never does! I think training a dog is kind of like learning to play a musical instrument ---- after much practice between you and the instrument, a beautiful experience emerges! Some instruments are harder than others (and may be so with dogs, based on breed, personality and their wonderful individualism)! And it may take at least as long to do either!
Enjoy your life with Bear! Sounds like its off to a great start -- a tremendous credit to you and hubby!