More Leash Training Woes..Need advice..

[semo]

Firstly I dont want to drag the dog..I tried a little in the begining and came to the conclusion that it was a lost cause and a bad idea.

I HAVE TO GET THIS DOG LEASH TRAINED,

Ok, so fritz is right over 3 months and I have switched from an oversized leash to a leash for smaller dogs...But he seems to be stuborn. I have let him wear the leash around in the house and whatnot. I did manage to do get him to go on a walk a decent distance w/o resisting the leash too much.. Well yesterday evening I went to try walking him on the leash...and he is soo damned stubborn I am unsure on how to handle the rest of the training... For example, I have a sliding glass door that we use to bring him in the house...I got him outside and he seems to have an affinity for that door. Now If I pick him up and walk him say 200feet from the house he will walk with me on the leash ..ONLY as long as I am heading towards that door... IF I want to go left / right or any other direction but towards that door he will just freeze and try to resist. When he has the leash at end tension he would listen to me when I try to get him to come to me, i try kneeling and getting him to come,, This doesnt work very well. The worst thing of all is that he is more likely to follow me when OFF leash...

So the only thing that I can think of as a solution is by starting to carry him a good distance from that door and just walk him to that door at least a couple of times a day, and perhaps he would get used to the leash ...but I am afraid this could teach him that HE PICKS WHERE WE CAN AND CANNOT GO ON THE LEASH. I have also considered using a treat or something to lure him, but am unsure about that. One thing worth mentioning is it was dark outside, but there was an outside pole light and other lights and it was pretty easy to see...

Any advice on how to get this little guy to accept the leash and not be so stubborn would be GREATLY APPRICIATED.

[ABK]

lol, I don't think he's fixated on the door itself, but rather what lies behind the door - the inside of the house! Almost all dogs - to include pit bulls - thrive on family living & love being indoors. It seems he has figured out that that door leads to the inside of the house. If he does not wish to be outside he will most willingly walk toward the door on the leash. But once he realizes he will not be going inside - evidenced by your turning away from the door - he resists.

I told you he would be a thinker! ;)

A lot of ppl accuse thinking breeds of being stubborn, but I don't think it's always a matter of stubbornness as it is a matter of independent thinking. I once heard an Afghan breeder ask after hearing Afghans were last of the list of dog intelligence "Which dogs are smarter - the dog that does what you say or the dog that thinks for himself?"

Right now you have to out think him, not out muscle him. While it is most certainly harder & more time consuming to out think him, out thinking him will work better at this stage for right now.

Have you tried a harness on him yet? If so, what were the results?

Also, you may want to contact your local obedience club. Puppy class sure won't hurt. Here is a list that might be able to help you:

http://www.barkbytes.com/sclubs/moclub.htm

[semo]

i plan on doing classes w/ him by spring i am thinking.. I have yet to try a harness , dont have one etc

[ABK]

i plan on doing classes w/ him by spring i am thinking.. I have yet to try a harness , dont have one etc
Give it a try. You can pick one up at Wally-World for about $10. I am curious to see how he would take to it.

[semo]

well i might be able to get one sometime, but it could be a couple of weeks before i can get one, so i would like to find a way to get him used to teh leash via the collar for now.. I never imagined it would be so hard, and dont want to ruin him or anything..

[mopardave360]

Take treats with you on your walks and have him walk TO the treats. For example, when you put the leash on, give him a treat. That way he knows you have treats and he's going to want to follow you and he'll see the leash as a positive thing rather than something that drags him. Give him praise when he begins to walk and give him a treat after a few strides. Praise him with "attaboys". Grab another treat and put it in front of him but don't let him grab a hold of it. Make him work for it this time by walking a little more. It should work. I trained my dogs this way and they turned out great on the leash.

[CrazyK9]

Make it all into a game. Serious training can come later on. Just take baby steps and stay calm...

Its very important not to get frustrated with him or give up and carry him. That is just teaching him the more he fights, the quicker he gets to go home. You start giving him his way now he'll be all over you when he is an adult and you do not want that at all!

I can not stress enough don't put tension on the leash! You need to praise him for walking at all at this point. Lure him to follow you with treats or a toy and reward him when he gets the idea. Follow him sometimes. That is not teaching him to disrespect you, it is letting him get a positive experience out of going for a walk. When he does pull, loosen the leash and call him to you with a lot of goofy, high-pitched sound. The only goal you have in walking him right now is to avoid it being a bad experience. Like I said, you can teach him to walk properly on the leash later on.

[semo]

thanks, i will try the treats for directions besides the house etc ;)

[ABK]

I agree w/ Mopar & Crazy. Right now just let him be a pup. Use positive motivation. Be silly. Get on the ground & play. Don't be afraid to be goofy. You will miss these excperinces once he is grown up & pups up grow fast! Above all don't stress over it & don't rush. Relax & have fun. You have all the time in the world! :)

[maryellen1]

heck i would have you carry me too!!! LOL.. that pup is smart, why walk when daddy will carry him .... get some high value treats that he never had, natural balance makes dog food rolls in lamb, beef and turkey. the turkey is the best one. get a small roll and chop the food into tiny eraser size cubes.. lure him to the door, and outside.. keep luring him with the food and making it fun.. he will get the hang of it once he realizes you wont carry him everywhere.. bring a fun squeeky toy too..