Puppy will not budge on lead.. HELP!!

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showjump

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Hungarian Vizsla bitch puppy, whos now approx 14 weeks old. We have tried afew times to put lead on her, but she will not move when its on.
She will sit down, and if encouraged to move will so one leap in any direction, then stop again! Even with my other vizzy walking on ahead, still wont budge!

I read on the internet to put lead on in the house. So while she was pestering for a treat, i clipped lead on...straight away she sulked, and refused to walk a step for her fav treats!
She turn from bundle of happiness, to shy scared dog.. so i unclipped lead and she continued to act strange for about 20 mins, then back to normal.

Im now worried to put lead on again, but need to get this issue resolved.. HELP guys!!
 
Does she wear a collar when not on the lead?
If not start having her wear a collar at all times. If she is used to a collar tie a ribbon to it with about 9" hanging.
Do this just before a feed and put her food down away from her.
 
You need to make it a game. You have frightened her and she doesn't understand if she has done something wrong, or what you want from her. I'd make a short lead and clip it on and just have a game with her. Don't try to get her to walk on the lead.

She is very young and some of them just don't get it very quickly. The worst thing you can do, is make it a tug of war. Make sure you make lots of happy noises when she gets it right.
 
Yes she wears a collar 24-7, so used to that.

Oh gosh, i know i must have scared her but i didnt mean too. She is such an outgoing puppy, i didnt think a lead would be a problem.

Will try the ribbon with her.
 
Second the ribbon, or something similarly light and short. Let her have a miniute to get used to it, then get her favourite toy out and have a really good game, then take the ribbon off and put the toy away (you should have a favourite toy that only comes out when you are playing together, for training purposes). This will help her to build a positive association.
 
Dont be too hard on yourself this is a very common problem and Vizlas are sensitive. The ribbon on the collar is a very good method and once she is used to this and is happy you can then progress to putting on her lead and letting her drag it around.

Let the dog dictate the pace that you work at and Im sure it wont be too long until she is happily walking on her lead.
 
Definitely agree with DG - we have puppies (of all sorts of breeds) that get to class and freeze up because what with the lead, the smells, the other puppies, the new people - it's just all too much for them! They come out of their shells once they get used to it though. The main thing is to let them take things at their pace and not to pressure them - or yourself. She'll get there, but if you stress, she'll pick up on it so try not to worry because it is normal. :)
 
Thank you, i will give all this a go later. Hopefully she will get used to it soon enough. The lead i was using is only a very thin lightweight one, but will get some ribbon and try that.

How often would you do this with her, every night? Also once shes happy with ribbon, then lead should i try holding the lead and getting her to walk with me for a treat?

Thanks for the advice guys. My other viz was good, if not abit to too keen on the lead!
 
Sprocket was the same when he first had a lead on. Mainly because his natural reaction when he was unsure of something was to run backwards and when he got to the end of the lead and the collar pulled against his head he panicked. I second the suggestion of using ribbon and giving him lots of treats. Also, when I started taking him out for walks I used a harness until he got used to the idea of being walked and then started clipping the lead onto the collar when he was happier. That way he got used to the collar/lead at his own pace but still had the chance to get out and about and meet other dogs etc.
 
Yes, make it short, happy sessions rather than long ones. You want the ribbon to mean good times for her. Once she's happy with the ribbon, try the lead - if she still has an issue, go back a step, and you could try a shorter lead as an intermediate step - a houseline could work.

Once she's happy with that, I would incorporate you taking the lead into your game - so take the lead, making sure there is plenty of slack, call her into you and reward her with treats and praise then let her go again, with no pressure applied to the lead. You can practice these puppy recalls off the lead in the meantime - when you are playing and have her attention, walk backwards, calling her name so she comes after you, let her catch up and reward her with praise and her toy or a treat. Then release and continue playing.

Also, once she's happy with the lead, get her to walk with you trailing it - walk a few steps on encouraging her all the way. Again, something you can usefully practice off lead too as preparation. Then you pick up the lead, again ensuring plenty of slack. Once she's happy with that, progress onto making changes of direction while the lead is loose (a nice long training lead will help with this, once she's accepted the lead fully I would invest in one) so she learns to watch and follow you.

Basically, my take would be that you don't want her to think the lead is a big deal - so you ask her to do things that she knows how to do already, just with the lead attached. Then she only has one new thing to consider.:)
 
Aw bless - I am sure with some patience and work like mentioned above she'll improve. God, I have the opposite problem - mine wants to have her lead with her whereever she goes. She always knows where it is in the house and makes sure in no uncertain terms that I know where it is! :D
 
I would put the ribbon on as often as possible to habituate her so she takes no notice of it. When she progresses to the lead let her drag it around for a couple of days until she is no longer fussed by it. You can then start to pick up the lead and allow her to take you around the kitchen etc, once she is happy with this progress to the garden. Patience will pay dividends, there is no short cuts and as I said allow her to dictate the pace.


If she has had her 2nd vaccination I would be looking to get her into a puppy class which I sure your vet could recommend a good one.
 
CaveCanem said:
Leave a collar and a very light line with no hand loop on her all the time.

I still prefer collars TBH, I only put a harness on a dog if I want to be pulled :p
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I'm with you in this - fine on very little dogs but even on mine who's medium sized, when she was in a harness (at Dogs Trust) I found I had little control!
 
CaveCanem said:
Leave a collar and a very light line with no hand loop on her all the time.

I still prefer collars TBH, I only put a harness on a dog if I want to be pulled :p
Click to expand...

This is what I would do!

Would never use a harness (unless there was a medical problem). Never seen a dog walk nicely beside an owner with a loose lead on a harness!
 
We have harness successes in class:p The trick is to get the dog focussed on you so the harness / collar / whatever becomes irrelevant to the fact that the dog is walking with you, and is there as backup rather than as your only way of keeping hold of the dog.

Although it is very easy to teach a dog to pull into a harness, Henry does because I find it very handy to have him do so when we go for runs;)
 
I agree Spudlet, that's the key - the method of restraint is irrelevant if the dog does not know how to walk to heel - but harnesses are sold and marketed as being 'kinder' and stopping dogs from pulling.
If the dog is not taught to walk to heel properly and taught that staying beside you is good, if it pulls in a collar, it will not magically stop pulling if you put it in a harness and depending on the harness, a dog will have much more power to pull in a harness than in a collar.
 
galaxy said:
Would never use a harness (unless there was a medical problem). Never seen a dog walk nicely beside an owner with a loose lead on a harness!
Click to expand...

My D-dog does but it's only incidental - they wear harnesses for cross country walks where they are allowed to pull as much as they want, then when we hit tarmac again she obligingly comes in and walks on a slack lead.

Unless we are somewhere new and exciting, in which case the harness allows them to plunge about wherever they like, and I wouldn't have had a chance in hell of teaching her to walk nicely like that in a harness from the beginning. :p Collar comes first, harness is for being 'free' (or working).
 
CaveCanem said:
I agree Spudlet, that's the key - the method of restraint is irrelevant if the dog does not know how to walk to heel - but harnesses are sold and marketed as being 'kinder' and stopping dogs from pulling.
Click to expand...
True, but when I first got Sprocket I just used a harness so that when he did pull he didn't panic so that he could get used to the concept of being walked. He only ever wears a harness now for flyball (where harness definitely = pulling) or when I am not 100% sure of his recall and am using a long line.
 
It's like any gadget - harnesses (or flat collars, rolled collars, half-check collars, check chains, slip leads, headcollars etc etc) won't make a dog walk to heel, only training can do that. :)
 
"By law, when your dog is outside (except in limited circumstances) it is required to wear a collar with the name and address of the owner inscribed on the collar or on a plate or badge attached to it."
Collar, not a harness.
Harnesses are for pulling.
 
Yes the law does say that S4Sugar, but you can attach the lead to whatever you like - so if a harness suits your dog, use it. I use one for running, and I use it for hill walking because I can use it to hoist Henry over scrambly bits, and if it's not possible for us to walk closely together because it's steep and rough, but he has to be on a lead for sheep, I know he's not going to get an unfair pop on his neck. They have their use, just like anything else and it's narrow-minded to say that there is only one 'right' way that must suit everyone and every circumstance. Just don't expect it or any other gadget to make your dog magically walk to heel.
 
I agree you can attach the lead to whatever you want and I never use a fixed collar for anything other than holding id.
I use a harness for tracking and a slip or martingale otherwise depending on the dog.

Too often I see dogs that have a harness & no collar - and often owners with no control. The owners need training before they can train the dogs.
 
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