Author Topic: 15 week old puppy wants whole family on walks  (Read 1991 times)

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Offline Balthazar

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15 week old puppy wants whole family on walks
« on: September 01, 2018, 09:55:35 AM »
Firstly I am so glad I found this place. A few weeks ago when I was convinced I had a furry crocodile not a puppy reading through saved me!

Now we are starting to really get out and about we have hit a new snag. Balthazar does not want to walk (as in sits down and would be dragged like a mop by his harness) unless at least 3 people are present. I presume this is some sort of security of the pack thing but as I often want to take him out (even for 10 mins right now, and later for longer) alone it is getting me down!! He's fine once he can smell he is on the way home, so I think it is neves.

Anyone been through this and got any tips?

Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: 15 week old puppy wants whole family on walks
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2018, 12:40:47 PM »
Its all a bit daunting for the little ones at first, Humphrey was always very reluctant to go too far away from what he knew in the first few weeks. Try to avoid dragging him though, better to entice him so that he comes of his own free will, a toy or even treats and lots and lots of praise, start by just going a few yards from  the house and back again and then a bit further and a bit further and make it as exciting and positive as you can, any force will just make things worse.
Just a reminder that this is THE PERFECT time to start encouraging him to stay near your heel and not pull. If he‘s walking on your left, feed him treats from your left hand as you walk so that he learns that is a good place that be. I neglected to do that and its soooo hard to correct afterwards, much easier to start as you mean to go on..... :lol2:
Best of luck!

Offline Balthazar

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Re: 15 week old puppy wants whole family on walks
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2018, 01:05:09 PM »
When did it get better Bizzie Lizzie? I know he is still young but I have now spent 8 weeks off work with him so it feels like the early days should be behind us (he was fully vaccinated by 10 weeks so this is well over a month of non walking). Obviously we are not forcing him (should have made that clear) but are instead carrying him a bit or walking back from the far end of a walk, but at the moment nothing is changing and it’s upsetting and frustrating. We are doing puppy class and he does loose lead walking perfectly there and in our garden so that is a good thing that is hopefully embedding.

Offline Digger

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Re: 15 week old puppy wants whole family on walks
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2018, 01:19:18 PM »
Hi there! Welcome to the world of cockers- they are funny little things (as I think we all found out after the event haha!)
Just thought I'd chime in. Have you tried walking him OFF the lead? Drive/ carry him to a nice safe place ( e.g.big open field no roads near) pop him down and off you go. I bet he'll follow you like a shadow. Mine was off lead over the fields from day one. You've had him long enough for him to know that you are where all the good stuff is.
I have found that they do want to be with you but they like it to be their idea. You walk off, he has to decide what to do. He will decide to be with you I am sure. There is no force- of course encourage him and make yourself interesting and fun-maybe have a ball or something too and of course always a pocket full of treats but I think off lead may be the way forward then he will realise it's actually ok and you go home afterwards and everything is still there!
Be confident and show him how to be too. :D

Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: 15 week old puppy wants whole family on walks
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2018, 02:10:56 PM »
Hi there! Welcome to the world of cockers- they are funny little things (as I think we all found out after the event haha!)
Just thought I'd chime in. Have you tried walking him OFF the lead? Drive/ carry him to a nice safe place ( e.g.big open field no roads near) pop him down and off you go. I bet he'll follow you like a shadow. Mine was off lead over the fields from day one. You've had him long enough for him to know that you are where all the good stuff is.
I have found that they do want to be with you but they like it to be their idea. You walk off, he has to decide what to do. He will decide to be with you I am sure. There is no force- of course encourage him and make yourself interesting and fun-maybe have a ball or something too and of course always a pocket full of treats but I think off lead may be the way forward then he will realise it's actually ok and you go home afterwards and everything is still there!
Be confident and show him how to be too. :D

👍👍👍 Good advice! Sorry, hadn‘t realized you‘d been trying quite that long...
When do you go for walks? I tend to go (still) before meals, has the advantage that he‘s hungry and therefore more responsive to treats and he knows there‘s something really good when he comes back. ...  🤔

Offline Balthazar

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Re: 15 week old puppy wants whole family on walks
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2018, 02:17:13 PM »
Thanks both. Digger he does follow me if I let the lead go but I’m nervous. We live in sheep land so I would need to find somewhere to try that out properly as in most places there are sheep on the horizon and it could go wrong ph34r . Bizzie, I am walking him after meals, but he did walk well when he was walked before meal the other day- will give it a go!

Offline Willow69

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Re: 15 week old puppy wants whole family on walks
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2018, 07:50:00 PM »
Hi, Bless him, it does sound like a confidence thing (safety in numbers). I agree with the advice to walk off lead if possible. We did this with Luna the first week. We live a couple of minutes from fields and farmland so we're very lucky to have it so close to us. Is there anyone with a puppy or dog that you could walk with? I was lucky to meet a new friend at puppy class with a puppy the same age - we have been walking most mornings since our little ones were 3.5 months (now 8 months) They play pretty much the whole time and are definitely braver together. I walk before breakfast and before dinner, with a few tasty treats in my bag. Fingers crossed he'll get his confidence and will love his walks soon.

Online MIN

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Re: 15 week old puppy wants whole family on walks
« Reply #7 on: September 01, 2018, 09:54:02 PM »
try a long lead. it will drag behind  Balthazar :luv: as he  struts his stuff and you can make a grab run for it if he wonders to far.
Bribery does go a long way.  :005:

 
Run free and fly high my beautiful Gemma
2011 - 2023 

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Offline Balthazar

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Re: 15 week old puppy wants whole family on walks
« Reply #8 on: September 02, 2018, 08:08:12 AM »
Thanks all. We had a lovely walk along our local canal last night with lots of older friendly dogs seeming to reasure him. Sadly this morning next door's boxer went for him basically at our front gate (it was under control couldn't really reach him) and he was terrified and is now hiding under a chair popping out just to check where I am :'( one step forward and two back!

Offline Digger

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Re: 15 week old puppy wants whole family on walks
« Reply #9 on: September 02, 2018, 10:29:42 AM »
Oh God how annoying, but I just wanted to say try not to dwell on it for your dog's sake.
 
Some of the most anxious and aggressive dogs I have ever met belong to owners who say 'Oh he/she just doesn't like black dogs/spaniels/ dogs with four legs because a dog did this that and the other a lifetime ago....'

I realise none of us want to see our little pooch get hammered by a big unpleasant dog and of course you have to watch and prevent wherever possible, however, my dog is now 13 months and has been rumbled loads of times, bashed into, jumped on and actually bitten 3 times. (We do see a huge amount of dogs) Most of the bashings were accidental, in over zealous play but a few were nasty. She has no lasting effects from any of it and is still very friendly with other dogs, she has also learned to keep her feet on the floor and greet other dogs politely, hence 99% of meetings are really nice.
The ones that aren't are the people I described above... so my advice would be don't be one of them and don't dwell on it. Your pup is fine-just a little spooked by that particular dog on this particular day. It'll probably all be forgotten tomorrow.  Carry on like nothing happened and show your pooch that you are confident. Particularly important if it's maybe a slightly nervous type.
If mine ever had a bad experience I would go out of my way to rack up some more good experiences to redress the balance! I think mine now knows that in the overall scheme of things other dogs are ok. She has met thousands and there have only been a handful of truly nasty ones.
Perhaps through being a crazy pup herself, she is really tolerant with puppies-even if they are jumping all over her face-Perhaps you know someone with a really tolerant dog that would be up for a bounce around with yours? That would help build a bit of confidence.
Best of luck anyway and try not to worry, or your pup will too!

Offline Balthazar

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Re: 15 week old puppy wants whole family on walks
« Reply #10 on: September 02, 2018, 11:44:22 AM »
Thanks Digger. He is all beans now! Tomorrow I am back at work and he starts with his dog walker, he is going to be walking with one other dog who he adores so I think that will perhaps help immensely. It's a bit like kids isn't it - never show you are rattled! :lol2:

Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: 15 week old puppy wants whole family on walks
« Reply #11 on: September 02, 2018, 12:14:14 PM »
Digger is spot on!! Don‘t know if its feasable or possible for you to go a walk at some point with your neighbour and the boxer? We‘ve done that with a couple of dogs at club with whom Humphrey‘s had spats in the past and its worked wonders, they‘ll never be best buddies but they‘re both relaxed and indifferent to the other one now.

Offline Balthazar

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Re: 15 week old puppy wants whole family on walks
« Reply #12 on: September 03, 2018, 06:54:18 AM »
Sadly the boxer doesn’t walk just gets played with in his garden (whispers - which is probably why he is not good with other dogs). However Balthazar walked right past last night and this morning so no problems. I have switched things around a bit following all the advice and walking him before meals definitely helps. For the last two walks if he was stunting at all and just to get going I took his lead off (nervous) oh my goodness  :o he walked like a dream trotting along behind me and then right next to me. Needed to be a bit nippy when we saw a cat though! Thank you we have some real progress  :luv: today he is off at lunchtime with our dog walker and the lovely Labrador he likes from 3 doors down.

Offline Digger

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Re: 15 week old puppy wants whole family on walks
« Reply #13 on: September 03, 2018, 09:13:31 AM »
Awww yay! (as we suspected ;))
It is daunting in the early days when you don't really know the pup but that's where this site is good.
Stay confident!
Poor dog next door-that makes me so angry. >:(
Have fun showing yours the world and he will grow up healthy and confident!    :luv:

Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: 15 week old puppy wants whole family on walks
« Reply #14 on: September 03, 2018, 09:25:51 AM »
That‘s brilliant! It is trial and error really and they‘ve all got their own little quirks and you learn to „read“ them after a while! No wonder the poor boxer is reactive, he‘s probably bored to tears! [Why oh why do people have big dogs when they can‘t be bothered to exercise them? >:( )