FIRST WALKIES

[Lindaphills]

Hi, all,

Jess is having her last vacc. tomorrow and was wondering if there are any tips for going out for our first walk.  Should I let her off the lead for the first time or wait until she is better trained.  I have put on the lead and walked her up and down the garden etc so she is at least familiar with it.
Any helpful hints or lessons from past experiences valued.

As they say Forewarned is Forearmed  

Linda and Jess                    

[Jane S]

Hi Linda

Just checking you know you won't be able to take Jess out straight away after her final vaccination - most vets recommend around 10 days after the final jab so check with your vet what his/her recommendation is.

When you do get the all clear to take Jess out, you should certainly start letting her off the lead as early as poss but make sure you choose a safe, enclosed area away from busy roads to begin with. Also make sure you have a supply of treats in your pocket & keep calling her back to you, then rewarding her when she comes with a treat & lots of praise. Never ever tell her off if she is a bit slow to come back to you or you could deter her from coming back at all in future. I'm sure others will be along with their tips soon but these are just a few to start you off                    

[Lindaphills]

Hi Jane,
Thanks for the tips.  I know I won't be able to take her out straight away but as you can see I'm so excited I just want to make sure I have all angles covered if u know what I mean

I have heard a lot about this liver cake that dogs love, but what actually is it and How do you make it
I could take some of this with me then, on our first walk.

Ta for the advice Jane, will keep u posted as to how she gets on.                    

[FionaM]

Hi Linda

Here is a link to an old thread where Pammy posted the recipe for Liver cake

http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/forum/viewtopic . php?t=1222;start=0

I've only it a couple of times before I was banned from ever making it in the house again. My boyfriend reckoned he could still smell it a couple of days later I'm sure it will be a success with Jess though                    

[Rae & Marty]

Hi Linda,

I can't offer any advice but have a question that might be of help to you as well.  We are taking Woody out on the lead but he wants to return home all the time.  He has to be co-erced out of the house and grudgingly walks for a while and then on the return nearly runs home.  Has anybody else experienced this and have any suggestions?

Sorry for hijacking your post Linda but it might help.                    

[Anita]

One thing you could do before walking them properly is to take them out and carry them around so they get used to traffic, people and children. THey will be fine as long as they are carried. THen when you take them out on the lead they will be a bit more relaxed (hopefully).

With the reluctant walk - I think nearly everyone goes through this. There are previous threads but I can't find them yet. The best thing to do is encourage them with your voice and take plenty of treats. THe other thing is little and frequently should help.

Have fun!                    

[Lindaphills]

Hi, Rae and Marty,

No probs with you adding on, thats what COL is for  I take Jess for walks already in my arms.  She comes up to my kids school in the car and then in my arms to wait for my 3 kids.  I have taken her down the field in front of my house and along busy roads in my arms of course

I must say however, going back to your thread that Jess is trembling the whole time she's in my arms.  I don't fuss her though, I just carry on. I took her to meet the horses that live right in front of my house yesterday and she cried, she didn't like them at all.  I just moved back a little and stayed there for about 5 mins and she stopped crying but was still shaking like a leaf

When I get nearer to the house she is much happier and when I put her down in the front garden she;s her old self again

I guess some pups are a bit more nervous than others and perhaps dont feel so confident facing new or different environments.

Hope things improve for you both anyway  I'll post to let you know how I get on with Jess but have a feeling I will have similar experience.  She is 12 weeks old but I think her nature is quite timid and gentle (so far)
Keep u posted
Good luck

Linda and Jess                    

[*Jay*]

I definitely think taking them out in your arms is a good way to prepare them for when they can get out and walk about. I got Vegas when he was 7 weeks and carried him everywhere for 5 weeks so that when the time came to take him on his first walk, he was completely unfazed by it. By contrast, I didn't get Dallas until he was 11 weeks old. He was fully vaccinated so he was abkle to be taken out straightaway but he was raised in kennels and hadn't encountered traffic so he was completely overwhelmed by it all. I just had to keep jollying him along - I was adamant I wasn't going to pick him up and carry him

As for letting pups off the lead, I agree that the earlier the better. You will probably find that Jess will be quite inclined not to stray too far from you to begin with. When you see her coming back to you, just say something like "Jess, come" and give her a treat so she knows that coming back to you is a good thing. I found it helped that when the time came to put the leads back on, they got a treat then as well just so they don't associate the lead with the end of their fun. You could always take a squeaky toy with you and that may help keep her attention on you. If you don't feel quite up to making the liver cake just yet(can't believe I'm going to say this, but I'm actually getting used to the smell now ) you could always try cold meat, cheese or hot dogs, all cut up into small pieces and just give her these when you are at the park and working on her recall. If you use something that she gets all the time, she may not be that interested in coming back so you really want to keep the interest there.                    

[Ben]

Hello All,
Yesterday was the first walk for Cinder! I was so excited !!!.
We took her to the beach on her extending lead and she loved the running around and charging about.

It took us about 1 hour to walk a mile as every other dog owner came to pet her/comment how cute she was etc.!!!

Anyway, couple of questions if I may:-

1. Saw the suggestion about the taking off the lead - is this ok at such a young age? ( 12 weeks)
2. How far/long should the walks be? Yesterday was an hour. Have walked her this am for 15mins around where we live?
3. How many times a day should we be walking her?

Thanks

Ben                    

[Magic Star]

;DShe is lovely

The only advise I would give is don't overwalk your puppy at such a young age, as her bones haven't readily formed etc yet!  The key is to walk little and often, so say instead of walking her one long walk, its much better to say take her on two or three shorter walks, probably 20 mins maximum  Thats if you can get very far mind, with all those people stopping you to pet her people just love cocker puppies

Regarding letting her off the lead, personally, I know others may disagree, but I wouldn't just yet, I would do a bit of recall work in the garden with her first, make sure she knows that if she comes back when called she gets a treat  Then take it from there.

Best of luck with her, she is beautiful

Emma and Indie                    

[Jane S]

Hi Ben

She's very cute but Emma is right - you mustn't over walk her, a mile is way too far for such a baby. A couple of short walks a day combined with playtime and training in your garden is ample for a young pup. A word of warning about extending leads though - they can train a pup to think its ok to always be ahead of you on the lead which can make things difficult when you are aiming to train her to walk nicely by your side eventually

Jane                    

[Magic Star]

Hi Ben

A word of warning about extending leads though - they can train a pup to think its ok to always be ahead of you on the lead which can make things difficult when you are aiming to train her to walk nicely by your side eventually

Jane that is soo true!!  I made this mistake with Indie, now I am having to spend lots and lots of time trying to undo the habit Them extendable leads should carry a warning on them

Emma and Indie                    

[Silver Surfer (indiesnan)]

can i just add to this conversation about extending leads.  they can be very dangerous near main roads.
Ive heard of a few dogs having accidents.    Running in to the road.    .... I think they should only be used in open spaces. And as jane says they encourage your dog to pull.                    

[Gilly]

While we're on the subject of extending leads...one thing i think that's important is I think they could add to a dogs insecurity or nervousness around other dogs.
For example your out walking your young puppy and the lead is extended....you see another dog coming...what do you do??? Usually i see most people reeling the puppy back in. Surely this would add or increase any anxiety. "Why is mum/dad reeling me in?"..."This must be something i should be afraid of??"
I must admit i was a bit cagey about letting Butty off the lead when she was very young....but If i had my time over again I would do it from day one   I think at such a young age they feel the need to follow you and are still very much dependant therefore not very likely to run away
One of the many traits of a cocker is to pull on the lead   so if you start early with heel work while on a normal lead and then recall when off the lead hopefully you should have it sussed...well thats the theory anyway  

Edited to add...I also think that recall is harder if you have young children...as if your pup is off the lead they tend to want to follow the kids...who are always running off ahead (well mine do anyway  ) maybe i should teach my kids recall  
Gilly                    

[Colin]

With both Jimmy and now with Misty I was always confused as to just how long to walk a puppy. I recently saw on the Champ Dogs forum a guide that I found useful. It was suggested to walk the puppy for 5 minutes per month of age , ie 15 mins at 3 months, 20 mins at 4 months and 25 mins at 5 months etc up to about the age of 12 months.

Added to the other drawbacks of extendable leads already mentioned is the risk of ropeburn when the lead extends unexpectedly and you attempt to pull it in. Very painful.

A good alternative to the extendable lead, for use in wide open spaces, is the lunge rein. They are quite good for using to teach recall as well as giving the puppy a bit more freedom if you aren't confident of letting it off lead...... if the puppy bolts for it, you just have to step on the trailing line rather than running after the escaping pup in a blind panic.   You can buy 9 metre ones for £9 on this site.

www.tds-saddlers.com/ProductDetails.asp?PClinkID=2740