Hi I'm new to this forum so please forgive me if I get it wrong. I have a yellow Labrador Rosie she is 7 months old, I got her at 5 months old. She came from a family that loved her very much but she was just too much for them to handle, She has settled in just fine and she and my older Labrador are the best of friends, sadly she is afraid of the leash not just a bit, I mean ears down run and hide underneath furniture and refuse to come out even for treats. I tried playing with it , putting treats inside it when it's laying on the ground , but as soon as she sees it she runs off I let her see how excited Ellie gets when she is going for a walk but makes no difference. Fortunately we have a very large garden so she can run at full pelt with Ellie for exercise but it's so sad she can't go for a walk with her . I have had several Labradors over the years but have never come across this problem. Please can enyone help me cure this fear?
Hello and welcome to the forum. It sounds like Rosie has made a nasty association with the leash somehow. It may be nothing to do with the leash itself, it might be something like a loud bang that scared her when the leash was nearby, and she associated the leash with being frightened. Dogs do make strange connections sometimes, so it can be hard to work out what has caused it, especially if you know there has not been any mistreatment. Have you tried using a different leash, with a completely different look/smell? Maybe a biothane lead rather than a webbed one. Have you tried a different attachment method, such as a harness rather than a collar? With really deeply embedded fears, it can take a very long time to overcome them. And sometimes simply trying to overcome them can put the dog under more pressure. You could try just leaving the leash out, on a shelf but in sight, for days at a time. Don't try to get her to interact with it, just let it become part of the scenery. Then move it, maybe onto the floor in a corner where she can see it, but doesn't have to get too close. Just keep moving it around, without it being a big deal. If she can cope with that after a while, try having it next to you while you pet her, or while she eats her dinner. Again, not too close to start with, but move it closer if she's comfortable. If she moves away, let her and don't cajole her. Just move the leash back farther away again without comment. You're just trying to get to the point where it's really no big deal, it's just part of your house and she is under no pressure at all to interact with it. Hopefully, in time (and be prepared for it to be a long time), you will be able to hold it in your hand while she eats treats from your other hand, without it being a problem. Then you can start slowly seeing if she'll accept having it clipped on to her collar. Take it at her pace, feeding lots of treats when she's happy with it, but letting her move away without comment if she's uncomfortable. In the meantime, as you say, it would be good for you all to be able to take her for a walk. Are there any safe off-leash areas you can drive her to, so she doesn't need to be on lead? If not, and she walks nicely, you could try wrapping a scarf or similar through her collar? Of you can get very short training leads (basically just the handle part, with a clip) that she may not object to. I hope that gives you some ideas. Best wishes for you and Rosie!
Try just putting the lead on a meal times for a couple of weeks, see how that goes. She may begin to wag when she sees the lead
Hi Janet, and welcome from a human Rosie and her big boy Pongo! Please let us know how you get on. Poor Rosie must have had a terrible fright at some stage but I'm sure you can get her over it. Good luck!
