New to this forum - glad I found it. May have been discussed previously; and I am known to miss things - 2 questions - 1) Best leash for a lab pup? I am more wanting to use the harness around the front paws/chest. Not a fan of the choke collar/cranking on a neck type thing. Thoughts on the best leash for training the puppy to walk with me, not in front of me. 2) Is it common for the puppy to walk the first couple of times then one day use "sit in style" protest and just drop - lay down and refuse to walk? After a few minutes decide she is cool with the walk, start moving again (until the protest starts up shortly after)? This is why I am asking about leashes - what is best. Thanks!
I love the Grippy Lead - it has a number of loops all the way down it's length, so you can alter the length just by using a different loop to hold. You could keep your pup close, or give her more length to allow sniffing. They even do a puppy/small dog version using narrow webbing. We have 2 of them - a 5-loop & a 6-loop one. http://www.grippyleads.co.uk/shop/ I've heard that the refusing to walk you describe IS normal for puppies, but I've only had adult dogs so can't add any experience.
Welcome @PastorSteve. My puppy is 6 months old. I have a Perfect Harness which fits around her chest and front paws. It has a D ring on the top and at the front. I attach a Halti lead (double ended) to both D rings so her neck is completely free. I like this combination as I can hold the double ended lead very loosely but have control when needed. Also my puppy Red has recently taken to dropping down and not wanting to move on walks I have been following advice here on the forum - to not give her any attention when she does it, look away and wait until she is bored. I am quite happy to do this. When she starts to move back into a loose lead walk, I treat her. Some walks she does it quite a lot, other times not at all.
Hi @PastorSteve and welcome to the forum. Not much to add to the above but we use a harness on our Bailey - he initially hated it and would not move at all when it was put on - but I started back at basics with desensitisation and now he is fine - I have used various harnesses but always make sure they fit him comfortably and are padded so they don't rub him when he is walking and running. I only have the back fastening ones but I don't mind not having a traditional heel position - I am happy when Bailey is walking on a loose lead to have him next to me with his head just in front of my right leg. Now at 16 months old he walks really nicely next to me with a check in every few minutes. Bailey only lays down when there is another dog approaching as he wants to say "hello" and he seems to assess the oncoming dog from laying down, then he decides if he wants to say hello or not - it also gives me time to assess both the dog and the owner. Bailey is not allowed to say hello to all the dogs he would like to but we do have a lot of laying down on some walks! What is your pup's name and how old? Do you have any pictures?
Welcome to the forum How long are you walking your pup for? Some sit down just because they're tired. Maybe walks have been a little long in the past... Some just don't want to go too far from home. Make sure walks are enjoyable, not too long, are at the puppy's pace, and involve time for sniffing and lots of treats As they get bigger and more capable and confident the stopping usually comes to an end.
