Hi, 11 week old lab shuts down once harness is put on and will not walk with it. He gets really down and starts shaking when applied. Walks can be unpredictable, might walk then pull up and go again if someone is walking up ahead. Any ideas in ways to help him get used to it. Have tried leaving it on for a few hours a day and treating him when he walks with it and when putting it on?
I has some problems at first but not with shaking, just didn't like putting it on and he didnt really understand the walkies side at that age. Would just try to get away and when i finally get it on would stand there but i just kept doing it- i put it on a few times while he would have his food- i also had the skidding as he tried to stop and lay down with legs spread. I did get quite stressed for a bit but then then realised he was only 11/12 weeks and what they are learning everyday is huge, they dont know something uncomfortable then make something as exciting as a walk so it does take a while as they adjust to these new scary things that have never done. A few things i did was I have a bit of grass opposite my house in cul de sac and would take him over there but stop sit and treat at the kerb them cross on command (same as what i use to wait for food), get to other side and let the lead trail and engage him as he's by your side and clicker train and treat, he will stay by your side and keep eye contact - simba learnt quickly to walk by my side as he would get a high value treat-keep doing that and sometime hold the lead. If he toilets praise as simba took a while to toilet outside of the garden but it will happen, just takes time. They are experiencing a lot and it's overwhelming from them. There's alot of really helpful things on here and that where i read about walking off lead and most dislike the lead but now at 20 weeks he walks fine on the lead, bit of pulling but training in progress and where ever possible I walk him off lead so can stand on the trailing lead if i need to, or training lead -wet and muddy isn't fun though. If it's busier or more dogs o tend to take a rope and ball so can engage him while you walk, take time and practice but gets easier and find silly things to do. This site ha been so helpful-i would have never considered walking a dog off the lead and I trust him, he come straight for whistle as I whistle trained him and did that in the house along with so much intresting info
