Hello my puppy can start going out for walks next wkend can anyone recommend how long and how often best to walk him please X
Hello there, here is an article that might help: http://www.thelabradorsite.com/labrador-puppy-exercise-how-much-is-too-much/ The other thing to consider is that your puppy won't be able to walk very well on a lead at first - they don't know how to walk on leads, and you have to teach them. If you do this properly at first, and they don't learn to pull on the lead, it saves you a lot of time later. You can start working on this in the house and yard before walks start.
please do put the work in now, before you go out - from someone who struggled with a 16 month old, 28kg dog who had no lead training! (no anything training). At 21 months he is getting there...sometimes. You really will benefit from early efforts.
In time I recommend the harness setup. I started with a slip lead at 9 weeks (when not off lead) then went to a martingale collar. Mine was a good walker on the way out but sensing home he'd start pulling and no amount of stopping and/or offering food incentives made a lick of difference. He'd pull so hard he'd be gasping for air. Concerned for trachea damage I went to the harness setup. Not only did I have less worry with his injuring himself but it made heel training much easier. The only downside is putting it on. Sometimes it's a challenge but once on I can walk him slack lead and think about other things.
Here is an video, @Kelhump, on good harnesses - for a young puppy, you want a back fastening harness. Nothing that prevents your puppy from pulling using mechanical force.
When Lochan was little I taught her to walk to heel in the house and garden long before I put a lead on her. Worked really well and to this day she is the best at lead work of any of the dogs I have had.
Ok thankyou you all for your advice I will try Murphy on lead in house now and see how he reacts with it!! May look into getting a harness X
That's a good idea, @Kelhump - what your dog has to learn though is 'walking together'. He has to learn to walk with you, at the same speed you walk. The lead just stops him from going too far away, but when he is a bit strong dog if you use the lead, it will be very hard work. If you teach him to walk with you, then the lead should stay slack between you.
Thank you did try him on lead he wasn't to bad did find it little more interesting to bite it Will keep trying everyday so he gets more used to it and thanks Julie will also have go at walking together!! X
To help him get used to the lead you could clip it on indoors and let it trail as he wanders around or perhaps during a short training session.
