“Walking” a Puppy
I think loose leash walking is one of the hardest things to teach a dog. They just don’t walk the way we do: comparatively slow, in straight lines, without stopping to check things out. Certainly it’s much easier if you start when they’re baby puppies. No bad habits to change. However . . .
I also think puppies don’t need to go for “walks”. At least not in the sense that we think of walking a dog, which probably seems more like an enforced march to them. Puppies need to go for “sniffs”. By that I mean they need to just explore the world.
Get a longer leash and just let them wander at their own pace in lots of places (of course away from roads or anything potentially dangerous). Try to keep the leash loose and use a harness so they don’t hurt their baby necks if they do hit the end of the line or you need to stop them.
Sometimes they will have a burst of energy and want to run, but usually not far before they slam on the brakes and just sit and gaze at the sky. Or sniff deeply into a bush. Or pounce on a leaf and spend a moment shredding it. Or get scared because they suddenly find themselves in a new place and want to get back to safe home.
Always reinforce them somehow when they check in with you. Then start real leash walking skills at home, in the house where there are no distractions, which is where you should start no matter how old your dog is.
Denise Funtukis
I do not take my puppy or past puppies anywhere public except maybe the sidewalk until they have all their vaccinations. And I certainly do not let them on the grass at the vets. And I never never take puppy or grown up dog to any dog parks. I know a lot of people love them but I think they are dangerous. Even for a great big great dane. My dog plays in his own yard with his friends. or theirs. I know not everyone has a big yard but there are other places for friends to play that are not unknown dog parks. What do you think about dog parks full of strange dogs and strange people. I mean do not know them or their habits or health or temperament. Of either. I do not let my dogs even sniff dogs in reception at vets. They all want to but we do not know why they are there. The dogs. I know why the people are there.
Julie Humiston
There is much more danger (of behavior problems) in not socializing a puppy during their prime socialization window (3-12 weeks of age) than in taking them out in public. Of course you should use common sense. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends socializing puppies after one set of vaccinations and deworming as early as 8 weeks. (See AVSAB.org for their full position statement). And yes, a vet clinic is the most likely place to run into a sick dog! As for dog parks, I think of it like parks for children. There are no guarantees that there won’t be a bully there, or that someone might not get hurt, but kids and dogs shouldn’t live in bubbles either. Also, some kids and dogs are not the rowdy type, and would prefer to stay home and “play chess”. That’s OK too, as long as they are polite and well-mannered when they are out in public.