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Rascal's first walk

1K views 9 replies 5 participants last post by  Fallriver 
#1 ·
Well,it wasn't as bad as I expected but not as good as I wanted it to be. He is eight weeks old(almost 9) and I figured I would take him out for his first walk. That way I can start training him early on. Of course he tried to put up a fight,sit in the middle of the road,and flat out do what he wanted. I looked for a harness for him(not sure if they make any small enough for him really) so I wouldn't have to be pulling on his neck when trying to get him to walk with me. Any helpful tips on how to get him to get use to walking with his leash? I don't want to just keep him confined to his yard or the house. I want him to get out and get some fresh air. We are planning on taking him with us when we go on our hikes and camping,so he needs to be leashed trained. Some helpful advice would be appreciated. I know he is still young...guess I need to be consitant with him and just have some patients. Huh? ;)
 
#2 ·
Really, you should not be walking him out in public until he has completed his set of vaccinations. If you take him out before this you are exposing him to all sorts of nasties including the potentially deadly parvovirus. By all means get him used to the leash but do it in your house and yard. It is better to be safe than sorry.

When starting leash training, bear in mind that puppies don't understand the concept of going for a walk or being put on a leash. It is all new to them. What I would do is take the pup into the back yard and allow him to drag the leash. Now you want to detract his attention away from the funny thing dangling from his neck by playing with him, treating him, whatever. The idea is for him to get used to having it clipped on. Once he is ok with dragging the leash, pick the leash up and bait him to your side with a toy or treat --whatever he likes the best. Walk along in a straight line offering lots of praise. Do this for no more than a minute or two. Finish the "walk" with a treat or a throw of the ball. Practice several times a day and he should accept the leash in no time.

I'm sure you already know this, but as you plan to take him hiking, you should be vary careful about the lengths of your hikes until he is fully grown. Overexercising a Lab pup in the first year or two can have a bad impact on the joints. With breeds like Labs that are prone to joint issues, it is sensible to stick roughly to something like the '5 minute rule' --5 minutes of exercise per month of age.
 
#5 ·
Yup, he will need two more sets after that one..... about 3-4 wks apart. I know it is a long wait.. I have another month to wait until Rowan has her third vaccine.. but I don't want to jeapardize her health in any way.

The backyard time has been a good time for working on leash stuff and getting to know her better.
 
#6 ·
Just thought I would add that you can start the socialization process from the get go. You can invite other dogs round for playdates, allow people to pet the pup, take the pup to peoples houses, etc. etc. providing the pup doesn't come into contact with unknown dogs before it is vaccinated. What you shouldn't do is take the pup for walks just yet.
 
#8 ·
Nope...parvo is a horrid virus...and your breeder should have already had two sets of vaccinations on him (unless he was from a BYB). usually the protocol is 6, 8, 11, 14 and then at 24 weeks for the rabies vaccination. So, Rascal is a shot behind. You can and should take him on car rides...but don't allow him to walk in public areas until he is done with the vaccinations at 14 weeks...actually in your case it will be 17 weeks.
 
#10 ·
TAKE HIM OUT! First off, parvo has a low mortality rate and the hardest hit puppies come from pet stores and puppy mills and certain susceptible breeds such as Rottweilers and Am Staffs.
Second, I euthanize a dozen dogs a week due to problem behaviours due to lack of socialization. Socialization should take top priority for your puppy. Once he has had his first shots, take him around your neighbourhood, but avoid areas with heavy dog traffic and feces such as off leash parks.
You only have until 16 weeks to socialize that puppy, then the window of opportunity closes and whatever he wasn't exposed to he will be fearful of for the rest of his life. If you wait until 16 weeks to take him out, you may end up with a fearful or aggressive under-socialized dog.
Please, take your puppy out to as many places as possible starting today...avoid feces and he will be fine. Listen to your vet, you were given sound advice :)
 
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