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Socializing Your Puppy With Wearing a
Leash
Getting a
new puppy is such an exciting time… and
also a big project for humans! Young
puppies in particular need to learn
every single thing “from scratch,”
ranging from housebreaking to obedience
to even simple things such as wearing a
collar and leash.
Young puppies (under 16 weeks of age or
so) usually aren’t yet finished with
their vaccines and therefore shouldn’t
yet be walked all over the neighborhood
or spend time visiting public places
where lots of people and other dogs or
animals spend time. However, it is still
very important to socialize puppies with
a variety of stimuli while keeping
exposure to potential diseases at a
minimum, and without question, becoming
comfortable with a leash and collar is
important so your dog will be ready to
go “out on the town” when the time
comes.
Begin by getting your puppy a
lightweight collar. Usually, a cotton or
nylon collar with a quick snap (instead
of a buckle) is the easiest to deal
with. Be sure to purchase a collar that
is size-adjustable so you can make it
gradually larger as your puppy grows.
Let your puppy sniff the collar and act
like it’s a very positive thing. Then,
put it on your pet and spend some time
playing dog toys with him so you can
distract him from thinking too much
about the collar. It is best to avoid
attaching any noisy tags to the collar
at first until your puppy gets used to
wearing it. If your puppy seems upset
about the collar, try to engage your
puppy in a “normal” activity so he won’t
stay focused on rolling around and
trying to get it off. Most puppies are
fine with this. If you practice this for
a few minutes each day, your puppy will
likely become comfortable sometime
within the range of a few hours up to a
few days.
Once you’ve worked on the collar
socialization and your puppy is
comfortable wearing it, it’s time to add
a lightweight leash. At first, simply
let your puppy drag the leash around a
bit… don’t try to “direct” him at first.
Once your dog seems comfortable with
this, next work on holding the end of
the leash in your hand and just
following your puppy around. As he
becomes better socialized with wearing
the leash, you can then start to direct
the puppy by using lots of
encouragement, play and maybe even a
treat to get him to follow you in the
direction you wish to go.
Some of the most important aspects of
these exercises are to keep it fun, use
lots of patience and don’t let your
puppy’s antics result in you taking the
collar and leash off. If he rolls around
and “fights” with the leash or collar,
do your best to distract the puppy with
toys and don’t remove them until it’s on
your terms… not as the result of his
upset. Never attempt to soothe your
puppy by petting and using a sweet voice
while he’s acting upset. Instead of
feeling soothed, he will feel as if
you’re saying “good rolling and
fighting.” Gently tell your puppy “No”
if he acts upset, and use the praising
voice and petting when he’s more
accepting of the situation.
With a little practice and lots of
patience, your puppy will soon be
socialized with wearing a leash and
collar and will be ready to go on walks
when the time comes. Remember that you
can practice leash walking indoors with
fewer distractions, which will make it
easier when you do head outside. These
tips can also be applied to socializing
your puppy with other things as well!
Article written by Lori Verni
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