walking our lab puppy

[andysharp]

hi ppl

we have a 12 week old yellow pedigree lab. when out walking he is generally fine with myself and partner out with him, but when its only 1 of us he hardly walks at all, just sits down and looks around where we are at the time, have to carry him sometimes to get him started especiallt if he sees the car.

any tips and advice to get him walking when its just one of us thats out with him?

thanks in advance

[Lac241]

Not sure how to help you but my parents have a 10 week old yellow lab and they can't seem to get her to walk with them on the lease yet either! They have to carry her. Maybe he's still too young? I'm sure it will come in time! Maybe try having your partner stand at one end of the road while you walk with him toward them until he gets the hang of walking on the leash with you and then praise him when he does? My puppy is only 8 weeks but whenever I put her on the leash she just tugs in the opposite direction and tries to get out of the collar! She hates it! Aren't puppies fun? :)

[poketmouse]

I started Geiger on small walks around the neighborhood from the day he came home at 8wks, and sometimes it was like pulling teeth! I bought one of those thick padded slip collar/leash combos (he had an affinity for throwing fits and pulling really hard backwards). The slip collar worked well for keeping his feet on the ground, but once he realized jumping and twisting wouldn't get him out of a walk, he started just sitting.
For a little while my bf and I tried to pull him, but he would set his feet and let them drag on the sidewalk (ouch! :eek: ). He was a stubborn pup, and this went on for weeks. Finally, after watching an episode of the Dog Whisperer, we tried a new tactic. When he would sit, I would politely walk back to him, stand him up, and let him politely stand at my side without moving for a minute, then I'd just start walking again. He'd just come along happily at my side, and after a while he sat again. This sit, stand, go went on for pretty much the whole walk, but by the end he just kept trotting along. After a month, he didn't bother sitting anymore.

Some pups get tired or have short attention spans and are less cooperative with walks, but make sure he isn't doing it out of willfulness. When Geiger would sit and not want to walk, he would look directly at me as if to say, "I don't want to walk that way, and you can't make me!" That's when you want to make sure he understands you are in charge and you determine when the walk is over. Geiger would be an absolute terror now if we didn't have the battle of wills early on. Good luck, and I hope your pup just wants to smell the flowers! :)

[andysharp]

once we get him going he is fine!! on the lead he is great, took to it like a duck to water which really surprised us.

maybe its case in time he will learn ,

[Miska]

Hello fellow Lab owner.. :)

What I would do with your young puppy is take your puppy outside and start playing with him by yourself. Let him get use to being a way from your partner. At his young age you don't need to take him on walks.. Remember you have a large breed dog and Labradors are prone to Hip and Elbow Dysplasia. So you have to becareful on what you do with your puppy at his age.. A good rule of thumb on exercise is: 5 minutes of walking per month of life. So No forced exercise, jumping, jogging, field training or road-work, until your lab is 2 years old and the bones are set. When I started to walk Dakota at 4 months old I would use a Halti or a Gentle leader.. When she turned 6 months old I use a prong collar and now she walks like an angel.. :) Enjoy your pup while he's a baby. You'll have your hands full once he gets older and starts to go through his puppy crazy stage.. :)

Good luck with your puppy..

~Melissa