August 12, 2024
I adopted a Miniature Pinscher a month ago and I'm struggling with loose leash walking, any suggestions?
Full Question:
Hi Cindy, About a month ago I adopted 10 month old intact male Min Pin. For the past month I have worked on just like trick training for fun and stuff like that to build a positive relationship. He is exceptionally food motivated and catches on to things very quickly. However I'm really struggling with loose lead walking (flat collar). He is very inquisitive and has a ton of energy. I don't have a large yard for him to run prior to working with him. Should I carry him to the park and exercise him on a long line (let him run) or try to insist he walks on a loose lead on the way over? I feel like I'm asking for a bit much (he has improved significantly in that he isn't acting like he was just shot out of a cannon anymore) but it's just very difficult to hold his attention for more than 30 seconds. Any suggestions? I'm not really used to this having had mostly Border Collies for the past 16 years.
He's a good guy, I'm just not really used to having a dog who is so small and so impulsive.
Cindy's Answer:
The more experience I get with dogs the more I "pick my battles". Since you've only had him for a short time, why push him for something he's not quite ready for? I have a Chihuahua now and when I don't want to put her in a position to practice the wrong behavior I simply pick her up. I see nothing wrong with setting him up for success, so I would probably carry him to the park and let him run on the long line and then pick him up and carry him back home. :)
I also have an 80 lb male German Shepherd so it's kind of weird having a 4 lb dog as well. She's gotten pretty good at riding tucked inside my jacket on cool days or simply being carried but like your new dog, she's got a lot of food motivation, energy and drive.
Just continue working your loose lead walking in a low-distraction environment for now and let him settle into his new home completely.
I also have an 80 lb male German Shepherd so it's kind of weird having a 4 lb dog as well. She's gotten pretty good at riding tucked inside my jacket on cool days or simply being carried but like your new dog, she's got a lot of food motivation, energy and drive.
Just continue working your loose lead walking in a low-distraction environment for now and let him settle into his new home completely.
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