getting my pup to take a walk

[mara]

As the weather warms up, I would like to take my puppy for walks with me.. she fights it the whole way. She seems to have a trail when I take her to the bathroom and very rarely does she want to stray from that. I should mention she is a shih-tzu mix that is about 6 months old.. maybe shih-tzu's just don't like to take walks?

Thanks

[davet]

i am sure there are a few here whol will give you better training advise than i can...we used to tell people dto give the leash to a three year old kid and the dog would soon learn but i think you are going to have to use the coaching and reward, ie use tid bits to reward....wait for othhers to advise but the three year old often worked......

[JMM]

Is she normally our on a leash or is the leash something new?

If the leash is a new thing for her, get her use to it in the house. Tie a string to her collar and let her drag it WHILE YOU WATCH. Increase the length and weight of the string/leash until it is her normal leash. Let her drag while you are there so she can get use to it. The other method I like is to tether the dog to you. Lots of praise and treats for following you around and relaxing, ignore struggles.

If it is just the walking, get out some treats. Coax her a few steps, turn around and go home. Increase the distance by a small bit daily.

[k9Karen]

Allie was very hard to leash-break. She would fight and back out of her collar every time I tried. I finally decided to buy her a harness, and it made all the difference. I think she didn't like the feeling of the tug on her neck.

I agree with JMM, if the leash is new, it will take her time to get used to it, and I like his idea of letting her drag it around until she is comfortable with the idea. Do remember that a 6-month old dog is equivalent to a human preteen (AKA 12-year old), and rebellion is not uncommon. As for Davet's idea of using treats - bribery is a powerful training aid with most dogs!

If all else fails, consider enrolling in an obedience class.

Good luck.