Walking
Your Puppy
Q:
When
is the right time to start taking a puppy
out for a walk? Since my puppy is so small,
he has to walk extremely fast while I'm
walking in normal pace. Is this normal
or should he be older before I take him
for walks?
A:
Most
puppies do not like to leave their immediate
surrounding until about the age of four
months. You should not force a puppy to
do anything. The first 12 to 14 weeks
are the most important for socializing
your puppy to the sights, sounds and smells
of the world in a friendly, non-threatening
way. In addition, it is important your
puppy has at least three of the series
of four vaccinations before allowing her
to explore the world. Short walks in unfamiliar
territory should begin around the age
of 14 to 20 weeks. If the location is
safe, you can let your dog explore and
lightly hold a light-weight leash, 6 to
10 feet long. To get her used to a leash,
simply clip it on just before her meals
and let her drag it along. Remove it 10
minutes or so after she finishes. Within
days she will associate the leash with
something positive.
I
highly recommend hiring a professional
dog trainer who uses only positive methods
to help you set up a daily training program.
Also, there are some excellent books and
DVDs available to help. Those include
of course, my book and DVD, The Dog
Whisperer . Good luck. |
