I live in a very remote area, and my dog, who’s 2 years old, has never been on a leash. I tried putting a leash on her once, but she got really scared, started pulling, and even tried to bite the leash. Getting a collar on her was tough too—once she realized what I was doing, she wanted nothing to do with it. After that, she avoided me for a day or two and looked at me with distrust. I’m worried that I might traumatize her with leash training and not make any progress. Any tips on how to approach this?
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If she’s this anxious, start with very slow conditioning since she’s unfamiliar with the leash. Begin by holding the leash near her and giving her treats, then hide the leash and stop the treats. The goal is to create a positive association: leash = treats and praise. If she’s nervous, keep the leash farther away and gradually bring it closer as she becomes more comfortable. Try this near her mealtime, using her meal as treats to avoid overfeeding. Once she’s okay with the leash, start by simply putting it on without holding it, and give treats before removing it. Gradually extend the time the leash is on, letting her drag it around, and then progress to walking indoors, in the yard, and eventually outside. Adjust the pace based on her comfort level.
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We walk with pronged collars, and they are helpful. Our 105-pound puppy is easily handled by my wife. I don’t know of a name brand; perhaps someone knows about one?
I live in a very remote area and have a 2-year-old dog that has never been on a leash. I tried putting a leash on her once, but she got really scared, started pulling, and biting the leash. Even getting a collar on her was difficult once she realized what I was trying to do.
Afterward, she avoided me for a day or two, looking at me with distrust. I’m worried that leash training might traumatize her and won’t be successful.
Any tips?