My eight week-old puppy is terrified of the leash and collar. How can I get him to get used to it?

Question

Whenever I put it on him I have to hold him down and when I finally do get it on he won't budge. He growls at it when I take it off and I am out of ideas. How can I get him to accept the collar and leash routine?

Answer 1

To tackle this, you need:

A leash (Nylon, please)

A collar (Nylon and reflective is preferred)

Treats (Bread bits, chopped hot dogs, or store brand treats)

A confined area

A place to walk

First Vaccinations (NEVER take your dog out for a walk without him getting his shots. That can easily cause him to get parvo or other fatal diseases)

Patience

Your Puppy (He may need to be a little older, dogs that age do not like to leave the owners side)

To start, put the leash by him. While he eats, put it to the side while he plays, and if he investigates the leash, praise with an award and playful praises. Do this for awhile, he'll make a mental connection- Leash = Good, food, attention = Love!

After he has gotten used to the presence of the leash, attempt to put the collar on him (The collar is preferred first). He shouldn't back away when you approach with the leash & collar, since it is a good symbol, and if he does, you need to go back to square one with Leash & Collar = Good training. Once you put it on him, encourage him with treats and praise. He may scratch at it, but keep him busy with play and fun.

Next, after he's gotten used to the collar, put the leash on him and put him in a confined area. Let him drag it around, giving praise and treats when you can. Once he's used to the leash and collar...

Then, pick up the leash and let him lead you. This gives him confidence and understanding that the leash is too keep you together.

At this point, you'll can begin leading him on the leash.

TIP: When walking your dog for the first few weeks, do not leave the yard! Keeping him in the yard for the first few weeks can teach him that just because he's on the leash, doesn't mean he's leaving. This can prevent runaways on the leash. As he grows, be sure to do this once a moth. You should also put him in a confined area, calling him and then praising. This is to easily retrieve him if he gets away from you.

Help with tugging-If he begins to tug on the leash, stop, say "Let's go." and turn around. If he begins tugging again in this direction, say "Let's go." and turn around again. Repeat this every time he tugs, and he will learn that tugging gets him no where.

If this does not work, when he tugs, stop. If he continues to tug, begin to go backwards. Keep going backwards until he stops tugging, and then go forward when he does stop. Once again, this shows that tugging gets him nowhere.

After returning from a walk, praise the dog. Soon, you won't need praise, and your pup will be a good dog. (:

Good luck.

Answer 2

keep his collar on at all times. put the leah on the floor and put some treats around i that he likes. put the leash on him and let him walk around maybe coax him again, with some treats. the key is to let him think the walk is his idea. just hold the leash and dont pull on it, because he will most likey refuse to go. so just for now let him walk around the house with the leash attached but keep an eye on him so he dosent hurt himself.

Best of luck with your new puppy =]

Answer 3

all pups are like that dont worry just keep puting the lead on get him use to it  

Answer 4

My Pomeranian puppy was the same way when she was 8 weeks old till about 10-11 weeks old. The best and only thing you can do, st set up a routine of when you put the leash and collar on. I put on my puppy’s collar the first day I got her. There’s nothing wrong with leaving the collar on a puppy for a few days. The leash is another thing the puppy will have to get used too. You might want to allow the puppy to walk around with the leash attached but you not holding it, just to get the feel of it. Or walk around inside the house with the leash on him. If he won’t budge in the house, try to coax him to play with a ball or toy, you want him to forget he’s wearing the leash and collar and have fun. You don’t want him to think that a leash and collar are a punishment. My puppy would growl and snap when I tried to put on her harness, or take it off. And would drag her feet and chew on the leash when I tried to walk her on leash. Now at 14 weeks she’s a lot better at it. She doesn’t fight when I put the harness on, and she’s gotten used to the leash although she hasn’t learned all the leash etiquettes. If you’re puppy gets really upset, you might want to try using treats once you get the harness on and the leash attached and for removal. Remember to talk to your puppy in a calm voice and go slow. If you go try to just get it on as fast a possible that might be a trigger to it getting upset. I realized my puppy didn’t like things going over her head. I was able to get her to stick her head through the harness by following a treat. If she’s chewing, she can’t be growling and now she’s doesn’t get upset at all.  

Answer 5

He's only 8 weeks old, all he associates it with is something that goes around his neck and might choke him.

Try giving him treats or playing with him. You need to associate the collar and leash as something desirable or something with which comes rewards.

Answer 6

I had the same problem with my dog when he was a puppy.  What we did was we would put the leash on him and let him wear it for the day.  Then at night we would take it off.  Eventually, our dog used to the leash and now he loves walks!!!

Answer 7

Maybe treats? Also when he won't budge leave him by himself for a bit(if you can), he'll get bored being alone & will eventually move(at least that's what I read somewhere). Good luck