Let’s talk about leash walking! After all, it’s one of the first things you should be working on with your new Weimaraner puppy.
If you have a Barrett puppy, you have a head start; your puppy was first exposed to the leash at around six weeks of age.
Disclaimer: I’m no leash walking expert, far from it. Below is what I do for Barrett puppies; I’m sharing because it works for me, and I hope it works for you! If there’s another method that works better for you, by all means do it. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please feel free to leave a message below. Thanks!
Today’s case study is brought to you by Miss Zanie (BumbleBee from the 2014 Torque x Friday litter). Zanie is 9 weeks old and isn’t being picked up by her new owner for a few more days. Since I had to run an errand to Home Depot, I thought it’d be nice to take her with me (get her away from mom and littermates, out of the house, exposed to new places and new people, etc…). The Home Depot in Savi Ranch is dog friendly (not all of them are, by the way), so that’s where we went. Below is our little excursion. From start to finish, a little over an hour. Let’s get started:
Prerequisite: Introduction to Puppy Recall. Before you leash break a puppy, make sure you’ve already established some sort of recall so that when you call the puppy (with or without bait), it will come to you.
- Find a place where your puppy has plenty of room to explore. Bonus points for having this place enclosed so your puppy won’t run off on you.
- Clip on a leash, and then step away. Your puppy may or may not be bothered by the leash. Don’t say anything, and don’t step in to help it. Note: For very young puppies (6 weeks old), I use a small leather lead that I normally use for the show ring because it’s lighter weight and easier on a small puppy. By the time a puppy is 8-9 weeks old, a “regular leash” should work just fine.
- Let your puppy drag the leash around. Let your puppy check out the leash and drag it around for awhile. Once it’s used to it, it will wander off without worrying about the leash being attached.
- Pick up the other end of the leash, but keep it loose. Using your voice, encourage your puppy to follow you and then reward that behavior.
En route.
We couldn’t make it past the door greeter without stopping for kisses.
Positive reinforcement for good behavior.
Moving along!
As long as the puppy is moving in the right direction, keep going.
Break time from walking!
Letting the puppy explore her surroundings.
Keep the leash slack when possible.
Keep the leash slack when possible.
Reward for good behavior!
Taking treats from a stranger!
Car ride home.
To recap, keep in mind these THREE things, and you’ll be well on your way to having a leash-trained Weimaraner puppy.
- Pack the bait.
- Make it fun.
- Keep it short.
Cheers!