Leash Training?!?

Franklin has NEVER used a leash I never bought one for him and he has always been very good about not running away...The rare time we had a problem is because there was a bunny in the yard for his night time pee. BF bought Franklin a new bed, collar and leash..But he WILL NOT walk on the leash. I wonder if part of this is because we dont use a harness on him (hes a miniature dacschund) or because we have never used one before..So any advice on how to get him to start walking him on a leash? We have a lot of farm area and a creek near our house but cant walk him down there without a leash because of the road. And do you think we should get him a harness instead?

Patients, patients, and more patients.

It's a frequent issue with dogs when they are first learning that they will freeze and not realize they can go forward. I wouldn't worry about getting him to heel right away, but just to move freely on the leash.

Try throwing balls & treats to get him moving around.

You do NOT need a harness for your dog unless he has a neck problem. Harnesses are meant for pulling & that is what they do! I honestly don't know who has been going around telling people to put harnesses on their dogs but they deserve a smack upside the head!!! They don't put choke chains on sled dogs ...


If there is a pulling problem the proper equipment is a halti (head stall) or TRAINING; but that's shouldn't really be an issue with a dac!

I was worried about whether or not it would hurt his back having the leash attached to his neck...So far its been just randomly putting it on him and letting him walk around..But I have had to use it today because we got the cats generic Da Birds to play with and he was going around like a sumo wrestler knocking the cats around trying to play too..LOL...But I took it off because after having a DUHH moment I didnt want him to associate the leash with no playing or anything like that...Haha..Now if only I could get him to realize that mommy doesnt want to be the loofah dog doctor...Haha So far one has been "under the needle" to get fixed and it was just bought yesterday!

Tat's a good point about his back, but with some proper training you shouldn't have an issue with him pulling and in which case there is going to be no issue with pulling on his neck.

I'm not sure what most dac owners.

I'll be leash training won't be that hard though, it's easy enough to get them excited about a walk. If I can get two bouncy border collies to settle down and not pull before going to visit their best-buddies across the street to go for a run/play WITH a baby strapped on my back; you can handle a little dac!!

Yes, use a harness. I think all small dogs should be in harnesses, but especially Doxies. It doesn't have to be anything special, just get the pressure off of his neck. Dachshunds are so prone to back and neck problems that you don't want to risk it. Even if he doesn't pull there could be an accident. I've never seen a Dachshund on a leash without a harness. If he pulls you can get an anti-pull harness. They work pretty well.

I think you're going about the leash training properly. Just let him drag it until he's used to it, then when you go for a walk just keep a light hand on the leash, don't pull or try to guide him at first, just let him walk with you following, holding on to the leash. He should get used to it fairly quickly, especially if you make it a very good thing, with lots of treats all around.

LOL he loves his treats...LOL All I have to say is bacon and he comes running..LOL...This should go pretty good we are going to wrok on it tomrrow while Im home

Yes, use a harness. I think all small dogs should be in harnesses, but especially Doxies. It doesn't have to be anything special, just get the pressure off of his neck. Dachshunds are so prone to back and neck problems that you don't want to risk it. Even if he doesn't pull there could be an accident. I've never seen a Dachshund on a leash without a harness. If he pulls you can get an anti-pull harness. They work pretty well.

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If the dog learns not to pull it won't hurt it's neck or back. Using a harness just allows a dog to misbehave IMO. Anti-Pull harnesses don't do anything either, I see dogs pull with them on all the time. It's better to just teach your dog simple obedience, Sit, Stay, Lay, Heel, rather than simply allow them to pull against themselves.

I would start by putting the collar on him and getting him used to wearing a collar. After he is used to wearing a collar 24/7 then I would introduce the leash. I would start by just letting him drag the leash around so he realizes he can still walk with the leash on, then I would introduce actually holding onto the leash and getting him used to the fact he can only walk so far away on it.

He wears a collar all the time and the only time it comes off is when he gets a bath. So that wont be a problem..Im getting ready to take him outside with the leash and see how he does. We are going really slow with it because hes a p.i.t.a about change and we have to go slow introducing anything new or unfamiliar to him..We dont use a leash around the house because hes always been allowed to just run and go and he listens when we need him to come back and he never goes far. The leash is only so I can walk him down to the creek to look at the fishes and so I can get him exercise in the warmer months because I dont want a fat dog..My BF father has a mini weenie too and shes so huge her belly drags on the ground. Not only is it unhealthy for the dog but its painful for her back too. I just want Franklin to stay nice and trim and healthy for his breed and not get porky

Best of luck!!

Just don't pull on him if he stalls, that will only make him fight back . Encourage him forward or let him just take a minute and wait him out. Dogs WANT to run & play so letting him stand still for a few minutes isn't a reward.

DON'T pick him up & carry him unless he's in a dangerous spot, that IS rewarding him .

I'm with those who are saying don't get a harness. Dachsies are my favorite breed and I've had more than a few over the years (we had seven in the house at one time ).

Leave the leash on and let him drag it around the house a bit. Once he's happy with that take him outside hold the leash so it's loose but he can't trip on it and make a game out of him following you. For instance pat your leg and say "let's go" or some other command for him to associate with the game then chirp some noise to get his attention and take a bouncy step away from him. If he follows praise him like there is no tomorrow and do it again. Change directions and do anything that will get his attention from wiggling your fingers or patting your leg or skipping, then stop. If he stops with you praise him to the sky or even pop him a treat or whip out a toy and play with him. Then put all treats and toys away and go again. Make lots of turns in lots of directions so he doesn't know which way you are going to go and don't forget to say "let's go" every time you turn. If he tries to go a different direction give a gentle tug on the leash and make yourself VERY inviting so he will follow. Do this a few times and he will be excited to see you get the leash out and won't pull when you walk him.

Right now the leash is on hold. Franklin literally dug his heels in and would not go to the bathroom or nothing with the leash so we are going to give it a rest for the winter because Im not walking in the cold. Its bad enough taking him outside in the snow. But quite honestly that dog reads my mind I would go near the door where we hung the leash and he would run away. So we just kinda put it on the back burner to work on more in the summer when its warmer and we can actually go for walks around. Right now he is getting plenty of exercise inside playing ball and running back and forth outside to BFs garage to play out there and help carry tools!!! Maybe Ill have better luck after he is fixed this winter and gets some of those hormones and craziness out of his system

Turn getting the leash on into a fun thing. Take it off the wall and go sit in the living room with it a little ways away from you. Make sure you have a handful of his favorite treats handy and where he can see/smell them. For the first few times let him just come and get the treats where he can see the leash but not so close that it's a bad thing. Gradually over a few days move it closer and closer so that he has to get his treats right beside it. Next, hold one end of it and, while you feed treats let it touch him. Gradually over several days (or weeks if he's a real silly about it) work your way to attaching the leash before you give him the treats.

Feeding the food will provide a natural calming effect as well as make having the leash on a positive thing in his eyes. By going very slowly you won't stress him out. Dachsies are funny little critters but their love of food can conquer a lot of fear.

Franklin does love his food..But not enough for the leash! lol As soon as you grab that thing he is off under the bed and wont come out. Its like he knows its a restriction for him to run and play. We are next to a road but we have TONS of yard and space for him to free run. Which is what he does right now. And the weirdo loves the cold we have had problems getting him to actually want to come inside now. He wants to stay out and play and run around. As long as its not freezing outside we will let him just go and play and run around. The only reason we got the leash was so we could take him down to the creek thats near our house but being winter we wont be going down there till summer. So for now the yard will be enough for him to run around and play! But once it warms back up we will be working with the leash more by then Ill be getting him a harness too.. BF got Franklin a vanity choker collar (its his bling bling) so I wont take him out on a leash attached to that collar, I dont like them but since we never touch the collar except to take it off for bathtime I let him get it for him.

Originally Posted by 3CatsN1Dog

BF got Franklin a vanity choker collar (its his bling bling) so I wont take him out on a leash attached to that collar, I dont like them but since we never touch the collar except to take it off for bathtime I let him get it for him.

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You have to careful with any kind of slip collar. If it gets stuck on anything on the live ring, he'll be strangled for sure. Slip collars shouldn't be left on all the time. You could maybe somehow disable the slip feature (welding the rings together or something), but leaving a live slip collar on a dog is just asking for a strangulation accident.

Ill have to get BF to take it out to the garage and weld it together. I never thought about that because we dont mess with his collar at all except at bathtime the weirdo LOVES his collar and freaks when you take it off of him. He actually tried to steal is auntie weenies weenie beads last night!

Haha, yeah, my uncle had a Dalmatian that HATED when anyone took off her "necklace". She was a funny dog.

I think he gets so territorial about his necklace because we constantly tell him how pretty his bling bling is and how sexy my baby wee wee is in his manly necklace. When we say stuff like that he just prances around like his poo doesnt stink! Its adorable! Im going to get him a "vanity plate" at Petsmart in the shape of a doggie bone with his name on it to put on his collar just to add a little more bling to his necklace..lol.. Now if only I could get the cats to wear collars but if I try to even put them on they freak out and wont have any of it!