How can i get 2 scared puppies to walk on a leash?
Starting with the leash on in the house is an excellent idea. Then they just need to be slowly conditioned to going outside. You can start by taking them a few steps outside to feed them. You can even have them ‘track’ their dinner by scattering kibble / treats around the yard. Don’t pull them on the leash or ask them to go forward all at once. Just give them short positive experiences outside and slowly stretch them out for a little more time, a little closer to the street, etc. You can even enlist help from friends who would be waiting outside to greet them with treats or toys….have that person/people in your yard at first but gradually be further out into the street so the pups have to cover more ground to see them. Giving them positive, expected experiences outdoors will have them focusing more on those good things than worrying about the bad.
When my puppies are first little, I practice with the leash. In the house, I drape the leash on them and try to call them to me. Outside, I practice in my fenced back yard for about a month before the puppy graduates to the street. I might drape the leash on the puppy and get him to follow me, or drag the leash on the ground and see if he will follow me and try to catch the leash. There are many things in my back yard that scare a puppy, so it is soooo much easier to address, or correct issues when I am in my back yard and not in the street. We just walk laps in the yard and deal with drama as it comes up. Maybe around 3-months-old I might try to clip the leash to the collar, but if there is too much protesting, I drop the leash. They just get better with the leash around 4 to 5-months-old. So anyway, I use the commands “go” when I want to “go” and if the puppy tugs on the leash, I stop and say “wait”. It is my walk and we go as fast as I can walk and no faster. If I want to “wait” and
