Puppy hates collar and walking

[junior9]

We got a 7 week old German Shorthair. He recently discovered the fun of the out doors and now loves to be outside(think is has alot to due with the temp...smart dog).

But he hates his collar...when you put the collar and leash on him, he is an entirely different dog. He will not play or walk around...he will find the nearest place of protection and stay there...like his kennel. When we go outside with it on...he won't move....locks his paws downs and pulls.

What should I do....I know he is young and hope that it changes with age, but I am starting to get a little worried. Should I drag him and hope he starts walking or just wait a couple of weeks and try it again? Treats don't work either, I don't think he understands what they are yet.

[CASTnBLAST]

Check out page 19 of these posts "Heel No!",Setterguy gave me the right tip that worked for me.7 weeks is a bit young to expect much but I think dragging them by the collar is the last thing you'd want to do...good luck!

[gspman]

junior9,

He's just a pup and it's not uncommon for pups to go through this. My first pup had similar behavior. Take a 2 phase approach. First introduce the collar and then introduce the leash.

Put the collar on him and leave it on him all the time. Over time he'll get used to it and forget that he has it on.

When your pup gets used to the collar then put a 3 foot piece of rope on the collar and let him drag that around. He'll be stepping on it and getting it caught on things which will jerk him a little bit. Pretty soon he'll be used to that too. Don't be jerking or pulling on him with the leash yourself as he'll associate you with the unpleasantness. Just put the cord on him and let him go. When outside just stay near him so he doesn't get to the street or something. When inside keep the cord on too and just keep an eye on him.

The original Gun Dog Training Pointing Dogs video has a great section on introducing the collar and lead. If you can find this (public library???) video I'd watch it.

Good luck,

gspman