Archive for the tag 'leash'

Ask the French Bulldog Trainer - The Little Frenchie that wouldn’t walk

admin July 7th, 2008

I wonder if you can help, I have a ten and a half week old French bulldog pup. Its not that I have a problem with him, my vet gives him a good rating for his first check, he has to go back in 2 weeks for next jabs. My issue is when I take him out to walk, i get the bulldogedness, no he wont walk, I have a small collar on him (with plenty room) and if I want him to walk i practically have to drag him. I have a lot more experience with boxers, so haven’t encountered this before, he also seem to prefer to poop indoors than out. I realise all this is probably quite normal, however how long can I expect it to last?

We are not doing crate training, he has a open bed, during work hours he is in a large tiled hallway and has plenty space to play with his toys, he is not free fed. A perfect example is today I was at home for lunch for 2 hours as I am every day (we are starting the separation training hence why half a day I am back in the office), I feed him when I got in, 2 hours later despite attempting a walk and playing in his outdoor yard for over an hour he wont poop, however I come back to work for an hour, he’ll poop almost straight away, I don’t punish him for pooping as he’s only a baby and don’t believe in punishment anyway, I am just looking for frenchie specific goals that can be achieved.

In summation, I was hoping to have this under control by the 3rd or 4th month, is this an unreasonable expectation? Also, will he grow into walking and enjoying a walk?

Hope writes -

I’ll certainly try to help - we want to get your little guy off to a good start!

You may not have realized it but you have two entirely separate questions here:
How do I get my puppy to walk on a leash? and
How do I housebreak my puppy?

The second question first: if you’re not crate training, you have a long and miserable task ahead of you. Your puppy will rule your schedule, and you’ll spend a lot of time outside, standing around, waiting until the inevitable finally happens.

I’m not sure why some people are resistant to crate-training. Dogs are, by nature, den animals - most wild canids seek secure shelter in a small space. A crate or cage isn’t a punishment, it’s your puppy’s “room” - someplace to be safe, comfortable and happy. By using a crate, you’re allowing your puppy to be “good” all the time - he has no opporunity to get into mischief. Please rethink your reluctance to try crate training.

Your first question about walking on a leash is actually fairly simple to train. When the puppy is not in its crate (never, ever leave a collar or harness on a dog in a crate), put on its collar or harness. For short periods of time, while you’re paying attention, tie a short string on the collar and play with your puppy, letting it run around with the string trailing. Distract him with a toy or other game if he wants to chew on the string. In time, replace the string with a leash until he’s comfortable and happy with something “hanging” from his collar or harness.

When you go outside with the puppy on collar and leash, let the puppy sit if he wants to. Have the leash very loose - the best way to get a dog to stay where he is is to pull on him to get him to move. As soon as he gets up and moves around, tell him he’s a good boy and give him a treat. You can lure him to you with a treat if you like - praise him whenever he’s in motion. It may take some patience, but he will figure out that it’s fun to go with you. Please don’t drag him along - the more unpleasant the experience, the less he’ll want to go for a walk.

Your puppy is still very, very young. Most puppies have a “fear period” from about eight to 12 weeks. Make sure your little guy has positive experiences during this time and in the future. French Bulldogs may not be the easiest dogs to train, but they certainly are trainable. The more “work” you put in now, the happier you’ll both be in the long run.

-Hope

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Ask the Dog Trainer - Scaredy Cat French Bulldog

gollygear June 2nd, 2008

(This question was posted in the comments section. Please - in the future, make sure to email us with your questions. Do not post them in comments, or we might not notice them, which means you won’t get an answer)

 I have just recently gotten a 5 month old french bull dog, his name is Chase. He is very scared of people and he will not go outside. He was not abused so we can not understand his behavior. I love him very much but, do not know what to do with him. He will bark at night when everyone is in bed but, other than that he stays underneath our bed.

 

What can we do to fix this?

Hope writes - 

Since we’ll never know the cause of Chase’s timidity, we can only deal with the situation as presented.

Chase must learn to cope with the stresses of everyday life. Therefore - you mustn’t alter your normal life to accommodate his shyness. Don’t be an enabler.

Set up training situations. Arrange for someone to come over at a specific time. Have Chase ready, with his collar and leash already on. Chase needs to learn that the leash is a safety line straight to you. Have the person come in and have a short conversation. At this point, your guest should ignore Chase. If Chase hides behind your legs - move aside. He’s allowed to be in front of you, between your feet, but not allowed to hide.

Ask any guests to ignore him - not make cooing baby sounds and lean over him. Small dogs can find humans very intimidating - especially when they lean over. When he’s making progress and can cope with attention from other people, make sure they pet Chase beneath his chin, not on the top of his head which can be another threatening move. If he sits calmly, have the other person give him treats and tell him he’s a good boy - calmly. Break off any training session as soon as you see Chase’s stress level increase.

Treat his successes with praise - calmly. Don’t make a fuss. You have to help Chase learn that there’s nothing to be frightened of, nothing to get excited about, nothing to worry about. Your most important job in this process, which may be a long one, is to make sure that Chase is safe. Any progress you make could be undone if Chase is exposed to harm - even if the event is accidental. If you tell Chase that “it’s okay - say hello!” it better be okay. Should something happen that frightens him, be calm, assure him everything’s okay, and go back to whatever you were doing.

Ignore the behaviors you don’t want, calmly praise the ones you want to encourage. Be matter-of-fact in your training. The process may be a long one, and Chase may never be the life of the party, but with time and patience he’ll come out of the bedroom.

-Hope


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Ask the Trainer - Frenchie Won’t Walk on a Leash

gollygear May 18th, 2008


My Frenchie is 4 mos old. He hates to go outside, especially on a leash. He has gotten better, and enjoys being in the backyard, playing frisbee or catch in a field, etc., but refuses to walk on a leash unless we’re headed home. On our puppy kindergarten trainers advice, we’re using a comfort harness, but we literally have to drag him a long block or so before he’ll start walking.

 

We have tried high value treats, but this doesn’t work. I’m afraid to use a choke collar for fear of damaging his neck, and some high head collars say not to be used in flat face breeds.

 

Any suggestions?

Hope writes - 

Your little boy is showing his “bulldoggedness” early! The keys for training Frenchies (or any dog) are: patience, consistency, and praise.

To get your little guy used to a leash - let him drag it around the house while he’s “helping” you, doing normal household activities. If you’re using a retractable lead - stop. Just hook a light, four-foot or shorter lead to his collar and let him drag it around. Keep an eye out so it doesn’t get snagged on anything and that he doesn’t chew on it.

If it bothers him a lot, start with a short, light piece of string and work up to the leash.

Learning to “walk nice” on leash can be a slow process. The first month with Dax, I never made it past our own front yard! Go out with the puppy on leash and collar. If he’s walking around - good! Let him take the lead for a couple of steps. Then let him know you’re changing direction: “Here, puppy! We’re going this way!” and take a step or two, until the leash has no slack. Stay there. Be patient. As soon as he looks toward you, or makes any move in your direction, praise him! Tell him he’s wonderful. Make kissy noises! Laugh! Give cookies! And take another step or two to take up the slack. Your objective is to walk with your puppy on a loose leash - in the direction you choose to go. You won’t get anywhere quickly at first, but it will be worth it. You want your dog to be happy to take walks with you.

Hope
 

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