How do I get my puppy to enjoy walks?

by Natalie Carrier
(Milford, OH 45150)

I just recently got a 4 mo old puppy who doesn't enjoy leaving the yard. Is that normal?

I have tried praising him and rewarding him when he does follow but it doesn't last long. He usually sits and won't budge until we turn around and then he is practically dragging me back toward the house.

I don't know what I should do? Am I giving up too quickly? Should keep doing what I have been doing?




Hi Natalie
Yes, your puppys' behavior is totally normal! Some puppies take to walks like a duck to water, others don't like it at all.

You definitely don't want to give up, as daily exercise is a must for dogs of all ages, and your puppy WILL learn to enjoy his walks eventually. Actually, then you may wish he didn't love his walks so much as just the sound of the leash will send him into a frenzy of excitement :o)

It's most likely that your puppy is just totally unfamiliar with the feeling of the leash. If he's already four months old but hasn't really been introduced to leash walking, it may take a few weeks to get him comfortable with it.

There's another post in this section which addresses the exact same issue which you can find here, but I will summarize the same points for you. Hopefully they'll be helpful.

• You want your puppy to get totally comfortable with the leash. So, start by attaching it to his collar and then letting him move around the house with it on, but dragging behind him. Of course, you have to stay with him because if it gets caught up on something it could really hurt or frighten him


• Once he's happy with this, move onto holding the end of the leash and just following him around. Inside your house and in the yard, he'll feel comfortable in familiar surroundings so shouldn't have a problem with this


• After your puppy starts to behave as if wearing the leash is quite normal, you can start short walks. Try to make them fun, and always have a stash of treats in your pocket. If he gets stubborn and sits down, encourage him by holding a treat in your hand and letting him smell it. Then start walking holding your hand down as his 'nose level' to encourage him to move forward. Once he's gone a few yards, praise him and give him the treat, then keep moving!


• Puppies generally want to stay close to their 'human' especially when in an unfamiliar place, so you can also encourage him to move if he sits down, by taking a few steps back until you're behind him, then jog past and call his name in a happy voice, he'll probably start to run after you. A retractable leash is good for this.

I hope these tips help some. Just be patient and I'm sure he'll get the 'hang of it' soon enough. Best of luck!