How to get puppy to move when lead on?

[MadameCastafiore]

As it currenlty sits and shakes - is very nervous although is loved dearly - we have had it since Saturday and it is fab - only 4 wees in the house and now goes outside all of the time, it isn't interested in our food and so far only chews what we give her for toys.

I know she will probably still poo somewhere awful and destroy my kitchen but my biggest problem at the mo is to get her to walk ont he lead - the big day for being allowed out in the world is Monday and I would love to be able to take her for a little stroll to the end of the road and back.

Buy some puppy treats, or cut up some cheddar or sausages into pea sized squares, put her on her lead then when you walk along, call to her excitedly and tempt her to follow with a treat in your hand held next to your leg (and say 'heel' a lot, so she begins to associate the word with staying close to your side). Keep feeding her treats as she moves forward until she gets the idea. You could start off doing that in your house and garden, and then when it's time for the big bad world, hold her in your arms and keep talking to her reassuringly until she gets used to things, then put her on the ground and start up with the treats and praise.

We got our pup a week past Monday and it took her a good few days before she took to the lead. I put a light lead on at home and let her drag it behind her to get used to the weight. Then used one of the retractable ones in the garden a few times. Gradually she has got more confident and now walks all the way to school on the lead (about 20 mins)

She did not start eating well until the last couple of days.

How old is your pup?

Our puppy (now 7 months) did exactly the same thing when we tried the lead out in the back garden. The distraction of a new location (local park) and switching to a retractable lead completely solved the problem.

I would suggest just gentle encouragement and not giving in really.

Much like a baby screams when it's born and has to wear clothes for the first time, so a dog objects to wearing "clothes" (a collar / lead) - it just needs showing that it's no big deal and is fun when you get going

Gentle verbal encouragement is all that's needed to egg it on - treats will only make it expect food for everything it does and end up in a fat dog!

Good luck!

Our puppy doesn't like the lead (mind you she's not that keen on being off it either). When we take her out a walk its takes up half our time to get her to move. She does what she has to do then sits down and looks at you as if to say "if you think I'm going any further then your wrong". She is generally a very lazy dog but don't expect her to go a long walk in either the rain, wind, cold or dark!!