First walks with puppy!

[Solo2]

Yesterday, Rollo - 11 weeks old golden retriever puppy - went out for his first walks on a lead - or rather a harness and long lead for the first one. He did brilliantly and attracted tons of attention, especially from men who kept coming over and petting him - which he thoroughly enjoyed (if I were looking for another partner, this might be a great way to attract one!). He was fine around babies/ toddlers/ /dogs/ geese/ women/ children/ swans/ bikes/canoes etc etc. He loves greeting people.

However, this first walk was in a grassy park near a river. He really didn't like the second walk of the day on a proper lead and head collar, along the pavement near our house - which runs beside a busy road. He kept stopping and sitting down or trying to wriggle out of the collar backwards, near the traffic, which had me worried!

I suppose I just keep persisting and hope that training at home and then outside - to walk nicely on a lead - will finally pay off? My DCs were terribly embarassed that Rollo kept stopping on the walk and that I was talking aloud to him! They said every other dog walker we saw was just walking along normally and quietly and why couldn't we do the same!!!

Can someone remind me how long walks should be for a puppy of 11 weeks? Does it count if the puppy isn't actually walking all the time but sort of investigating around a park - ie can it last longer than a 'formal walk'? I ask because I think I may have overdone the time on walks but Rollo was absolutely full of energy in the garden, not after the 'roaming in the park - but certainly after the walk/ stop/ walk/ pick up/ walk along our road!

5 mins per month of age twice a day.

I wouldn't have him on a head collar unless I really had to. I would use a flat collar and lead. If you have to use a head collar take no notice of when he tries to get it off - just keep walking - he will have to follow.

Trust me I think your boys are going to be even more embarrassed by your dog in the future - dogs have a great habit of embarrassing owners

I also would just use a normal flat collar and lead for walking a puppy. What I have found helpful in the past is using an extending lead and if the puppy stops, letting it extend so I can walk ahead and then the puppy will usually just follow on. The good news is, I have found puppies that stop aren't usually also puppies that pull, but I might have just been lucky in that!

Thanks for the tips. Silly me! I meant a normal flat collar round his neck - just called it a 'head collar' to differentiate between this and the harness! Didn't know there was a special thing called a head collar actually

5 mins per month twice a day means only 9 min walks twice a day then. Oh dear! I've definitely overdone this! We were out earlier for about 1.5 hrs - although 45 mins of that time was sitting having lunch in an orchard cafe (Rollo was brilliant and happily greeted loads of people and sat beside me nicely, having some of his own food fed by hand). The rest of the time we did a round walk through fields and near a river. Obviously he wasn't actually walking properly most of that time but sniffing around, stopping, getting his tummy tickled, greeting people, bounding onwards - but clearly this must be way too much! Will I have done him harm by such long walks?

He still seems full of energy again after a nap and enjoyed plunging part way into our swimming pond (fresh water/ no chemicals), though not yet swimming - a bit later on and rushing round the garden. He has puppy class tonight again. He's currently stretched out on the kitchen floor sleeping again and having dreams, as he makes noises in his sleep sometimes. He's really lovely ina real 'doggy' way - all doggy smell, muddy paws, creamy/ sandy fur, gingery ears and intelligent brown eyes that sometimes look deeply into mine - usually just before he charges towards me and leaps into my lap, burrowing his wet nose into my clothes!

45 mins sitting in a cafe is fantastic for a puppy and great socialisation - it will also tire him out big time. All that watching, listening and greeting people - it is sooooo hard for you as you will be forced to drink coffee, relax and eat cake - the great bits of owning a puppy

He will have come to no harm by such a one off long walk at all. (stands by ready to be slated here - but there is a train of thought and research papers being produced that actually restricted exercise is a bit of a myth - and that dogs need exercise to allow their bones to grow at the correct rate. I have yet had the courage to try it though and do always give any puppies of mine restricted exercise as they can be tired out so easily by thinking games anyway)

Thanks Minimu. At the puppy class tonight, the trainer did say not to exercise him too much at all and even just focus on exercising in the garden really. So I won't overdo it. The difficulty is that my twins want to go out on long trips but that means therefore leaving Rollo at home....or I force the DCs to go out on tiny trips with Rollo in tow....or they just have to put up with sitting at an outdoor cafe - something lovely for me but not so good for them!