school run with 4 month old puppy

[reikizen]

just would like some reassurance about my puppy on the school run today. She has come on so much in terms of walking on the lead and not leaping at strangers in the street that I thought we could try the school run. Cue one demented, out of control pup. I feel awful for putting her through what turned out to be an extremely stressful experience that she just was not ready for. Please tell me others have made the same mistake and I am not an idiot!!

Doesn't sound like such a terrible mistake, don't beat yourself up. Puppies do need your undivided attention and time so perhaps it's best to leave her at home for the school run for now.

The only way she will get better on the school run is by doing it more. It is so exciting for a puppy, the more often she experiences it the more it will become ordinary and boring.

Don't walk her for too long, if she's only four months.

Oh don't worry sounds normal to me!

We tried the school run early on with our puppy and it was way too stimulating for him with kids, toddlers, buggies & scooters! He leapt about and was a nightmare.

I listened to aadvice from our dog trainer who said if it is part of our regular routine then we need to get him used to it by sticking at it AND advice from lovely people on here who suggested I wait till he was older to introduce such a highly stimulating experience.

So I did a sort of middle ground - took him on school run when I had the energy to manage and when DS2 needed attention for practising timestables or spellings, I left puppy at home!

He's 7 months now and delightful on the school run!

Though actually I've got into a good habit of leaving 10 mins early so school run walk bit is quiet and outside school gates I do a sit-stay and make him concentrate on me not the hoardes of kids running about. But I only got there by building up my experience of what works and him being older helps

Thanks, I think I will leave it a week or so and try again. It is a massive school (700 pupils) and major roadworks going on outside it didn't help. I am also a bit worried about people pinching her when I tie her up outside (it is next to a park) or trying to stroke her (as she looks so cute and harmless!)and getting nipped. All a work in progress!

If you have to leave her tied up outside, don't take her. Dog theft is more common than you would think.