By Camerons
Date 06.11.03 09:49 UTC
Hoorah! Alfie and I can finally go out for proper walkies now he's all vaccinated. I think I'll start off in the park and build up to busy pavements, etc, even though he's fine with busy areas when in our arms. Any tips at all?
By bluebird
Date 06.11.03 13:22 UTC
i inititally alternated with walks along quiet roads to get my puppy gradually used to traffic and to the lead, and walks on the beach where there are no roads at all, to get a good response to recall while she was young enough to want to stay close to me.
she learned to respond to her name and my whistle and/or 'come here' command. i then let her meet other people and dogs whilst on a flexilead to check her recall. and we went on busier roads as her lead walking improved.
now she is barely 4 months old, and i alternate between road walks, beach walks, large grassed areas, woodland walks, walks through the golf course [hedgerows], countryside walks and the parks. sometimes we walk from home and sometimes we go in the car to reach the walks. i personally thought the park/s too stimulating initially as there would be too many distractions and temptations so i would not have had her full attention.
now she has excellent recall, is brilliant on the lead [started out with a harness, now she doesn't pull on either], she takes no notice of the biggest and noisiest lorries/motorbikes etc, and is well socialised with other dogs [playing or saying hello, then coming back when i call her]. she has also come across pushchairs, people on bikes, horses, shopping trolleys and learnt to take them in her stride. it was a gradual process and i'm very proud of her :)