Advice from city dog owners??

[Kevin Doyle]

Hi everyone, 

so we brought our WICKED CUTE boy Casey home 10 days ago and he LOVES to play in our apartment and sleeps through the night and has only had maybe 3 accidents in the house.  He doesn't love the outside.  We live in Boston and he really doesn't like the busses and noise.  He will sit and pull back on his leash and occasionally cry when we try to gently tug on the leash.  It seems that he wants to be carried, but I'd like him to be able to burn off more of his energy outside and I don't want him to get the idea that we will carry him whenever he wants as he will be pretty big soon.  It's weird because he does have fun and sometimes want to run.  He loves meeting other dogs and people on the street, but seemingly out of nowhere he won't want to walk anywhere.  Do any of you guys have any advice about how to get him used to walking around the city?

[1xar0x2rcx0li]

My advice is not to let your dog walk on the ground where other dogs have walked before his shots are done. Your pup is pulling back because he is scared. He needs to be socialized to these new situations in a positive way. If he is OK to be carried around, do so until he gets used to the noises and sights, then when his shots are done, he will walk around without a problem. Since you live in an apartment and dont have a safe yard for him to potty in you will have to risk infection for these times, but I would try to keep his ground contact to a minimum.

[Helen&Finnegan]

Hi Kevin,

Congrats on your new doodle! How old is he? If he's just a baby, he'll get used to it in time. Everything is just really scary right now and he's hardly had any time to build up stamina or get used to all the noise, smells etc. I've only done basic training, but if you get some advice from people who are experts at positive reinforcement, you can use teeny little treats to constantly reward him when he's walking on his own and he will start to realize that he gets treated when walking but not when he wants to be carried.
I brought my mom's puppy to stay with me in the city for a week or so every couple of months (we were sort of co-owners) and her first trip to the city was when she was only 12 weeks old. She did exactly what your little guy is doing but as she got older (5 or 6 months) she got much better about walking, the noise etc. My mom lived in a really quiet place so I thought the puppy would never get used to traffic and all the noise but as she got older, she actually really enjoyed it. I think there were much better (or at least MORE) smells in the city than where she normally lived. She loved her city walks! So many things & people to see & smell!
I wouldn't worry - pick him up for now and just give him time to grow up. He's like an infant or toddler right now - and the city is a big, scary place. It will get better!

Good luck!

[Kevin Doyle]

Thanks Helen, he's 11 weeks old. I do give him lots of treats outside when he is walking and having fun. He's actually already gotten better and likes our block I assume because he is used to it.

[Beth Lord]

Congratulations on Casey! He sounds like a winner. Well, I'm a newbie on DK but this is actually an area where I have some experience so I'm jumping in! :-) I'm a volunteer puppy raiser, raising my 3rd pup for a guide dog school and my current "student" is a doodle.

Yes, I agree with the point about exercising caution til your pup has his shots completed. We do not let our pups on any grass or dirt, besides our safe backyard, til their shots are done. We do let them walk on sidewalks, etc unless there is reason to believe another dog may have relieved there.

Socializing a puppy (giving him a chance to experience as many different places, and meet as many people, as possible) is extremely important to the kind of dog he'll become. Just keep it positive and let Casey's reactions be your guide. The goal is to stop before it becomes scary or unpleasant. But if he does show signs of anxiety (licking his lips, yawning, cringing, running away)...don't feel guilty about carrying him. You're his "safe place." We carry the guide dog puppies around like this when they're little and yes, they grow out of it! :-) Treats are a great idea, too, or a toy -- depending on what motivates him. The only word of caution I'd have is -- don't reassure him verbally. That tends to backfire, because the puppy thinks he's being praised for fearful behavior. Just be matter-of-fact and unconcerned. :-)

Sounds like you're well on the way! :-) Good luck!

[BG and Gavin]

My guy used to "throw out the anchor" when he was that age too and we don't live in a busy area. He would usually do this at the end of the driveway, Our walks went like this: we would drag him for the first few block, he would walk like a champ for the next few blocks, then he would drag us home!! It just takes practice and encouragement. I used a squeeky toy and treats to get him moving forward when he put on the brakes.

[shelly]

HaHa I KNEW you were from Massachusetts before I even passed the eighth word... "wicked" gave it away! I have tons of cousins in Massachusetts and immediately recognized the phrase! Tori actually does the same thing and we live in the suburbs... all of a sudden she just freezes and bucks and I can't get her to move and I'm afraid she'll pull out of her collar, so... I pick her up and carry her past whatever is making her stop. Sometimes she can be coaxed with treats, but not always... don't know if it's a smell she's picking up or what.... I'll be watching this post closely!

[Kevin Doyle]

Ha Shelly, I'm from CT actually. Wicked is one of my favorite words, but since I moved to Boston 'm considering dropping it from the repertoire. Thanks for the advice everyone. He gets better everyday. He now actually loves walking around our block, so I'm pretty confident that slowly getting him more familiar with the area will help. He will be 12 weeks Monday ans gets shots Wednesday so I will carry him to the park that is like four blocks away after that. I think when he realizes how much fun the park is he will really want to go. I CAN'T WAIT for visits to the park. He is VERY comfortable in our house and really needs another place to run and burn off some of his crazy puppy energy!