Does anybody else have to retrain their dogs to walk properly on leash in the spring?

[Discussing Labradoodles & Goldendoodles]

I live in Saskatchewan,Canada and it gets too cold out to walk the dogs for about 4 months straight if not longer.It gets like -40 celsius here and stays that way.My dogs are great on walks but after the four month gap where we can't go out it seems that i have to retrain them all over again for the first couple of weeks.Does anybody else have this problem?

[Adrianne Matzkin]

yup! Charli is excellent on the leash always but Ms. Perfect, Samantha, needs to be back on her Gentle Lead Harness again. With it on her is wonderful, the minute I take it off she needs to be in front of Charli and I. As soon as the weather stays consistently over 50 we will be back to work.

 

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Yep Yep Yep.  But it seems easier than the year before.

Another theory of mine is that the dogs have been so bored that  they are extremely excited about this long lost thing called walk.  Pulling, running,  sniffing--OH LOOK SQUIRREL, smelling, pulling, running.  Who peed here, who lives there, what was that noise, oh look someone pooped here.

For that matter, I was pretty excited to go on our first walk too.   

[BG and Gavin]

It hasn't been minus 40 here, but here is a pic of me and Gavin at minus 20!  It's all about layers! lol!

[Adina P]

Don't worry...it's nowhere near as cold here and I still don't go on walks in the winter if it's below 40 degrees (positive degrees not negative ones!)  Unless it's just beautiful and sunny out.

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

Sorry BG, I am not buying that it is YOU under all those layers!! LOL!!

[BG and Gavin]

You are not the only one - when I stopped in at our local convenience store, the owner opened the cash register and started handing me money! lol!

[Taylor & Huff]

Are you Serious BG?! hahaha:)

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

Hey that's one way to pay for the doodle supplies!!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

You would scare Vern with all those layers :)

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

OMG such a good Doodle Mom ...... Not me!

[Adina P]

"Use it or lose it" applies to training.  Although it should just need a brush up.  It might help to expect the same kind of leash walking anywhere you take your dogs on leash including PetCo/PetSmart even if you can't get out for a long walk.

[Brenda F]

We are in central Alberta so we suffer like you do.  This winter has been especially hard, I think Pepsi went almost 2 weeks without a decent walk.  Usually there is a day or so of reprieve, thanks to those wonderful Rocky Mountain chinooks, but not so much this year.  Anyway, the weather has smartened up here a lot and so Pepsi is pulling me all over!  The unfortunate part is that with the melt, the sidewalks are very very icy in the morning so there is major risk of falling, or they are very very slushy in the afternoon!  I almost like cold better because the snow just falls off and we don't have to deal with the slush.  Today I threatened him with the gentle leader, which he hates.  I may have to resort to it so that I don't end up with a broken limb.