How to coax Cassie to follow me on leash

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Cam Atis
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How to coax Cassie to follow me on leash

Post by Cam Atis »

Hi! Here's my 1st challenge. HOW can I coax my 10 wks old pup Cassie to follow me - she's always reluctant to follow me on new territories and seems having second thoughts in following my lead. She will do a sitting position to prove her point. I would carry her just to move her quickly.
BUT if she is given enough time to explore the new territory or area at her own term & time (which is forever :lol: " her" minimum: half hour of observing) I'll find that she is most willing to follow me around. However, sometimes, if she decided not to follow my lead - she'd SIT and plant her butt - even on familiar area.
Once familiarized on one area - like the kitchen or driveway , she will be playful with us -. Outside of these known worlds, she goes nosing around, "tiptoeing" around the perimeter. She will never bound out of the area until she is absolutely sure it is "safe". She's taking her time. :lol: Always cautious yet confident & NEVER tail-tucked-in-between-hind legs kind of fear.
Is her behaviour just typical for a chow pup? How can I coax her to follow me on new territories?

P.S. My golden Lab is already positively excited to meet Cassie, Princess knows there's a new pup on the house she can smell her. Blue (mini pin-toy terrier mix) however is jealous. Only Blue is allowed to meet Cassie as of yet - but with their first encounter Blue got cranky and snapped. He's not allowed to greet as of yet. But he couldn't care less.
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TyChowgirl
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Re: How to coax Cassie to follow me on leash

Post by TyChowgirl »

Find a treat or a toy she loves and bring them with. Pull out whichever you have and ask her to "come". Reward. Repeat. I had the same issue with Ty plopping. Eventually to be truthful, I just dragged him, because the treat or toy wouldn't work after a while. She may very well be testing you out, seeing your boundaries. Just in the last two months have I not had the problem of trying to coax Ty inside the apartment building, whereas before he would start plopping again. And before that he had stopped for a while. So trial and error. This past time I had started using the collar and leash instead of the harness on our short outings and he was more willing to follow if he had no real leverage. No there's no difference. Good luck!
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Cam Atis
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Re: How to coax Cassie to follow me on leash

Post by Cam Atis »

Treats! will try to do that. although fried chicken skin and bacon is out already from the menu. She is not into those so much! What dog or pup can resist such tasty treat? Answer: Cassie.
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Re: How to coax Cassie to follow me on leash

Post by Judy Fox »

She is still a baby chowling and love and patience will do the trick. If she is nervous simply carry her then put her down and stoop down and discuss with her what she is seeing. they coax her to walk a little and if she gets a bit overwhelmed - pick her up and cuddle her again and so on.
In no time at all I bet she will be trotting ahead of you with her big baggy knickers wagging - thinking the world is hers. :lol:

At ten weeks she is only a little girl. :x
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Re: How to coax Cassie to follow me on leash

Post by Rory's Dad »

I have a similar but opposite problem. Rory is a puller. He cant wait to get to whatever he sees on his horizon. We also have a trolley run, and he just rambles around when on the run. But on leash, he pulls in whatever direction he wants to go. Work in progress, but I have taken to just stopping cold and not moving at all. Theory is that he pulls to get there faster and if I stop, he will realize that behavior actually takes him longer.

I agree with the treat, repeat theory for loose leash walking. We went through his normal training treats, which he ignored completely outside. We used a different treat for outside, which seemed to work for about a week, but then he ignored them as well. I know there are those that dont like to give the chowlies human food (and until this Chow, i was among them), but Rory will follow anywhere as long as there is a bit of cheese ahead of him. He still pulls a bit, but once he sees me reach for my coat pocket, it stops. On the down side, it also seems to distract him from doing his outdoor 'business'.
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Cam Atis
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Re: How to coax Cassie to follow me on leash

Post by Cam Atis »

Cheese ? We have cheese here, but it is the kind some call synthetic rubber. example brand: Eden Cheese. Made of vegetable oil. I wonder if she'll like it, I will try it as a treat for her. Real cheese is rather expensive esp the blue ones - but they are smelly.

Oh! last night I let Cassie roam around the garden alone (no other dogs) as I have more time in the evening to wait around her, WELL... she got to walk around and later I let the golden Lab out, but Princess got sent to her doghouse after she played rough with Cassie. Cassie got my cue almost immediately! She'd calmly do a down position when Princess approaches. Coz that' what I made her do when Princess came. AND this morning, Cassie is progressing, is running around the yard she had explored last night. Now I am having trouble calling her to me coz she would just walk a few paces towards me then decide she has better things to do than come to me. :D :D I think she is rather intelligent, but has a stubborn streak as shown by her obvious defiance when she hears my call to her. She'll look at me then thinks. :roll: hahaha.
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Cam Atis
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Re: How to coax Cassie to follow me on leash

Post by Cam Atis »

THE CHEESE DID NOT WORK! Blue ate it with gusto, but not Cassie. She just sniffed and lick my hand, BUT NOT THE CHEESE. Has anybody has a suggestion to a picky chow pup as treat? I like to give her a treat that's worth her time so she'll come to me when I call her. I just can't think what. SHe don't like to play ball, but she is mesmerized by a leaf or newspaper. She enjoys my rubber slipper so much as well as the curtains :-x
Progress Report: She frolicks outside the house now. Only area she hadn't explored is the area fronting the house. It has a lot of steps (terraces)
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MissV
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Re: How to coax Cassie to follow me on leash

Post by MissV »

Hey Cam,
Try sausgaes or pilchard fish to get her to follow. Also, keep her close, dont walk too far up ahead.
I actually disagree with dragging a 10 week old pup behind you. If you drag, walking wont be fun for her and she will resent it going forward. I have seen this with many of the dogs ive worked with.
If she doesnt want to walk, dont force the matter. Keep walks really short, and really fun!
If she doesnt respond to food in training, use a toy. My puppy wasnt very fond of food either in the beginning, but boy-oh-boy! there wasnt anything she wouldnt do to get her teddy!!!!

Good luck! and please post more photos!
Pure is the heart of an animal - Evil is the heart of man...
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TyChowgirl
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Re: How to coax Cassie to follow me on leash

Post by TyChowgirl »

I guess I forgot to mention, the walking wasn't the problem. It was ending the walk he would do his plopping, which was fine I guess if I had off of work and all day to coax him (which never worked). That's what I did what I did. And he got the message really quick because he didn't particularly liked being dragged, which was the last resort because he was too heavy for me to pick up and he'd also roll sideways so that he'd be really hard to pick up. (He always had this mischevious twinkle in his eye too, like a kid by a cookie jar...)Also, the walks were definitely long enough lol. I probably walked him longer and more often as a spritely young pup than now, because he doesn't have so much pent up puppy energy to deal with. You're just going to have to try out new things. Ty was stubborn with treats too, but I was lucky he had a love for cheese. Does she like canned food? Buy a few smaller ones and open it, then wave the can in front of her nose so she gets a wiff. Then after she follows and comes with you for a bit, give her some to taste off your finger and remind her to be gentle. Repeat. When you get back inside, give her the rest. It's worth a shot../shrug
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Re: How to coax Cassie to follow me on leash

Post by Rory's Dad »

Cam, you mentioned the selection of cheese in your area, and that may be a problem. Have never met a Chow that didnt love it, but plasticy, rubbery imitations may not work. Rory prefer white american cheese, but i guess thats not an option in your neck of the woods. Keep in mind too that most dogs, and chows in particular, dont care to work for treats if they are not hungry a bit. I split my walks in the morning. First up and we head out for a quick walk. Treats work very well on this walk as he has an empty tummy. Then back in for breakfast, 10 minutes to relax and back out for the business walk. This is where he gets really picky on what will work as a motivator. Some mornings the cheese is good, other times he chases leaves just like you describe. Some days a real hearty good boy is sufficient. Be prepared with a pocket full of options and some positive energy until you get to read the signals.

And dont forget, your Chow is still very young. He is taking it all in and exploring his world. For now, that may be way more exciting than anything you offer as a treat.
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Cam Atis
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Re: How to coax Cassie to follow me on leash

Post by Cam Atis »

I shall be trying sausages (vienna or frankfurters) , she ate the sliver of pepperoni from my palm but she is not going gaga over it in fact she ignored the second slice - thus she didnt follow me :-(
the rest went to Blue again. I shall be using Rory's style of doing walks when Cassie is still hungry.

I let her out for one hour twice a day off-leash so she can get the hang of the surroundings. She can't wait now to get out - she'd squeeze her plump body in between the door and jamb - very clever and funny.. And she has this habit of running after our shuffling feet and...nips. BUt when I have to call her to follow me - once leashed - she have her own schedule.

Now, my quest for the perfect treat. I shall be buying some real cheese at a local shop catering to Europeans. It's got most kinds of imported cheese and sausages. I have in my fridge mozzarella. I'll try it if Cassie will like it this afternoon.

She likes milk a lot.
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Cam Atis
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Re: How to coax Cassie to follow me on leash

Post by Cam Atis »

THE MILK DID IT!
Cassie followed me all the way to her food bowl. She just finished her ration then I let her out, we were outside for her to do her thing. After 30minutes or so, I show her the glass of milk and oh-oh she followed me as if under the milk's spell!

Well at least she followed me. :-)
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Re: How to coax Cassie to follow me on leash

Post by Rory's Dad »

Nice to hear Cam...they all have their own little triggers. Wish they would just tell us up front and make the game a whole lotter easier.
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