# Walking Issues



## LunasMum (Oct 24, 2021)

Hey guys! Looking for some tips on loose leash walking/controlled walks.
Our Luna is 1 week away from turning 4 months, and she is honestly the smartest dog I’ve ever had. Too smart for her own good and our own good sometimes lol.
She has been a breeze with training for the most part, but we’re mainly struggling with her ignoring us more while walking on her leash. She still wants to put everything in her mouth. I know most things are totally normal since she’s still a puppy, but I’d love some tips to try and control these issues while she’s still young.
I’ve brought treats with me (high value to her) and sometimes I feel like that makes it worse since she knows I have them on me. She knows “leave it” and “drop it”, but fails to listen sometimes. (head shake) She doesn’t ‘pull pull’ on her leash, but she definitely doesn’t care about having a little pressure while she’s walking. I’ve tried re directing, I’ve tried a gentle leader, I’ve tried making her sit (which she does, but then right back at it) I’ve also tried to hold the leash close to my side and only walk when she doesn’t pull. 🤯 I guess I’m asking for any life changing advice you can give 😂 or reassurance that consistently keeping up trying these methods, and with her aging, it will get better over time, LOL. Thanks a bunch!!


----------



## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

So many things outdoors they want to see, sniff, and even taste as puppies. It’s a big new world to them, and they want/need to explore it.
It’s a part of their socialization. Pups that miss this step in life, can have trouble adjusting to it later. 
So keeping their attention on us, and them not pulling should be looked at as a long (and I mean long) term goal. For now you
work on short increments followed by free time. Even if it’s just one minute of heel, and 5-10 minutes of free time. Then repeat, and very slowly build up the time they are expected to heel. Even the adult dogs need time to stop and sniff things.

With Vizslas being so smart, we sometimes forget how much they need to experience things, in order to learn from them. They are not a do as I say kind of dog. They are a “Let me try all the options, and see what gets the best results.”


----------



## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

It gets better. She only has two ways to explore an object, by it's smell, and by putting it in her mouth. There are lots of objects for her to catalog.
From this phase, she'll probably go to the phase where she picks up one thing and wants to carry it in her mouth for the whole walk.
You are not going to get a consistent, long term duration, walk at heel from a 4 month old puppy. It's just not going to happen. In a controlled environment maybe a minute or two, not on a walk about.
I personally would not be using a "gentle leader" type of leash attachment on a 3-4 month old. I would have a quality halter on her with a hand strap. In a year's time the gentle leader may be necessary, but not right now. It's to soon. 
Another thing that you are fighting is pure genetics, and breeding. She was born to put that nose to work and explore. It's what she is at her core. Let her be a puppy. Let her have her nose in a safe environment. 
Keep working on the walking at heel and be ecstatic if she does it for more than a dozen steps in a row. That's when you heap all the praise on her, and give her a treat. You will be working at walking at heel, or loose leash walking for the next year or so.
One of the issues that can arise with using treats to effect a behavior, is that a smart dog will very quickly learn what type of a behavior results in a treat being given and then will "perform" those behaviors, negative, or positive, to get the reward. They can train us as well, or better, than we can sometimes train them. 
Let her be puppy to the extent that she is safe.


----------



## Young_vizsla_owner (Dec 15, 2021)

You are not alone!!! I have a 4.5 month Vizsla boy who loves sniffing and biting things every minute of our walk. 

I usually give him a few seconds to sniff or explore and then a gentle tug with a small “whistle” and he usually continues for another bit of a walk and then repeats the cycle again.

I think it’s quite normal as it’s their only time to feel, learn, and explore the world (they are usually inside mines a house pup). Try giving a few seconds and then continue the walk. Once maybe your pup is older she won’t be as interested in every little stick and every little leaf on the walk.

also I try and give my Vizsla some off leash time in a outdoor area/woods if you can. They love exploring sniffing everything!!!!


----------



## LunasMum (Oct 24, 2021)

Thanks guys! I definitely let her be a puppy for sure and as long as it’s not something dangerous for her to have in her mouth, I let her sniff and try out her environment. I just hear so many different opinions from others and want to make sure that I’m doing okay 😂 this Vizsla mom thing is a whole new world for me lol thank you! I won’t put as much pressure on either of us as she’s in her exploring stage! 😃


----------

