New Corgi help!

[newcorgiowner]

So I picked up the two pups last night and they are just about the most adorable things in the world. As I speak they are both laying on my bed, one chewing on a pigs ear and the other playing with a puppy kong.

Anyway, I just had a quick question about walking them and leashes. I know that they are puppies and that their job is to be aloof. I expected this. When I take them out for a walk (I take each one individually) they just kind of sit in the grass. They'll run at my feet in random bursts of energy but otherwise they'll just kinda sit there and look at me.

I think its the leash that is causing them to stay still. They seem to really not like it. One fights with it every chance she gets. How do get them used to the leash? Is it just a matter of time or are there steps I can take to help them get more acclamated to it.

[glencorgi]

They need to be leash trained. Perfectly normal response from a puppy the first time you put on a leash. At this point don't try to really walk them. Attach the leash to their collar and let them drag it around. This helps them get used to the weight of the leash and it being there. Second step (and this is where you may have to throw all dignity aside and not mind being viewed as a complete idiot by your neighbors perhaps ), take some really fun soft treats with you - cheese is a good one; hold the leash in your left hand, cheese/treat in your right; stoop into a good Groucho Marx posture, let puppy smell the cheese and you begin walking backwards coaxing the puppy along with the treat. To get her motivated - in your best happy, upbeat voice call "puppy, puppy, puppy" to get her attention and for motivation. As she follows you along after the treat - throw in lots of "good girls, good puppy" and give her a bit of the treat and lots of praise. When she stops or balks, and she will - she's a baby puppy with a very short attention span and easily distracted; coax her with the treat and begin again.

Puppies shouldn't be aloof, they should be curious, inquisitive and pretty much into everything. Now with you getting the two litter mates, *you* probably aren't going to be as interesting as if you had just the one puppy. They still have each other and are used to the security of the bond they have shared all their lives.

With the two puppies, I will caution against leaving their collars on when you are not there to supervise. During wrestling type play, it is possible for one puppy to get their mouth under the other's collar, twist it and not be able to let loose resulting in the other puppy being strangled. This has happened with adult dogs also and collars needing to be cut off. In the worse cases, the strangled dog has died. So that's just a head's up.

Lots of patience, keep the sessions short, upbeat and fun and they'll catch on real quickly.

Debbie

[darci]

Good advice Deb.
I wanted to add Egan wasnt to keen on leash walking either then I started walking him and Darci together and he was having so much fun he forgot all about his leash. LOL

[Chip's Mom]

I tried walking Chip and Maybelle together on a leash. Chip being leashtrained and Maybelle not. We had a free for all. Chip was more concerned with taking Maybelle for a walk himself and Maybelle wanted to chew on Chip's leash. I ended up being wrapped up in both leashes. The dragging a short leash around the house really works good. That is how I trained Chip.

[PocketsMom]

Pockets still is broke dog when we add the leash. The other dogs have taken to walking hm when he has it on. This weekend will be our first big outing with leash all day. I am taking him to my family reunion tomorrow. Let him jump around in Lake Huron a bit!

[darci]

Awww Penny you guys have a great time. So glad Pockets is getting to go with you.

[newcorgiowner]

Thanks guys for the suggestions. I just took them to a local elementary school and let them run around the soccer field with their leashes on. They seemed to get used to it after a couple of minutes and had a good time. Occasionally, they would stop and chew their leash, but I distracted them and took the leash out of their mouth.

It was great, I would run 10 feet away, pat my thighs and say "come here" and they would both come sprinting happily to me. I tried a couple of times to stand in front of Gizmo and encouraged her to come but she seemed pretty disinterested in that, so I will give them so more time. Next time I try I will work with them alone.

[CorgiMum]

That's great progress!

I started the leash draging with mine inside the house, and then in a fenced yard. I had visions of a new puppy catching site of something more interesting than me and making a run for it across the field.

When I'm actually training I work with only one dog at a time, giving them each a turn with my full attention.

[darci]

Wooo hooo for your progress........
When they loose their attention span remember you can use treats to peak thier interest. But Like Debbie Said short traning sessions with young puppys are best.
I am dying to see pics of your sweeties.

[CorgiMum]

Oh yes, pictures please!

[Shelly]

My pup has only gone through 2 obedience lessons and is finally getting with the program on leash training. Prior to that he either sprinted way ahead of me, or I had to drag him, or he'd zig zag in front of me trying to trip me up. Most of the time I'm also walking my older corgi, not so easy for me. As Debbie said, with dog on leash, take a few steps back, call puppy and when it comes give it a treat and praise it (we also use a clicker). When the pup seems to be coming to you for the treat with your walking backwards, turn forward and walk with the pup a few steps at a time while treating. This seems to work for my pup for training and when I'm taking actual walks on a long walk outside of the yard I don't bring the treats but praise every so often when he walks beside me with the leash loose. It'll happen. Remember, they're babies. ~Shelly

[newcorgiowner]

Okay, something else I noticed when I took Gizmo out a little bit ago. Her stool seems to be a little loose and has a light brown color to it. Matti has normal, firm looking stool which is what really brought it to my attention.

They were dewormed again yesterday when I was picking them up so I am wondering if it might be a bit fo a reaction to that. I noticed it yesterday too when I took her out but didn't think much of it because I hadn't noticed Matti's was normal looking and I just figured it was a normal puppy thing.

The food is the same as the stuff the breeder was giving them (Purina Puppy Chow) and I haven't had time to really introduce new things to her like treats or anything else. It's not runny or like diherea per say, just a little loose with a uniform discolor. Should I be worried at this point? My fiance says that I am worse then a new father.

I'll have pictures of the pups soon, my family and friends are calling for them too.

[newcorgiowner]

Alright, picture time.

In the group pictures Matti is the one on the left with the dark blue collar and Gizmo is on the right with light blue