It is Kiya's second full day home, and she is already testing me. I have the Kongo to fill with treats, and I have N-Bone rings... But they don't keep her occupied long enough cause she downs them in five minutes tops. I know bully sticks are good... But what about knuckle bones?


Also, she hates her leash, when she doesn't want to move she will just plop down or continue to back up. Is she too young for an easy walk? Or the one that goes around her muzzle to keep her head up? I have left her leash on her multiple times while in the house so she gets used to it. But when we are outside and she doesn't want to move when I do.. We get no where. Even when I have different treats in hand. So I usually end up pickin her up and bringing her in.

Please help

I know that people here have said before that the lead that loops around her muzzle has to potential to cause damage, so I'd steer clear of that one. About the other stuff, I'm no help. Maybe try positive association training with the leash?

I don't know about the knuckle bones, but for the leash at this age it's all about positive association. Try walking backwards facing her using your happy voice to encourage her to you (treats help too). When she's walking around, keep using the happy voice. At this early point, it's okay to just go where she does while trying to keep a reasonable loose leash and gradually work your way into her going where you go. I don't usually begin formal leash training (heel beside me on a loose lead, sit when I stop, etc) until around 5 months. By then they think of the leash as a happy thing, and it makes training much easier.
Also, they have VERY short attention spans when little. If she is plopping down, then she's done with that training session.

Maybe give her a few more days without the lead, let her get used to you being the one to feed, praise and treat her..? Sky and Phoenix have always followed me about like shadows so adding the lead was pretty easy with them

We've always started walking our pups on a lead around the livingroom, up and down the hall and then using it to go out into the garden. We'd use the happy voice too and praised like mad for even a few steps in the right direction

She doesn't need to be chewing on treats and bones all day. She needs more play lol, puppy toys and such. All the treats and such may upset her tummy anyway. I wouldn't worry so much about the chews and more on bonding and playtime. (bones are WAY too hard for puppy teeth, unless she's teething, chewing on them my cause her baby teeth to break). If you must have food involved, I would get a food puzzle toy or and interactive toy for the both of you to enjoy together. Kyjen makes some awesome interactive treat toys.

As for the leash, she's a bit young for walks and such. What I did with Kale was attach the leash to his regular collar, and let him drag it around for a while, never stepping on it, or startling him. He always used to follow me, so I never had a problem with him laying down. The more she is attached to it with positive interactions, the more comfortable she'll be.

You can start putting the harness on her now and letting her get used to it but she should only be going on ten minute walks at this point. Remember its 5min for every month of age. I never had an issue with Karli and the leash, but we used the leash to go out and go potty too. Lots of treats every time she went out. We pull roped with Karli too and that would tire her out pretty quickly. She's going to sleep a lot at this age. To get the kong to last longer, freeze it before giving it to her. Takes longer to get it out.