The Chinese Shar-Pei Information Forums and Discussion Group

hi, i have my first shar pei, he's now 12 weeks old. I have always had dogs, and am very experienced with dogs of all breeds, but i have never had this problem before.

Basicall Ozzy has been with me since he was tiny (he had to be hand reared). He has been great with house training, will sit, will leave things if told (small kids = small toys round the house which he has had to learn not to eat!), but he will not walk on a lead.

around the house, he will follow me around. he will come when called if he's not in the same room, though he doesn't come when he's in the same room (perhaps doesn't see the point?). He will actually run off if he thinks i actually do want him.

if i put the lead on he just sits down. normally with any other dog i have done lots of excited encouragement, tasty treats etc.. and try to encourage him to come forwards on the lead.

I do not pull at all i leave the lead loose.... all of that.

however, Ozzy doesn't care about food. I have tried cheese, ham, sausage, dog treats of all sorts, but he really doesn't care much.

any other ideas??

Welcome aboard, we would love to see some pics of the little one

Have you tried just leaving the lead on in the house when he follows you, without you holding it. Also just before he eats, pop it on and let him wander to his bowl with it

I had a similar problem with Leia as a pup about the same age. She didn't want to leave the yard. I had to carry her away from the house and she would hurry back to the house. No amount of pulling would convince her to walk away from the house. After about a week or carrying her outbound, she got the hang of it. Mine aren't interested in treats when on their walks. They are useless for training unless they are in the house or yard. I put a leash on MeiLi at 8 weeks and she walked like a real trouper. I have found that these dogs have more idiosyncrasies than any other breed. Try taking him to an interesting place and see how it goes. Good luck.

Wow! I never had a dog that wasn't a total food whore. Have you tried a new toy? If your pup won't work for a treat, maybe a NEW! toy would work. Also you might try hooking the lead to your belt--if the pup follows you around anyway, maybe the lead attached to your belt as you go about your chores won't bother so much. Also if excited encouragement isn't working, try the matter of fact hook the lead to your belt and get on with the chores thing might work.

thanks! I have tried leaving the lead on, but he actually just sits there looking like he doesn't believe he can move with it on. So, it also doesn't work to try and get him to follow me with the lead on.

I will try a new toy, he is quite into toys, though definitely not food. I too don't know many dogs who aren't into food either! I am a vet so I have known a lot of dogs!!

I will go on the intro page and put a bit about myself and some pictures of him on there!

There are at least several of us here that have had the same problem. Pei get incredibly attached to their homes and can take a fair amount of convincing to leave them. Icarus didn't work with treats or anything either. I finally said screw this and dragged the little bastard He caught on very quickly after that and now can't wait for walkies. Good luck! You may just have to do exactly that and give him what I have termed the "tug of encouragement".

yes i think i might have to.

i was hoping he would just follow the other dog but he isn't bothered to.

this evening i have tried the toy and we managed a few steps, so fingers crossed that tomorrow we can do a little bit more.

Your pup was ill did he spend a lot of time in a crate?- He may not realize his world has expanded. When my dog came to me as an adult she would not move off a simple blanket it took a lot of time to work with her to remove the psych barriors. Usually if you need make the pup a little hungry in order to encourage - some take the entire feed for the day and withold it for use during training only. It is commonly referred to as Nothing in Life is Free.You said your pup isn't food motivated - Your may need to add a B-vitamin(that will encourage appetite) How does your pup handle raw bones -Have you tried any yet?
Or Raw meat pieces - I would experiment with say stinky stuff more like liver, sardines to see if smell makes the difference.

A few steps is better than a poke in the eye! it is a start and maybe the little guy will get so used to taking a few steps that one if these days he will forget that he doesn't want to go. How about an unfamiliar dog that is friendly? Maybe he would follow that one? Or have two toys, when he stops walking for one, put it in your pocket and pull out the other. The old switcheroo. I have no shame as you can see.

After those first few steps and then the resistance...pick the puppy up and carry with you for a bit, then put the puppy down and try again...keep going away from home and repeat as needed. Go abit further each time..praise/pet with each success....you will find that it will work. Any training takes time AND patience. The rewards are endless.....

Good luck ..keep us posted..

sassy:

oscar sleeps in a crate. he was never actually poorly as such, by the time he was 5 weeks old he has been treated like every other puppy i have ever had, he is in a crate if i am out of the house (never for more than an hour or 2) and overnight, but the rest of the time he is loose in the house or garden, and he comes to work with me every day, and sits with other dogs behind reception (some days there are as many as 5 staff dogs in! luckily they all get on really well!).

it's just that now he is fully vaccinated I want to start taking him out on walks with the other dog, and he's getting way to heavy to be carried (he is now nearly 20lbs in weight).

And whilst i am willing to agree to disagree, i do not give my dogs raw bones to eat. I used to with the older dog, but then I had to remove a fragment which had perforated his intestines, and I have swore never to do so again. I also don't think they are very good to have around the house with a 2 year old litttle boy who thinks anything the dog eats is worth tasting!!

I am just having a cup of coffee and then I@m going to try and take them both out together, hopefully he will be more keen today, as we have been managing a few steps indoors on the lead.

fingers crossed!!

Goodluck! You never know when something you've working on will click in. What a great feeling of accomplishment when it does, too! Just keep at it.

pah! not much luck yesterday, we will try again today! i have the kids home so hopefully all of us going out will encourage him.

on a plus side, he has learnt to fetch this morning, and is being very good at giving back a toy. BUT he did chew yet another one of the kids toys. I think they need to learn to stop leaving things on the floor, I'm trying as hard as i can to keep small toys out of his reach but they seem determined to let him eat something inappropriate!

progress is being made, if a little slowly!

i have bought a chest harness so i can safely drag him a bit, and we get a few willing steps, then he plants himself on the floor, so i drag a bit and he will walk a little more etc... oddlky enough he is quite happy to walk on it when he realises we are nearly home and walking up the driveway.

Like a horse to the stable I have one that doesn't pull except on occasion and is a doll. I have a front lead harness on her. However when she is interested in something and I and the other dog try to walk on, she plants all four paws and is an immovable object. And I mean immoveable! She puts mules to shame. The only way to get her going without giving in, is to either take a treat out and encourage her in a silly high pitched exited voice or without the treat, slapping my thigh in another high piteched exited voice. If one doesn't work, I try the other. I can usually get her to take a few steps in my direction-- then once she has moved we just continue. She is the most mosey Parker I have ever seen. Shenhas an intense interest in people coming in and out of doorways, in an out of cars, walking down the street, the sound of children, papers blowing in the wind, birds, squirrels, any open garage ...you get the picture.

i so wish that treas and squealy voices would work with him. i swear he just sits there and says "what??".

honestly this dog just really cannot be bothered with leaving the house/garden at all. even at puppy training he refuses to do anything whatsoever.

I have so far tried to reward him with biscuits, pieces of fresh meat, various dog treats, pieces of bread, cheese, a squeaky toy, sat on the floor calling and trying to get his attention. nothing. jus tsits there waiting for me to give in.

he is not deaf, he will come when called in the house. he is just the most single minded dog i have ever had!

he won't follow the kids, he won't follow me and he won't follow the other dog. today i tried using a lead coupling to walk the two together and hoped that his friend going alongside would encourage him to go but i just ended up with the other dog dragging ozzy along in stead of me!

and ozzy isn't nosey about anything. even around the house he just can't be bothered with very much. he and the other dog have a mad half hour playfighting every day, but otherwise he just lies around, sleeping or chewing. that's it. doesn't bark at the door, though he does follow me from room to room, which is why i originally thought it wouldn't be so hard to do this!

Wow, sounds like you have one stubborn little pei there! LOL! I'm sure he'll eventually come around. Very determined though in his peace of mind to stay at home.
Keep up the battle and eventually maybe you'll win the war and he'll be out there walking every day. I must say the harness is much better for "trying" to get him to walk.
Can't wait to see pictures of him as well as your other dog. What breed is the other? Feel free also to post pictures of yourself and even that cute little 2 year old you've spoken of. We love to see pictures and be able to relate to who we are talking to.
Welcome aboard the forum and I do hope we hear lots from you.

I had some similar issues with my pup, I have found she does better with a harness, she didnt like it when the collar tugged at her neck and pulled her skin/wrinkles over her eyes, she walks better with the harness now but she is the same as yours, as soon as she knows we're close to home she is skipping happily towards our driveway, I think they are just nervous still at that age and are a little scared while on walks, maybe thats where the reluctance to put on the leash comes from. I think as they get more used to walking it wont seem scary anymore, then walking will be easier.

Apple (13 weeks) is at a standstill on her lead training/walking. When we go out for a walk, she will walk about 1/2 block and just sit down. I can tug her, and get her moving, but if she gets into the mode of "mule" she continues to walk (a few feet), sit, and stay. Now one thing that will get her moving, is someone walking down the sidewalk, she wants to run after them. (literally) I have never seen a dog/puppy that is so in love with people. She is the absolutely friendliest dog I have ever seen. That is great, and I am happy about her friendliness, but so many distractions, she is not really making much improvement in her lead training. I hope she will outgrow some of this and that she will begin to be a great walker like Peaches was. Please tell me this just takes time.

That is awesome that she is so friendly! Satch is the total opposite of Apple, when she sees someone coming down the street she gets very growly and barks at them, then I have to correct her behavior and tell the people "dont worry! shes just a puppy!" she refuses to greet strangers.. our last Pei was so wonderful with everyone, and was very well loved in our neighborhood, unfortunately this girl is very different that way - I'm slightly concerned that she might continue this behavior into adulthood

I'm sure Apple will learn to walk well on her leash all in good time..they all have their little quirks as puppies

Peaches was 11 1/2 and I lost her to kidney disease. I cried my heart out, I never knew if I could move on, but time is the great healer. She spoiled me rotten such a great dog in many ways, she was a little standoffish, but warmed up with folks when they offered their turned hand to sniff. Some people she never got used to, she would bark at the cleaning lady every time she came here, and that was so weird? Little Apple is in "LOVE" with everyone, she meets no strangers. NONE. lol

I am sure that little Satch will be fine, like you said they all have little quirks. One thing that I have in my pocket (always) is the Greenie, even though I don't allow her to have it in the house, it is the very best thing to get her moving on the walk. I have it tied to a string, and dangle it in front of her and she starts following it. She will follow it all the way to the house, then when we get inside I let her nibble it for a minute, then take it away, as I am not at all comfortable with allowing her to eat those things, but gosh, it is great to get her attention, she loves it.

A picture of my dear departed Peaches, I miss her so much!

I'm so very, very sorry for your loss, I entirely feel your pain.. Peaches sounds so much like my adopted rescue dog "Wrinkles" whom I recently lost, she was only 5 years old and passed away due to complications with an autoimmune disease. She was such a wonderful dog like Peaches, absolutely sweet with everyone, even people that were scared of dogs loved Wrinkles, she suffered so much pain in her life yet she always had so much love to give, she was a sweet soul. It sounds like her and Peaches were a lot alike, I think of myself as lucky to have been able to get to know such a great soul, even for a short period of time.

I know that no two dogs are ever exactly the same, but one day I hope to adopt another rescue dog like Wrinkles, I'll be waiting for one to come along.

For now I have a feisty pup to keep me occupied!


Wrinkles
2005-2010

Hi Wrinkles,

I am so sorry for your loss. I can absolutely understand. Our Pei's looked a little alike.

Oh my, my....you and I do have a lot in common. Seems we both lost our beloved Pei companions in 2010. From your description of Wrinkles, she and Peaches had lots in common. Sometimes I think she (peaches) is looking down at me when I am huffing and puffing trying to keep up with all the "Apple episodes" that constantly control my day and Peaches is snickering. Peaches was so easy, she had me spoiled rotten. lol

Now we have these little balls of endless energy and joy, and of course challenges. I let her sleep with me and she is the most lovable little thing in the mornings, what a way to start the day, I wake up to this cuddly little gray baby. I love that.

Lead walking is dragging along, she has developed a habit of sitting down and not budging which has me perplexed. I only walk her around the house here on the sidewalk, as her final parvo/distemper shots will not be completed until 16 weeks and we have to wait to be safe. I wonder if walking her in a different area will help? Maybe she is bored? lol

Yes, waiting for the final shots takes a lot of patience - my vet said that once they have the 2nd set of shots they are pretty safe to go out, but its always best to wait for the third shots to be 100% safe. The frustrating part is at this age its the most crucial time that you socialize them with lots of people, other dogs, and EVERYTHING in general, but if you are restricted because you are waiting for their last set of shots .....? I have been taking Satchel to quiet areas of the river and different trails where not many people or dogs pass by so shes pretty safe from germs, she also LOVES the river area and trails which makes her run crazy and tire herself out, (maybe an area like that would be good for Apple?) though I also walk her around our small quiet neighborhood where pretty much everyone has a dog, but most/all the dogs in our neighborhood are owned by responsible owners so I trust their dogs are very likely vaccinated. Back in the day I never knew about waiting for all sets of shots and I always walked my dogs in busy populated areas when they were like 8 weeks old, and nothing ever happened, but still better safe then sorry I guess! At the same time I'm not going to risk not socializing Satchel just because she doesnt have all her shots, especially because shes such a suspicious stand-offish Pei, I dont want her under-socialized, she really doesnt want to go near stranger dogs or people, even if shes off leash she will just hide behind my legs and growl at anyone or dog that comes along
Apple is so cute, I would probably have to let her sleep in my bed too! Satchel sleeps in our bed sometimes, but shes very independent and sleeps just as easily on the floor without a fuss, so mostly I leave her on the floor since I try not to spoil her too much. I love Apple's super-wrinkly manatee looking face, those are the cutest faces, with the big snoopy. I want my next pei to look like that

in the UK we can finish our 2nd shots as early as 10 weeks, and then take them out at 12 weeks.

Oscar is still not walking properly on the lead. it's a real pain. I have to take the other dog out without him for a proper walk as we just get nowhere fast.

I am taking him to work tomorrow with me, and I'm going to spend my lunch hour trying to teach him, when it can be just one to one, as otherwise i have got at least one other dog, if not 1 or 2 kids under 5 to manage too.

he is getting HUGE though. about 35lbs in weight now, and he isn't quite 4 months yet.