Leashes provide us with a means to communicate and control our furry friends.

I love leashes!

But, not all dogs or puppies love leashes…at least, not in the beginning.

How Do You Deal With a Puppy or Dog That Doesn’t Like Leashes?

One of my veterinarian friends just got a puppy that hated her collar! She spent close to 3 weeks throwing herself on the ground and scratching her collar.

I understand.

I probably wouldn’t want something around my neck and to be pulled around, either, but leashes are a necessary evil when it comes to dog ownership.

So, what do you do when your puppy or dog hates his leash?

The worst thing would be to avoid it!

Life is full of having to do things we don’t want to do.

I never understand when I have clients who say “my dog doesn’t like X, so I would never make him do X.”

Really?

I don’t like getting up early.

I don’t like paying my bills.

I hate taxes…

But I have to deal with all of those things.

Please don’t avoid everything your dog doesn’t like. Instead, it is best to get him used to it and teach him how to deal with it.

What I want you to do is…

PUT THE LEASH ON HIM ALL THE TIME!!!

I’m serious.

I want you to put his leash on him in the house and let him drag it around for a bit.

What most puppies and dogs dislike is being pulled around.

By allowing him to drag the leash around for a bit, he gets used to it being on and becomes desensitized to it.

Once the puppy gets used to dragging the leash around and is no longer bothered by it, you can begin picking up the handle and putting some pressure on the leash.

If you are clicker training, and I certainly hope that you are, you can click and reward.

Once the puppy is no longer bothered by a little bit of pressure, you can begin adding more.

I like taking my puppy outside with his leash on. I can pick the leash up or let the leash drag as I play with him.

If you have an older puppy, or an adult dog, and they are unwilling to walk on their leash, be sure there are not any physical issues that are causing any type of pain. Dogs are great at hiding their pain!

Once pain has been ruled out as an issue, you will need to patiently help him overcome any fear he has about being on a leash outside. Follow the above steps outlined for a young puppy to help your older puppy, or adult dog, to get used to the leash and be comfortable with it.

Leash manners and leash etiquette is a huge part of a dog’s life, start them out right!

After a few days, you and your puppy will forget he ever disliked his leash!

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via Whisker Therapy

via Whisker Therapy

Adopting a rescue dog usually means visiting a shelter to pick out the perfect pooch, but a hotel in Orlando, FL is putting a new spin on pet adoption.

Thanks to a specially designed in-lobby dog house, Aloft Orlando Downtown recently launched a foster program aimed at getting more local dogs adopted into loving families. The hotel is working with the non-profit Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando, and they’ve already found homes for two shelter dogs in need.

The hotel’s Dog In Residence program is based off a similar idea formed in 2014 at Aloft Asheville Downtown hotel. It’s one of only 10 hotels across the country that plays an active role in fostering rescue dogs. While Aloft Asheville Downtown recently celebrated its 100th dog adoption, Aloft Orlando Downtown is already off to an impressive start.

It all started with a bushy-tailed Shih Tzu-mix named Mavis. The 13-pound pup arrived at the hotel on Wednesday where hotel guests, staff, and people from the community gathered to celebrate the launch of the foster program. Mavis posed with her adoring fans before being released to check out her temporary hotel digs.

The dog house where the hotel’s foster dogs will stay has a glass run where guests can interact with the dogs, and it’s complete with a miniature replica of the hotel. There’s also a private area where the dogs can go to get away from prying eyes, and hotel guests have the opportunity to sign up to take the resident dog on walks.

Mavis seemed to enjoy the break from shelter life, but she didn’t get to stay in the lobby’s dog house for long. After less than 24 hours as a foster dog, Mavis met her perfect family.

Geo Cuevas works at the hotel as the director of sales, and she and her family fell in love with Mavis right away. They even canceled their Memorial Day weekend travel plans so they could stay home and welcome their new dog into the family. She told the Orlando Sentinel,

“We just didn’t want to wait any longer to bring [Mavis] home.”

After Mavis walked out of the lobby with her new family, hotel staff started preparing for their next furry visitor. An 11-month-old Chihuahua named Suzani moved into the dog house on Saturday, but like her predecessor, she didn’t stay long. After a busy holiday weekend, the hotel announced on Monday that Suzani’s adoption was officially in the works.

They’re two for two so far, and Aloft Orlando Downtown is excited to continue their foster program. Not only are they helping dogs find new homes, they’re also spreading a message that adopting a pet isn’t always what you expect.

By setting up their dog house in the lobby, they’re reaching a population of people that might never think to visit a shelter. They may assume that shelters are sad and dirty and only have a certain kind of dog, but the hotel’s foster program is changing that. It’s helping Pet Alliance reach more people, it’s emptying kennels at the main Pet Alliance shelter, and it’s introducing dogs like Mavis and Suzani to families that will love them forever.

h/t: Orlando Sentinel 

Featured image via Facebook/Aloft Orlando Downtwon

via Whisker Therapy

It’s likely that you’ve seen the story of a service dog who became a mother late last week in a Tampa airport. The video of Mom, Dad, and their eight new pups was posted to Twitter by first responders from Tampa Fire Rescue who assisted in the delivery. Since then it has been shared thousands of times over social media and covered by news outlets all over the world as people cooed over the adorable new pups.

All done! #AirportPuppies @FlyTPA @CityofTampa pic.twitter.com/NIoXr0HCZW

— Tampa Fire Rescue (@TampaFireRescue) May 25, 2018

But among the many oohs and ahhs were a lot of moans and groans. Something about the situation struck many dog lovers as “just not right.” A lot of questions were raised concerning the well-being of the pups and the validity of the parents’ Service Dog status. Why would this service dog be pregnant? Why, if this is a service dog, would she be made to work in her condition? Isn’t it unsafe to fly with a dog so far along in her pregnancy? Does this woman really have two service dogs?

Only days after sharing the video, wfla.com spoke with Suzy Wilburn, a woman who works for Southeastern Guide Dogs and needs a guide dog herself for her vision. Suzy expressed many of the concerns others have had about the story.

Nobody wants to be a wet blanket when a friend shares the video, but it can be hard to keep mum when there’s so many unanswered questions on so many sensitive subjects at once.

What do you think about this story – does it seem wonderful or weird to you? Let us know on Facebook.

 

Featured Photo: @TampaFireRescue/Twitter

via Whisker Therapy

via Whisker Therapy