My puppy walked great today with her new harness now she stops suddenly and doesn’t move?

You didnt provide enough info so have to guess.

Did you allow puppy enough time to investigate to make the walk fun. Did you allow too long so the puppy got bored and cold? Did the puppy's feet get sore from the cold, snow, ice, water or salt on the ice?

Did you walk too long and puppy got exhausted and should have been carried home cleaned up and warmed up and given a warm blanket for a nap?

Did you not gibe a treat for being a good walking puppy when you came home? Did you tug too hard on the leash and yell at the puppy? What negative aspect did puppy take away from first walk that it doesnt want to repeat?

Tips for tiring out your puppy

1. Go for lots of short walks

A series of short walks throughout the day is a good way to help your puppy feel tired without overdoing it, said Abby Harrison, a dog trainer with Sit Dog Stay in Texas.

“At a young age, it’s not so much about hard core exercise as it is exploring the world,” she said.

Dog trainer Kate Connell recommended puppy owners start with a 15 to 20 minute walk twice a day, and then gradually increase the time of each walk.

She works with the dog training company Calmer Canines.

“Most medium- to large-breed puppies can walk for up to an hour at a time by 16 weeks,” she said. “But watch for signs of fatigue – slowing down, panting, refusing to walk.”

She said it’s best not to take your pup running or jogging until she is more mature in order to avoid stress on developing bones and joints.

“Should you choose to run with your dog when he is old enough, you will need to start gradually with a short jog, finishing with a walk, to build up their endurance,” Connell said.

Any concerns about this should be discussed with your pup’s vet. (See our post on running with a dog.)

2. Play games that involve running

Harrison suggested playing games that encourage the puppy to run such as fetch.

“What is important is that the puppy can stop at any moment as opposed to going out for a 10K training run on the sidewalk where the dog still has some distance before they are home,” she said.

Another great game for puppies is tug, according to Connell.

“You can even do this prior to walks in order to help reduce pulling on the leash. Just be sure to avoid leaping and jumping as much as possible as that puts a lot of stress on their developing joints,” she said.

3. Mental stimulation

Sometimes dog owners overlook mental stimulation, which is just as important as physical.

Harrison had the idea of creating a puzzle for your puppy by placing treats in an old muffin tin and then covering each treat with a tennis ball.

“From there, you can teach search games for a treat,” she said.

She also likes to toss a handful of dry dog food into the grass to let the puppy or dog search for the pieces.

4. Puppy play dates

Puppy play dates with friends and other puppies or dogs are another great way to wear your puppy out, Connell said.

To be safe, she said to interrupt play frequently in order to prevent playing too rough or over arousal.

See our post on puppy socialization tips.

5. Training

Finally, Connell recommended working on obedience or trick training with your puppy.

“Training your puppy may not provide a ton of physical exercise, but it will usually wear your puppy out far better than a walk!” she said.

She recommended training in short sessions of just a few minutes, but you can do multiple sessions per day.

Some basic commands to begin teaching your puppy could include come, sit, down and stay.

Do any of you have a puppy in your home? How do you get your puppy tired?

Want more puppy tips? Check out these blogs.