You get to decide how to raise your puppy.
You can choose the food you feed, how often you feed, the quantity, the quality, etc. You can choose how much training, what kind of training, where you train, when you train, why you train, even if you train, the ultimate the goal, if any, of your training.
You get to choose the types of vaccinations and when your dog gets them.
You get to make decisions about surgeries.
You get to decide about having or not having puppies.
In short, you get to decide how to do everything related to your puppy and that is exactly how it should be.
The suggestions I make are just that - suggestions. Five people talking about any of the above topics and more will each give you what they think you ought to do. Trust yourself! Fortunately, the internet is full of information. You will find no shortage of "helpful" people who will tell you what you should do. Listen to them, but again, Trust Yourself!
When I first started obedience training about 40 years ago at Sportsmen's Dog Training Club in my area of Michigan, I would take my dogs for walks and they had to be in heel position. What a struggle! Tecla did not like walks and neither did I. She soon taught me that a walk should be enjoyable or you should not take one.
So, how do I teach my pups today what to do on a walk. They should be able to explore things when we walk. Dogs explore their environment by smell so I let them smell along the way. They love doing that in the same way that we love looking at things while we walk.
If we see something we want to look at more closely we pick it up with our hands - if it is small enough - and turn it over and explore its surfaces with our fingers, or, if it's too large to pick up, we touch and feel it if it is close enough. It's almost impossible for a human being not to touch something they want to know more about. We even have 'fingerprints' to facilitate digital explorations. That's a big thing for us. Have you visited an art museum with a child! Even as adults we have a strong desire to touch a painting or a sculpture; we normally force ourselves NOT to touch.
Without hands, dogs use their mouths to pick things up. Puppies are especially 'mouthy'. We don't want to always say, "No!' and "Leave It!" and "Release It!" and "Out!" but when we walk with our dogs, especially when we walk with our puppies, those are expressions they hear constantly. We are trying to protect them from things we deem dangerous for one reason or another and that is one of our roles. It's OK to be protective, to be proactive, but we also need to let them find some things out for themselves, don't we.
Some people use the extra long retractable kind of leashes called flexis (for flexible leash, I suppose). I don't. I want to encourage my dog to stay close to me so that I can see what's happening as it explores. I do not want my dog to think that it can get far away from me; I want it to feel that it is more comfortable for it to be close so I encourage it to be close and reward it for being close.
Naturally, if you live out in the country you will let your dog off leash a lot more than people who live in a city or suburb. Please note: the biggest cause of early deaths in Icelandic Sheepdogs is vehicle accidents. Truth. Our dogs are herding dogs. Herding dogs chase things. It's genetically programmed in them to do so. Cars, trucks, bikes, lawnmowers, etc. move and present irresistible targets. They will try and chase them. They will lose. Leashes save lives. One of my favorite puppies lived on a cattle and sheep ranch and was going to be part of their breeding program. She chased an oil truck and lost - her life. Vehicular accidents kill Icelandic Sheepdogs prematurely. Leashes save lives. If it comes down to returning to you when you call, "Fido, Come!" or chasing a truck, the truck beats you. Got it?
I don't want my dog to visit other dogs as we walk; you never know which ones are friendly and which ones are anti-social. You cannot tell by looking at a dog what its temperament is like. I don't want my dog to annoy other people when we walk. Not everyone likes dogs; some are afraid of them. Try the "Watch Me!" and reward when your dog pays more attention to you than to a passerby, canine or human. It won't be perfect but it will get better.
In my area of Michigan we have Massasagua rattlesnakes. While they are not as dangerous as other species of rattlesnakes, their venom can be lethal, especially to a small dog, or puppy, or child. Because our rattlesnakes are rather shy and not very abundant, I have only seen a few of these snakes in my life but they are here and I am cautious with my dogs when we are out in the country.
One of the first lessons I teach my puppies is how to walk with me when we are having fun. Once they learn the simple rule, stay close, our walks become more fun for me and more controlled for my dog. They can still sniff and explore and wander - slightly.
"Free Walking" is not really free at all. I'm disguising what we do by using a term that really doesn't fit to make it sound more fun.
Using a six foot narrow leather leash, because I like the feel and durability of leather, we start off on a walk. (If for valid reasons you want to use a nylon leash, buy a thin one; it won't hurt your hand as much as a wider one will.) The leash should not be wrapped around your hand. Roll or fold up the extra and hold it 'in' your hand. If your dog pulls hard on your leash, you will be glad it's 'in' and not 'around' your hand.
The early walks can be in the family room or the basement or garage or backyard. We set off together but when my puppy starts to pull on the leash and my arm ends up being pulled out from my body, I know its time to go in the opposite direction. I change directions and set off going in the direction I want to go. I may have to tug or pull slightly at the leash. Using a treat from my ever present bait bag, I say, "Good Dog"! and we continue in the direction I've chosen. I'm the boss, the alpha, if you want. When the inevitable happens and the puppy starts to pull away from me again and my arm shoots out from my side again, I change directions again, tugging just a bit as necessary and rewarding with praise and treats. I don't want to make a big issue of my decision to go in my direction but I do want my dog to walk with me easily so that we can both enjoy our walks.
As I've said, dogs (and humans) are pack animals. That's why they understand us and we understand them. We have other animals, domesticated animals, around us but none of them is as close to us as our dogs. Dogs are pre-programmed genetically to "follow the leader". In a wolf pack the alpha male and female determine how the pack will do everything. In your "pack" you are the leader! You get to decide things related to your dog and you. Your dog will be comfortable with that, will accept that.
The more you practice "Free Walking", the more you both will enjoy your walks. Will your dog occasionally shoot out? Of course. However, you know what you need to do to reclaim your dominant position. Turn around and walk the other way. And praise and reward for good behavior.
After your puppy is used to this seemingly bizarre walking pattern in your house and yard, you are ready to try "Free Walking" on your block. Your neighbors may think you've lost it because they will see you walking somewhat erratically. Tough! Other people who have dogs will understand. Those that don't have dogs? Who cares!
Set the rules while your puppy is young. It's just easier for a whole host of reasons than trying to retrain an adult.
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