If you’ve owned dogs you’re likely very used to walking these animals on a leash. A variety of other animals can be walked on leashes too, including ducks.
If you want to know how to train your ducks to walk on a leash then read more.
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How to train a duck to walk on a leash.
Walking your duck on a leash will make taking these birds out for walks a breeze, you can easily direct them and keep them safe from harm’s way. Plus you can walk many ducks without having some of them wander off.
Can ducks be trained?
Absolutely yes. Ducks are highly trainable animals making it easy to take them on walks. Walking your duck on a leash is a fun way to expose your pet to an exercise routine while keeping them safe.
Just remember that ducks are large and delicate birds, so when walking them, use the appropriate leash so as to not harm the bird, also, start off being very gentle and patient with the bird.
You can’t attach a leash to the duck without putting some sort of harness on the bird. This is how to do this:
How to put a harness on a duck.
Putting a harness on a duck will keep the bird from simply walking off or getting lost. The steps below outline how to effectively go about doing this without harming the duck.
A commonly used harness that can be used on ducks is a two-strap harness, these harnesses have a middle buckle, two side buckles, and two side straps. These are the types that you’d usually use on your larger ducks.
To put your duck in the harness you’d need to start off by placing the neck loop over your duck’s head, the buckle of the harness should fall on the bird’s back and the straps should be hanging under the bird’s body.
Grab the two straps of the harness under the bird and start to wrap the bird’s tail with it. Connect the two straps in a circle around the duck’s tail and secure it using the buckle on the bird’s back.
Adjust the harness but don’t make it too tight, secure it so that it is in place but ensure that you can fit two fingers between the bird and the harness.
Once the harness is secure you can attach the leash to the harness. Leashes usually clip onto a bird’s harness.
Your bird will more than likely play with the shiny part of the harness and pick and fuss at the harness. Don’t worry about this, this is normal.
You can also use a small dog harness or a small animal harness, like a ferret harness, on your bird if this is what you have access to.
Steps to walking a duck on a leash:
Walking a duck on a leash won’t always be easy, especially in the beginning.
Ducks are very stubborn and they will try to escape from their owner. It is essential that the person walking the duck has patience and is able to keep up with the pace of the duck.
You’d need to start off by getting the bird comfortable with wearing the harness in the first place. Put the harness on the bird and allow it to wear it for a few minutes a day.
Once the bird is ok with this you can leave the harness on the bird for a couple of hours and allow the bird to walk around in an area that the bird is familiar and comfortable with. Makes sure that the bird is comfortable and isn’t restricted during this time.
Once the bird is happy with this you can walk around with the bird on the leash. Give the bird positive reinforcement and treats as you walk the bird.
Gentle tugging will be enough to get your pet to move in whatever direction you want them to when on the leash.
If you have a larger duck, use a longer leash and make sure that your pet can walk comfortably. If he is not comfortable, stop immediately, the bird being uncomfortable will only make the bird frustrated.
Notes on taking your duck on a walk:
Start off with short walks then graduate to longer walks.
Choose a walking path that doesn’t have many distractions. Distractions may range from sharp rocks to tree branches. These may cause harm to the ducks’ feet so you’d need to avoid them.
You may also want the duck to have a diaper on while out on the walk. If you are not using a diaper on your duck then the bird will poop wherever it wants to and whenever it wants to.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other duck related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Is Duck Poop Good For Grass?, Mother Duck Kills Duckling, Duckling Not Eating Or Drinking, Ducklings Dying Suddenly