I have a 7 month old bulldog. Also, check out the other readers that commented on here, the problems resemble each other more often than we might think. Also, you could do extra fun things outside like playing with her favorite toy, going to new places and, of course, giving her favorite treats. Who primarily trains and takes care of her? When you say your dog walked way better back, he might not have known the area but as soon as he walked the path, he probably memorized the way back. When you share your home and your life with a dog, there are so many activities your will be doing together. You could solve this if you get her a warm and cozy dog coat. However, I’ve taken her on other walks and I know she wasn’t tired yet she stopped and would not budge no matter what, it was so difficult to get back home. If you aren’t sure if your dog is ready to go for walks outside, you can read my article on the matter here: When Can Puppies Start Going For Walks? He is a big sniffer and stops CONSTANTLY, which kind of defeats the purpose of a walk. Sometimes a dog that doesn't want to be around you might track you carefully — other times, they might purposely ignore you. Setup the leash and practise walking back and forth in your backyard. We have a 13 week old Bichon mix puppy. Overall obedience training could really help since situations like that can potentially be pretty dangerous. Breeds like this are known to be quite strong-willed, sometimes even labeled as stubborn, and your dog just seems to be curious and wants to sniff stuff or look at birds when you want to walk. The thing that might pose the biggest problem is your mother’s unwillingness (or inability due to her own age/health) to start training. She doesn’t resist as much, however she does tug against me from time to time. Although the go-to topic for many people with similar issues is the partially outdated dominance theory, it’s often just miscommunication that can be easily solved with bonding, obedience training, and clear body language. You might have heard of the 3-3-3 rule, let me refresh it for you. It doesn’t take long for a young puppy to begin to create positive associations with a home environment. He just resists to walk towards where we have to go. It is where you are, for starters, and it is also where they learn to play, rest, and eat. You have already learned a few tips and tactics that you can use to get your dog to walk again. In the meanwhile you can work on your bonding. Don’t try and drag or force them to continue walking down the road. if you say your 1-year-old Lab was never particularly fond of walks, what have you tried to make them appealing to him (treats, toys, meeting other dogs, swimming etc.)? Despite the original purpose, the Presa Canario is also used for various other activities, including guarding and your dog may just be suspicious/curious about what other people are doing. What did the vet suggest you do? Being a puppy, he does have a lot of excitement, but he also will get tired out as well. When we come home it’s the opposite. However, you don’t want it to become a behavior pattern because there might be times when it’s just necessary that one of you walks her. You could create that same relationship through bonding even closer to your dog so she’ll feel even safer with you than with any other dog – more on that in this post. As always, maybe something happened to your dog while you walked her (this can be as much as a dog attack or as little as an extremely startling noise). He seems rattled by the sounds of traffic. How do we get him to like going for walks again or playing with other dogs or running on the beach? The last few days she will leave the house but only go one way and only to the end of the road which is about about 4 houses along. During these classes, they will be able to teach you how to encourage your dog to walk on a leash. If you know that that’s the source of fear, you can start by desensitizing them to the sound. Also, provide your dog with mental stimulation like teaching her new tricks, building your own super simple Agility course, or puzzle toys. It feels like a constant struggle when I walk him and I would like some advice as to how to make it a smoother process. Unfortunately, she does not seem to be food motivated, so our current challenge is that nothing will snap her out of it once she pancakes. I have a 1 year old lab. He has never been to this area nor does he have a compass to know which way was “home”…..lol…..any suggestions??? But since then, he has become increasingly stubborn. Now, I don’t know if that’s the case with your dog too but the stopping and refusing to walk if nothing is around might have different reasons. Today we drove to another location away from the house and he was marginally better but still stopped. I don’t know your exact situation but based on what you’re telling me, it doesn’t sound like your vet went through every possible option before recommending meds (I suppose you meant Fluvoxamine?). The dog had always lived in an open space with lots of other dogs (but never lived with people). although it may seem annoying, it’s nothing to worry about if that’s the only way he expresses this fear of being separated from one of you :). It could be that your pup formerly learned that the house is his safe/fun space and that’s why he refused to walk when you were near the house. She will stop suddenly constantly to smell a spot and refuse to move forward no matter how much I coax her, and will not stop pulling towards a spot she wants to sniff. Gaining trust will also take some time and you should give your dog time and space, you’d be surprised how much dogs can change after a couple of days/weeks/months. Our 4 year old Poodle Rosie came in from the garden limping about 5 months ago …. Use that time to bond with him, leash-train and you should be good. The full 3 months have gone by and your dog has settled in. Hi Danielle…. We can never get her to walk. This way, at least you don’t reinforce that behavior and reward your dog with smelling something or whatnot. Could this have been the trigger for this new behaviour? Especially if they know putting on the breaks means they can go inside and sleep. Dogs are much more sensitive to all the different environmental stimuli, including sounds, smells, people, places and movement. A puppy that has never seen a leash or collar before might freeze when being restrained for the first time. A dog that just had the best day at the park will be very reluctant to leave the area. He will just stand and stare for 5-10 mins if you let him. You will probably have to repeat this step a few times depending on how often you have reinforced this behavior in the past by giving in to your dog. He used to enjoy all these things but now – nothing. Apart from that, don’t worry that your pup is not yet into treats or toys, their attention span is really low and will surely develop. Also and as some people commented, when we are returning home he walks. We have tried different harness and leash but still no change. Has something changed in your home? She will go for a decent walk when I take my terrier with us but if she is in her own she will walk about 100 yards then refuses to walk but wants to back home. I have a 100 lbs Rottweiler and she loves being inside but only because she gets enough exercise and stimulation outside. The thing about your friend’s dog: If she’s motherly, it might be that Bo just needs confirmation that she’s safe and this dog gives it to her. Do not feed him any treats whatsoever until his next mealtime. Dogs thrive with clear guidelines and easy-to-follow routines. As you already ruled over-exercising out, maybe you can switch things up with different types of exercises. In the unlikely situation they get out of your home, somebody who finds them can easily identify they are loved and contact you. Too many people expect too much progress too early and touch the dog when eating or even placing a hand in their dog’s bowl on day one, I’ve seen it happen. Other than that she has enjoyed walks. We’re on day 4 since adopting our second border collie rescue, who’s almost 2 years old. He needs time to get to know you are his new forever family and the best thing you can is bonding with him and building trust. When your Yorkie refused to walk in the past, was that during summer or winter? Having a dog that is constantly slipping out open doors and digging under the fence, however, is a different story. Or if you have any advice for us with a rescue dog? While doing this (or during walks) it’s important that you do not comfort her as this may cause reinforcement. A ball will get her to block out any dogs surrounding her. Try to use his favorite treat/toy if you haven’t already, that often does the trick. you might want to try to stick to the treat method and phase them out over time. Hire a Dog Walker. This will reinforce that in order to get to where she wants, she has to look at you and walk properly on the leash. Distances will increase and you can soon work on socialization, introducing new places/textures/etc. If you haven’t been playing with them the past few days, make the effort to play with them. If you’ve got a problem and think your dog doesn’t like going for walks, maybe you’ll find an answer in the comments. My 4 month old Maltese puppy loved to walk on a leash until a few weeks ago when he suddenly refused to walk more than a few feet at a time when we were walking away from my apartment. We want to go to an area your dog hasn’t been too before. We live in a very quiet area in the countryside so it’s not a busy road, she maybe hears only 1 car if that. Regarding the walking: It’s important to note if the refusal to walk was already there before this condition or if she already refused just because there were first signs of pain (doesn’t sound like the latter since you’re talking about her “dictating the route” before). But as long as you get them back in your arms, it doesn’t take long to forgive and forget. If your dog was never exposed to a variety of experiences when they were younger, they may not feel safe out of the home. help. congrats on the new addition to your home! Btw: My Rottweiler came from a great breeder and she’s 2y old and almost never barks – count yourself lucky :). I have another do who walks well, and walking the two of them is near impossible with one pulling to go and the pother pulling to stay..but they have always walked together! Also, make sure you desensitize her to the sounds that trigger fear. If he is, schedule play sessions like you’d do with a puppy. She is pretty good on leash and does not seem fearful of walking (and we saw the vet recently and got a clear bill of health so no apparent physical issues) but is increasingly resistant to do anything out of the house unless BOTH of us are present. then you might have to take a step back and leash-train your pup first. If my boyfriend walks her, she has no issues and walks. This problem has recently developed. She loves running and walking, however, about 2 weeks ago she decided otherwise. Just wanted to check in that this sounds like the right thing to be doing? I’ve tried treats. Check with your vet to make sure there’s not a health issue going on that is causing your dog to stop walking (growing pains, arthritis, etc.) She refuses to walk with me, she almost seems scared and tries to run back home. If you try taking this dog for walks, there is a good chance they’ll put the breaks on and show reluctance in wanting to leave. Whatever it is, she has become fearful of it. Try taking him to places with your car and see if he displays the behavior there (he can’t walk back to the house from a brand new place, that is for sure). Dogs have a natural tendency to lean against any pressure or force applied from the other end of the leash. Increasing the distance always helps and when you’re ready to approach again, every little step towards the right direction must be rewarded. If only one of us takes her out she will sit down and more or less refuse to go. Just check my linked articles here and you’ll find many opportunities to tire out your dog in other ways. However, depending on the cause of inflammation these two can correlate. One thing led to another and they had a baby on the way and needed to move. If she doesn't seem interested this time, try walking around until she finds the perfect spot.Obviously, if your dog accomplishes their leash elimination somewhere far … shows that she’s definitely able to and wants to but she may just need to learn that she has to walk your routes in the long-term, not only hers. We’ve had out 4.5-year-old Pembroke Corgi, Lemon, for a week. I am not sure what I am doing wrong, exactly. Just introduce a bit of obedience, call her, go through a couple of commands and make the alone time as fun as possible (i.e. Feel free to tire your dog out with enough playtime and teach new tricks, etc. If not, feel free to drop a comment and I’ll get back to you asap! To have your dog stop in the middle of the walk and refuse to move can happen for several reasons. Your problem may very well exist due to your dog being walked without lead previously. If you’re checking the other comments and going through the article step-by-step you’ll probably make progress faster than you thought. Recommended Reading: How to Bond With Your Dog. As he’s only 6, I worry that he’s not getting enough exercise. She is completely scared of everything (which is understandable) but she will only walk at 5 am and sometimes after dark. then you might just need to do separate walks. Came across your site by accident but glad I did. When new experiences are put in front of your puppy, some may take more time than others to become comfortable. I have bought her a dog buggy which I use to get her away from the house with much success. This doesn’t mean that your dog is uncomfortable or anything, maybe she just recognised if she refuses to walk, you’ll stay at home and she’s fine with that since you mention you play there and she loves that. and take her to places where you know she loves to walk to get her to be compliant. 5 Reasons Your Puppy Doesn’t Want to Walk 1. Ever since, she’s grown more and more fearful, and we noticed that if we go for a walk directly from home (as in, we leave the house on foot), Lemon grows more and more reluctant to walk. I’ve also taken her on hikes with no problem. Make them a part of the family again and see if their behaviour changes. He’ll eventually start walking but after much gentle encouragement. Try to get him to connect you to the food giver and the person doing good things to him instead of taking stuff away or making him uncomfortable. If the behavior consists, you might want to think about going to a local dog trainer/behavior consultant – if (s)he’s any good. Previously, we just used to pick him up since he is little but we want to be able to walk with him better. A dog that didn’t go through socialization training as a puppy will be much more fearful of his environment. Try providing your dog with an outlet for his mental needs and make sure his curiosity is satisfied with lots of puzzle/snuffle games, etc. We will definitely try taking some out with us over the next few weeks. He lived a few blocks from me and whenever I was on my daily walk through the neighborhood I would see him sitting on his family’s porch. If the problem is a simple fix, like a new collar, try putting their old collar back on and seeing if they will go for a walk. Make walking a great experience with lots of treats. have you tried the steps above? if you have a look at a couple of other comments here (search fr “car”), I’m sure you’ll find an answer that’ll help with that as many people have the same problem as you do. My Yorkie is 6 and in the past she has had the odd day when she didn’t really want to walk but treats seem to do the trick. It’s totally understandable that you want to calm her down but often, the effect is just the opposite and your dog can view this as positive reinforcement. I rescued a dog 5 months ago and she has been through a lot before we gave her her forever home. Any other thoughts or suggestions? I’ve been walking my 3y/o female black lab for over 2 years. She tends to “pancake” when some (usually indiscernible to me) stimuli sets her off. When we tried to reward him when he walks well with treat, he does well when he sees treats but when he doesn’t get treat he refuses to walk again. Eventually, your dog will learn that it is safe being outside and will comfortably walk. Before you were home, she may or may not have been fine with being alone but now she sees the opportunity for more since you’re already at home. Then when he does walk, will just stop and refuse to walk. The fact that her unwillingness to walk is just increasing says it’s not fear, but manifested fear isn’t always showing right away – that’s what the 3-3-3 rule is for. My Daschund loves to walk if we drive to any location. If they lose a little weight, they may be more willing to go outside as they tire less quickly and have more energy overall. If the person you got your puppy from didn’t let them feel the grass on their feet growing up, your dog may be so scared of going somewhere they aren’t used to. A combination of compassion, treats and patience will solve this problem. first of all, I always recommend to make sure it’s not a health-related problem and no fear issue – did something happen to your bulldog while you were walking her? Does she feel uncomfortable due to your presence or is she happily walking with them? It’s actually normal for dogs with grade 1 to take every third or fourth step and then limp on. No dog is born with the knowledge of how to walk on a leash. Encourage him but don’t be pushy, your pup will thank you later on. If your dog never had these experiences, they may have problems trusting that being out of the front gate is safe. Also, are there any toys she’s crazy about? I have also tried using food, but he seems to be strictly determined to not leave home. He actually now takes the initiative to cross the street away from the house on his own! Getting your puppy comfortable in your own backyard having a collar around their neck is a fantastic first step. Secondly, is this a new problem? As a puppy, if there was something else that was more interesting, my Rottie refused to touch her food, wasn’t interested in balls or treats outside, etc. Many people actually have the same problem as you do and it’d be important to know how long your dog’s with you – was he recently rescued or did you get him as a puppy and he just started this behavior? If you are able to get them past the fence, or past their normal stopping point, they should be comfortable continuing on. Your thought of bringing him to new places is spot on. Hello there, I have a 5 month old Carpathian. He doesn’t appear to be pain and doesn’t seem to be overly afraid of most things, people, or other animals. In the latter case, it’ll help if you make the walks more exciting. Keep improving your bond with her (separate as well as together) but include walks alone and just go through the steps above to avoid it becoming a habit. I’m sure Rosie and you will get through this! He doesn’t seem sacred or timid at all and simply looks around. Dogs will also enjoy the excitement in their owners' pace, and a brisk walk is better exercise than a slow stroll. The fear will be evident in other situations, for example when unfamiliar guests arrive or loud noises startle him from outside. Since he seems to be food motivated, keep using that and slowly phase treats out once you see progress or replace them with toys in order not to be too dependent on the treats alone. Desensitization and counterconditioning will slowly ease his fear. She loves walks and playing fetch. Our little dog did not appear scared and when we put her down she continued walking. Is he a low-energy dog or does he just love doing other activities until exhausted? You can continue trying this technique for the next few days, trying to get a little bit further down the road each day. He doesn’t fight us when the harness goes on and seems keen to walk but only gets a few steps out of the house and he sits. She has calm, docile personality. This behavior not only seems stubborn but can also become quite dangerous if it happens in the middle of a busy road. Some Agility at home, teaching new tricks, going on some bonding trips where the focus is not solely on walking but the outside experience – these things might also help. Obedience classes are fantastic ways of group learning about how to train and teach your puppy. We just got back from a walk and about a black away from home I had to pick her up and walk for a few yards to get her moving. Although tailored to the breed Cane Corso, you can read more about the second fear imprint of your Lab here. Very eager and wouldn’t pull. Moving can be so hard for puppies – imagine living 8 weeks just to move into your new home and then move again after a couple of weeks – adjustment periods are completely normal. Have a look at your dog and seriously consider if they are overweight. Stopping in the middle of the walk. Any suggestions? Could you give us some advise? Practice At Home. Thank you for any help! I’d suggest you focus on mental stimulation (teaching tricks, interactive puzzle toys, etc.) Most dogs are quite insecure/shy/etc. Besides anxiety meds (which should only be given under veterinary supervision), there are options like a Thundershirt. We can not get her to go out separately in the mornings. To properly familiarise your dog with the collar and leash you can read the tips outlined in my guide on how to leash train a puppy. Second, I’d just go for a walk with them and see how the dog behaves when they walk the dog and you just observe. We could really use some advise for our little guy so he can once again enjoy the walks. So if it is the noise, how do I fix that? If both of us take her out she is happy to go for a walk or play/train in the yard. Now he full on refuses to walk anywhere.. unless it’s the direction back to the house. (he usually does his needs outside). For starters, pick her up and carry her outside your home where there is grass, and start walking in huge circles. The most common is for not having taught your dog to be walked properly. It’s probably nothing new I’m gonna tell you here but you just have to be patient. Begin by walking around the inside environment using something to motivate the puppy, something that gets him excited. Teach your dog the good association of a reward that comes when the leash hangs loose. My vet has recommended flomoxomine, but I’m leary with the kidney issue. Not wanting to leave our yard on the walk. Maybe the new collar is too wide, and they don’t find it comfortable compared to their old collar? If it’s just early stages (see the 3-3-3- rule, I wouldn’t worry too much and just try to go as often as possible, make walks fun and work on your overall bond. Slowly decrease the distance. 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