Refusing to Walk

[Pope]

Hey all! Pope is doing so well for a puppy, he's 99% potty trained and rings the bell by the door when he needs to go. He's been such a good boy! One thing he's been struggling with since the beginning though, walking. It's a frustrating problem because he has so much energy in the morning and then again right before bed. He is crated during work hours with an hour break at lunch- so I completely understand his high energy! I attempt to take him on walks mornings, at lunch, and after work and sometimes again before bed- but we never get further than down the street- and that's with me basically dragging him, or luring him with treats! Once we turn to head home, he walks perfectly like he's on top of the world- but he refuses to go any other direction. It's getting old and we need to get this problem fixed. I feel terrible that he has all this energy but frustrated that he won't cooperate in getting it out! We're starting him at doggy daycare once a week next week, so I know that will help with energy, but what do we do about walking?!

 

[Safari]

No advice here but I'm having the same exact problem. I figured he's just tired but he's full
If energy going the other direction and at home! Looking forward to and advice- thanks for asking this!

 

[lkclark]

This is what Cesar says. Haha.

"In this case, there are two things going on. First, I think your dog is very in tune to your energy. Something about your energy is different from when you are going for a walk in the neighborhood and going to do an activity outside your neighborhood and your dog is picking up on it. My suspicion is that you don’t find the neighborhood walks as fun as you do a hike or bike ride and for the dog, it’s the same—not as fun. You need to think about ways to challenge him during the walk to make it more fun, for both you. For example, take a different route where there are new smells. Go out the back door instead of the front door. Go out and then come right back in, then go out again. You need to increase your dog's level of “wanting” to go on the dog walk. Stop along the way and practice your basic commands with a treat. Challenge your dog's mind. Try adding a jog or run in between walking. Keep him guessing what’s next. And always end the walk before he’s ready, even if that means only going for 10 minutes. At least for the initial re-training of the mindset, keep the walks short so you always leave him wanting more. This will change his mindset to anticipate the next walk and want to go. Second, keep in mind that this is a dog that is not saying, “I’m tired.” This is a dog that’s saying, “I’m bored. I want more fun.” The dog is rebelling the structure of the dog walk. Think about it. On the walk, the dog is asked to be calm, to stay with you or behind you, to go at a slower pace. This is structure, and that’s good. Rules, Boundaries, and Limitations! But finding the balance between that and fun is your challenge."

 

[Cbrugs]

When Jax was younger he HATED going for walks. We couldn't even get to the end of the street, he just wouldn't budge. Then one day, out of nowhere, he decided he liked going for walks and now it is a pain getting him home!

 

[Pope]

When Jax was younger he HATED going for walks. We couldn't even get to the end of the street, he just wouldn't budge. Then one day, out of nowhere, he decided he liked going for walks and now it is a pain getting him home!

Hmm.. hopefully this will happen for us! We have tried taking him in different directions and making things more interesting- he just doesn't care haha. My husband and I are definitely Cesar Milan fans and are very careful to watch and adjust our energy when we are trying to walk him, so I don't think that has anything to do with it unfortunately :/

 

[Alice Kable]

If you have a friend or neighbor with a dog see if you can walk together. That will encourage him to walk also!

 

[Cbrugs]

Hmm.. hopefully this will happen for us! We have tried taking him in different directions and making things more interesting- he just doesn't care haha. My husband and I are definitely Cesar Milan fans and are very careful to watch and adjust our energy when we are trying to walk him, so I don't think that has anything to do with it unfortunately :/

He might just be too young at this point to even realize what going for a walk is which is what I think was Jax's deal. Just keep trying and hopefully he will catch on soon that it is fun!

 

[davidh]

We don't go for walks very often, just too hot here, but they get to roam the back yard for a few minutes before they get too hot. But he may just be too young yet, so give it a little while.

 

[TeresaW]

We got Pierce to walk by having Schatzi go along with us. Suddenly he no longer paid attention to the harness and leash and was happy to follow her. He will still stop occasionally, but not as much. If we didn't have her with us, we would probably still be trying to get him out of the yard!


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[Pope]

He might just be too young at this point to even realize what going for a walk is which is what I think was Jax's deal. Just keep trying and hopefully he will catch on soon that it is fun!

That's a good point! I hope that that's the case, and it definitely could be. We live in the city and know a few people in our building that have dogs, but we aren't close enough to them to ask to walk with them. I guess we have an excuse to make new friends!