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06-06-2012, 05:56 AM | #1 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2012 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 26
| Need help/advice re: walks Hi everyone, I have a 4 month old yorkie named Hulk. He's a sweetheart and both the BF and I love him to bits. We've been very proactive in socialization, going out to meet ups and meeting our friend's dogs. I've had trainers compliment me on how brave and friendly he is in these situations. He's really great with the housebreaking. He's excellent on the potty pads, and we're starting to transition him to outdoor. He's been through one set of puppy classes and we're doing a second round now, and so far he has his sit/down/off etc mastered. I've found him to be on the timid side ever since day 1, (hence the repeat puppy class lol), but that may also be a normal yorkie thing (Hulk is my first yorkie). The one thing that has us both stumped is our walks in the neighbourhood. If BF and I go out with him, no problem. If one of us takes him by ourselves, he doesn't want to go. He will barely go down the front steps. I've tried high value treats, such as cheese, but he won't touch them. If we crouch down, he'll run up to us and clamber to get on our lap. My trainer told us that we should try and get him to walk as far as we could away from the house, then pick him up. Once he's a block or two away from the house, I can put him down and he'll start walking. He's not as happy as he is when both the BF and I walk him, but he'll go and he sniffs a little, but he definitely seems more stressed out. Whenever he's walking I make sure to praise him, try to give him treats if he'll eat them.... If he knows we're on our way back to the house, he'll walk. If I take him in the car to the park, he'll walk around the park. It seems to me that he's not as confident when it's just me, but he doesn't do the same freeze thing as he does at the house. Treats don't seem to work too well, no matter what it is at this point. My BF has the same experience with him as well when he takes him alone. I've searched the forums, but couldn't find anything too useful. There's so much wonderful advice on here, I would love to know if anyone else has any insight. Right now, I take him by myself in the morning before I leave for work, BF takes him in the afternoon, and we both go with him at night. We're taking the same route every time. How can we help him become more confident with just one of us? It's so disheartening to see an otherwise confident puppy sitting on the sidewalk shaking like a leaf....especially when he does the same walk with two of us no problem. (I just realized this is really long - sorry!) |
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06-06-2012, 07:16 AM | #2 |
Donating YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Chessington, Surrey, UK
Posts: 5,062
| Hello! Sorry, just a quick reply as I'm mid-cook!! Firstly, have you tried doing the opposite to what your trainer says - Pick him up and carry him for a while - then put him down? Secondly - have you tried walking him in the opposite direction to what he's used to? We had a Schnauzer that, if I walked down a 'wrong' road, or turned to go home before 'his usual turning point' - would sit down and refuse to move aaargh!! Good luck! Sally + Harry x |
06-06-2012, 08:20 AM | #3 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2012 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 26
| Thanks for your reply! I have done that - I've gone to the library around the corner, and I simply put on his harness/leash and then picked him up and we walked out the door and I didn't put him down until we were about a block from the library. He walked to the library with me, and then he walked back with no major issues. He does tremble a lot in my arms when I do that. I just try to talk a little to him so he knows we're okay. I have no issues with doing this, but I just worry that I'm reinforcing bad habits by picking him up. I've tried going the other way, but that doesn't seem to work with him either. Smart guy |
06-06-2012, 08:20 AM | #4 |
YT 2000 Club Donating Member | That could work. But he is still young, and we had this problem with our 3-5 mth old large breed dog. He did not want to leave the house, if it was just hubby. If I took him no problem, happily trots down the driveway and off we go. We never "solved" the problem per say, but he did grow out of it, when he was about a year old. It does get better, particularly if he is doing pretty well at the puppy classes. You can try what SAlly said and see if that works better for you. Also just be aware they do enter another fearful stage at about 7 months old. You can talk to your trainer about this as the time approaches, they may have some suggestions for you then.
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06-06-2012, 08:33 AM | #5 |
T. Bumpkins & Co. Donating YT Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New England
Posts: 9,816
| How about a stroller walk around the neighborhood to get him use to the lay of the land. As he gains confidence with "the outside world" maybe he will be more willing to walk. I have the same problem with Winston...he loves people, loves dogs, but is timid and shy in the outside world. I have been just trying to resocialize him to new places and people and slowly he is coming out of his shell. He's a year old so his mental state was already shaped but they do go through a second socialization period at about 18 months old so i'm hopeful.
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06-06-2012, 10:57 AM | #6 |
Donating YT 30K Club Member | My Pixie who I got at 13 months was not socialized. She is fine in the house but outside or with strangers is very shy. When I try to walk her she will only walk if I drop her leash as soon as I hold it she hits the ground and won't budge. I've tried treats and nothing works. And it's not like she is alone I take my other 2 with. So it sounds like you are doing everything right to socialize him and in time he may feel more comfortable.
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06-06-2012, 12:11 PM | #7 |
Yorkie Yakker Join Date: May 2012 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 26
| Hm. Okay. Maybe it's just a matter of trying to be persistent. I'll keep plugging at it and hopefully it will click with him as he gets older. He is definitely teaching me to be more patient, and people have told me before that I could stand to learn some more patience, so it's probaby a good thing for both of us, haha! I love walks, and love having the dog as an excuse to go for walks, so I'm really hoping he grows out of it. I'll let you guys know how we make out, but if anyone has any suggestions, I'm always open to hearing them!! |
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