YorkieTalk.com Forums - Yorkshire Terrier Community - View Single Post - What is going on with my dog when i walk her???

sportschick · 10-24-2012, 11:13 AM

Hi all, O.K. so we got through the not sleeping through the night issue (thermal, room darkening curtains - she has no idea what time it is and even though she still wakes up during the night, she sleeps till 8:00 during week when I have to get up and later on the weekends - SO I faked her out with the curtains).

NOW I have a question about walking. She used to just walk, I mean walk really, really fast, FOREVER. Great exercise for both of us (although my 56 year old body is pretty sore from walking 1 1/2 hrs. a day). She wouldn't stop, just walk and walk. A few weeks ago, she just decided she was going to stop every freakin foot and SNIFF. EVERYTHING. Rocks, leaves, plants, every curb, every speck of dog pee (and there is a lot of it where I live), dirt, I mean everything. She also has decided that every single person we see, she is going to either try and go up to them or just stop and look at them. It is embarrassing because people will be on their porch or just doing anything, and she will just stop dead and look at them FOREVER. Most of them want to pat her (she is like way too friendly), but some people don't like dogs and find it annoying. She also will just stop dead and stare at things, cars, Halloween decorations, lights. She also is now absolutely refusing to go up and down certain streets that we used to walk all the time.

I end up having to either yank her along or pick her up, put her down and then she starts all over again. What the he!! is going on?? Is this normal behavior and will this get better? It is not fun going for walks when we are walking along and she just stops in her tracks and I either almost step on her, or I practically fall. Plus, I don't have the time to dwaddle in the a.m. and afternoon walks because I have to get to/back to work. So we end up not really getting any exercise because I have to cut the walk short because I am constantly fighting her to move. I don't like yanking on her harness either.

I know dogs sniff, but this dog went from not sniffing at all to having her nose permanently attached to the ground. And it is not like she is doing it to pee or poop because she might, once in awhile pee outside but never has pooped. She will wait till we get home and then go on the pee pads.

I don't want to curb her being a dog, but I feel like I need to set some kind of boundaries here because I feel like she is just getting her own way. I am also concerned that she isn't getting enough human interaction since I live alone and all she sees is me, so I do want her to see and interact with other people and dogs, but not all people LIKE dogs or want a dog staring at them for 5 minutes.

Thanks for any comments/suggestions.

Oh by the way she is 16 months old now, I don't know if her age has something to do with this.

10-24-2012, 11:13 AM	#1
sportschick Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Reading, MA Posts: 261	What is going on with my dog when i walk her??? Hi all, O.K. so we got through the not sleeping through the night issue (thermal, room darkening curtains - she has no idea what time it is and even though she still wakes up during the night, she sleeps till 8:00 during week when I have to get up and later on the weekends - SO I faked her out with the curtains). NOW I have a question about walking. She used to just walk, I mean walk really, really fast, FOREVER. Great exercise for both of us (although my 56 year old body is pretty sore from walking 1 1/2 hrs. a day). She wouldn't stop, just walk and walk. A few weeks ago, she just decided she was going to stop every freakin foot and SNIFF. EVERYTHING. Rocks, leaves, plants, every curb, every speck of dog pee (and there is a lot of it where I live), dirt, I mean everything. She also has decided that every single person we see, she is going to either try and go up to them or just stop and look at them. It is embarrassing because people will be on their porch or just doing anything, and she will just stop dead and look at them FOREVER. Most of them want to pat her (she is like way too friendly), but some people don't like dogs and find it annoying. She also will just stop dead and stare at things, cars, Halloween decorations, lights. She also is now absolutely refusing to go up and down certain streets that we used to walk all the time. I end up having to either yank her along or pick her up, put her down and then she starts all over again. What the he!! is going on?? Is this normal behavior and will this get better? It is not fun going for walks when we are walking along and she just stops in her tracks and I either almost step on her, or I practically fall. Plus, I don't have the time to dwaddle in the a.m. and afternoon walks because I have to get to/back to work. So we end up not really getting any exercise because I have to cut the walk short because I am constantly fighting her to move. I don't like yanking on her harness either. I know dogs sniff, but this dog went from not sniffing at all to having her nose permanently attached to the ground. And it is not like she is doing it to pee or poop because she might, once in awhile pee outside but never has pooped. She will wait till we get home and then go on the pee pads. I don't want to curb her being a dog, but I feel like I need to set some kind of boundaries here because I feel like she is just getting her own way. I am also concerned that she isn't getting enough human interaction since I live alone and all she sees is me, so I do want her to see and interact with other people and dogs, but not all people LIKE dogs or want a dog staring at them for 5 minutes. Thanks for any comments/suggestions. Oh by the way she is 16 months old now, I don't know if her age has something to do with this.