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Refusing to go for walks? I guess Lola is the only dog on the face of the planet who hates walks. :( She is almost eight months old and has yet to go for a "normal" walk. Usually when I take her out I literally have to pull her along (gently) because she will just sit or lay down on the sidewalk. I've even giving up on the pulling; now she will sniff around for a few minutes (staying in one place) and then pull to go back inside. She actually runs away when I take out her leash and harness! Nothing even remotely bad has ever happened to her on a walk. I have no idea why she doesn't want to be outside or just explore! She's been socialized ever since she was young, and I just kept hoping she'd grow out of this phase. I'm really sad that she doesn't enjoy walking and I don't know what to do. Has this happened to anyone else? Any suggestions? |
Have you tried a favorite treat to take with you? That always seems to help when I am trying to get pups to walk on leash!! |
It's true, some dogs don't like to walk! You can try carrying her for a few blocks and then putting her down. She might be more interested then. Thor does not like to walk just for the sake of walking. I either take him on errands, walk him towards a park he knows of (even if we don't get there), or walk him home. I also take him off leash in parks and hiking so he can get his zoom on. |
Layla HATES walks- i can't even say the word or she will run and hide... HOWEVER, we still walk because a) good excercise b) the best way to bond with your dog and c) it shows her i am in charge. So i have to carry her to the first corner- put her down- slightly drag her until she gets the idea- this is what we are doing- the faster we walk the faster it is over. It seems once she gets going she is quite happy to be out there- it's just the idea of the walk :p And when we walk I am in charge- she is right at my side... I say just keep trying- right now she is winning- she is in control- I hate dragging them down the street (as people start to stare :p ) but do what you have to (treats) to get her to walk. I used to give Layla a treat at every corner if she would sit...s he enjoyed getting to the corners :) |
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Has she ever enjoyed the outdoors? Does she potty indoors or outdoors? Maybe she just thinks being outdoors is scary. How did you socialize her when she was young? Will she walk on a leash indoors? |
Not to alarm you...but I've read a few yorkies on YT that refused to go for walks & they ended up having LP (Luxating Patellas). Has her knees been checked by a vet? I hope she's fine...just doesn't like going for walks. |
She actually loves being outside once we get there, especially in the grass. I think her happiest times are when she just gets to run around in the grass without her leash on... I think she definitely has a lot of alpha dog in her, so maybe this can all be chalked up to the fact that she thinks she's in charge? I can't be sure, but I don't think it's LP - she runs like crazy in the grass and inside and has never shown any problems. They were checked by her vet at her initial visit and she seemed to think they were fine. I have tried treats occasionally in the past, but maybe I need to make it a more regular thing so that she associates going for walks with treats all the time...? Thanks for everyone's comments and advice! |
Perhaps she doesn't like to walk on a leash. So that's a different story than not liking walks. Can you walk her indoors on a leash? |
Westieboy, I think you hit the nail on the head. She will let me put her harness on her without a problem, but when I try to attach the leash she squirms or runs like crazy. So if that's the case then does it mean she is just rebelling against me leading her? |
I had a friend who had a papillon Lucy. When she was a baby my friend carried Lucy everywhere. So now when they go for walks she expects to be carried. She will have the other dog on a leash, and Lucy will walk behind them and constantly tap her leg telling her she wants up. Now she has the one dog on leash and Lucy in a stroller, sheesh! Uni on the other hand, doesn't like to be carried, she prefers to walk. But she pulls a lot. |
She's not rebelling. She's just needs a little training. You need make a positive association with her leash/harness. I would start with giving her treats when she has the collar on. Let her walk around the house with it on and randomly give her treats. Once she is used to that clip the leash on and keep giving her treats. The next step is to pickup the leash and start leading her. Keep up with the treats every few steps. Once she gets the hang of it you can lengthen out the treat process so maybe treat every 5 steps then every 10 steps and work your way up to almost no treats. This may take several sessions. Once you can lead her around inside progress to the outdoors. |
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If you are having trouble with pulling try this. Sit-Stay & Walk On-Leash | Dog Star Daily |
Maybe she doesn't like walking on pavement? |
Oh I totally understand what you are going through. Maxi used to refuse to go outside. I think the AC noise outside was scaring him. When he put breaks I used to get his attention and say come on and start running. Once you move forward and running he would follow. That worked for me like a charm. ;) Now my little man enjoys walks. :) |
So twice today I have tried the treats while walking and also being a little more persistent - for short periods (a block or so) I've walked without stopping to give her the idea that we're going to walk even if she wants to sit/sniff/lay, etc., when in the past I've usually just picked her up if she kept refusing to walk. Whenever she would walk along with me instead of trying to pull to sit down I'd praise her like crazy and give her a treat. She's doing better already! I guess maybe this is all my fault because I let her get away with it for so long. I'll keep trying and hopefully (gradually) she'll get the idea that I'm in charge when we're walking. Thanks for all of the good advice! |
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