my 17 week old pup just wont walk

chris139ryan

as above when we got him he just wouldnt go for a walk. I thought when he got a bit older he might grow confidence and start to enjoy them but he seems to hate them.

I dont pull him along if he doesnt want to, I have tried bringing distractions, throwing food infront of him and bringing him for walks with other dogs. Nothing seems to work.

I dont no what else to do, anybody have any ideas as id love to bring him on daily walks

fret_wimp2

break it down a bit for us.

is it everything about walking he hates?
is it just the lead?
is it the collar?

If you put the lead on him for 20 minutes and just left him alone in your living room, is he displaying unhappy behavior?

Most dogs ive experienced, if they dont like walks, its actually the lead they dont like.

Start off by just leaving the lead on him in the house for a few mins and giving him treats, making him happy. show him the lead is not a barrier to happiness. once he is comfortable with the lead being on, try leading him from room to room, again being positive and keeping him happy. after a while the lead will not represent a nasty object and walks should become easier.

chris139ryan

fret_wimp2 wrote: »

break it down a bit for us.

is it everything about walking he hates?
is it just the lead?
is it the collar?

If you put the lead on him for 20 minutes and just left him alone in your living room, is he displaying unhappy behavior?

Most dogs ive experienced, if they dont like walks, its actually the lead they dont like.

Start off by just leaving the lead on him in the house for a few mins and giving him treats, making him happy. show him the lead is not a barrier to happiness. once he is comfortable with the lead being on, try leading him from room to room, again being positive and keeping him happy. after a while the lead will not represent a nasty object and walks should become easier.

its pretty much everything about the walk. He just wont walk. He doesnt mind the lead at all, he walks perfectly around the house and back garden with it and he doesnt mind his collar at all.

I have asked some of the trainers out in dogs training ireland and the vet I go to, they both said he will grow out of it as he ages. It has been 9 weeks since he arrived and he is showing no signs of improvement at all.

Im just really puzzled with it

Susannahmia

My dog (bichon x jack russell) was similar as a pup. He absolutely hated walks. He would hide if he saw us getting the lead out and would have to be dragged out the door.

I don't think it was any thing to do with the lead etc. He was just lazy and a home bird I think.

He wouldn't sniff around or anything, he was just completely uninterested in the whole thing.

We were really puzzled because we have another dog who basically lives for her walks and all our past dogs had been the same.

We just stuck at it and made him come anyway. When he was smaller we would carry him for half the walk etc in case he was tired.

He's about 8 months old now and it's only really in the last two months that he's changed his mind and is now loving his walks. I don't know for sure but it seemed to coincide with him hitting puberty at around six months.

He's still not as "into it" as my other dog. He can take it or leave it really. He doesn't care if we miss a day, whereas my other dog would be devastated.

Vince32

My ne Sibe was just like that, she was "paws down" refusing to move when ever she saw a car, another "person" "dog" etc,

Try to encourage the dog with "come on!" - in an excited tone - make kissing noise, and clicking with your mouth.

Slowly introduce it to the world, EVERYTHING IS HUGE AND SCARY to a pup, or dog who isn't climatised to new surroundings, so start with 5 mins just outside the door, - use a stop watch - then a minute trying to make progress forward, again encouraging it if it is scared or unwilling.

On my first few walks with my girl, she stoped dead at the sight of every moving car, bus, truck, things we take for granted, but a nightmare for a new pup, so don'y "yank" "snap" or "pull" the leash, just allow the dog to start trusting you, and in a day or two it will happily walk wherever you go.

Hope I helped.

planetX

my pup wouldn't come on walks at that age - he was a scaredy dog. Now at 6 months he can't get enough.
Patience

chris139ryan

thanks everyone for the replies. I will try some of them methods.

Brought him out tonight with my dad and the other dog, he kind of walked ok but stopped about 20 times but at least he did the block eventually.

mymo

Are any of your neighbours doggy fans?
My older fella was a bit unsure going walkies at first but several of my neighbours have dogs and love dogs, so when we went out lots of people stopped to say hello. I trained my boy to "say hello", which is just to greet someone and be cuddled really, no jumping.
The cuddles and cutie talk from them won him over
Before long he started begging for walks all the time.
Also helped that 2 older friendly dogs sit outside their houses all day and always had a wagg and sniff for him. Built up his confidence no end.
Best of luck, hope he gets over it soon.

marley123

Have you a neighbours/friends dog you could "Buddy him up with - attach a lead from your dogs collar to the other dogs collar this way the other dog would be helping to keep him moving?

Vince32

chris139ryan wrote: »

thanks everyone for the replies. I will try some of them methods.

Brought him out tonight with my dad and the other dog, he kind of walked ok but stopped about 20 times but at least he did the block eventually.

Thats about normal, he will stop when he sees something unfamiliar, but once you convince him that its not a threat he will move on.

My Girl was exactly the same on her first walk, now she can't wait to go out, just go slowly and don't try to do too much, too soon.

chris139ryan

mymo wrote: »

Are any of your neighbours doggy fans?
My older fella was a bit unsure going walkies at first but several of my neighbours have dogs and love dogs, so when we went out lots of people stopped to say hello. I trained my boy to "say hello", which is just to greet someone and be cuddled really, no jumping.
The cuddles and cutie talk from them won him over
Before long he started begging for walks all the time.
Also helped that 2 older friendly dogs sit outside their houses all day and always had a wagg and sniff for him. Built up his confidence no end.
Best of luck, hope he gets over it soon.

yeah i have one neighbour that likes him and he has a dog. I tried him about a week ago with him and his dog but no success but maybe now he will be a little different

mymo

I started off with a very short walk, just along our block in the estate (6 houses from one end to other), then after 3 or 4 times a day for 2 days we went into next row of houses, by the end of the first week we were doing a walk around the square my house is in 22 houses, but took us about 10mins:D
He will gain confidence, seeing friendly people that give him a pet will encourage him, even try members of your family going out first and waiting up the road, he'll get to them before he knows it.
Remember its all new to him, all those smells and sights and sounds.