Collie suddenly refuses to walk!!

clareog

Hi everyone,

Really hoping someone can help with this new problem. My family and I have a one year old border collie pup. Previously, he loved going on walks (although did pull on the leash a good bit) and I would regularly jog with him while my Mam took him out at least once a day.

However, practically overnight this has all changed. Now he will only go so far on the walk before he flat out refuses to go any further. At first I thought it was because winter was setting in and he was scared of the car headlights in the evening, but it has gotten to the stage where he will not walk in the daytime either. He seems anxious and nervous when he's out, constantly looking behind him with his tail between his legs and cowering but nothing has happened to him to explain this change in personality.

He still loves being outside and will happily head up the mountains off leash or will chase a ball with the ball flinger so I cannot understand what is going on. It is very confusing and frustrating. If anyone work this one out please let me know! Thanks all

clareog

p.s I just want to mention that bribing him with tasty treats didn't work. I also tried changing the walk route in case he was bored but to no avail!!

Rubberchikken

probably no help, but i have a westie, loves walking in the forestry, parks or green areas.
will just drag and dawdle on paths that she doesn't deem fit to walk on:(
other paths seem more interesting and they're ok according to her.
no solution sorry.

Kali_Kalika

This is a guess based on my own dog (a collie/setter mix) - similar happened to her, but it was only one direction. She'd turn left out of the drive and up the block - but not right. Again, it happened out of no where, for seemingly no reason. Ok, here and now, I will add, my dog is beyond silly :rolleyes: The biggest wuss probably ever created. So, with that in mind - during the summer (May) she had taken a (silly, pointless) fright over a ceramic flower pot (or whatever outdoor pots are made of) someone had balanced on their wall that had tipped over and broken on the ground. Terrified (I've told the tale here before!) We were walking along, happy, fine and not a bother until she spotted that - had a complete meltdown (howling, barking, fur up on her back - all while trying to hide behind me :rolleyes: in the middle of afternoon school pick up (oh, I live between two schools on one road) :rolleyes: so vast audience to watch her oscar performance meltdown over a broken flower pot that she was sure had arrived to destroy the world and her entire existance :rolleyes: See, I did warn you I've a silly dog! - so - fast forward to late September where she will no longer turn right out of the drive and up the block. I took an afternoon and coaxed her along with her ball and flinger (sorry, I have to add here, I LOVED that you used flinger that's what I call it and anyone who hears me say it just looks at me baffled and like I'm a bit mad, even when I explain or show them!), she didn't want to, but yet she will do anything for that ball and flinger so slowly, house by house we went up the block, she was gaining a bit of confidence after the 3rd house until ..... dunt dunt dunt (dramatic music!) ..... we reached the house with the doomsday flower pot .... dunt dunt dunt (more dramatic music) it had been ... REPLACED! :eek: - she had spotted that from our house and decided, nope, its gonna get me if we go that way. So, after knocking on the door and asking if I could take their flowers down to show her (yes, they laughed at me, but thankfully owned a dog so "got" the dog weirdness thing! ) - we spent a few minutes getting to know the flower pot :rolleyes: - apparently she and the flower pot came to an agreement and we no longer have issues going up the block in that direction. However, the flower pot still gets evil glares as we pass just in case the agreement falls through!

Maybe your dog got a fright from something in that direction? They've no issues you said elsewhere just that direction. Maybe try and see when their fear peaks and spend a few minutes there, being calm yourself showing them "see, nothing scary here!" - I might have been a bus or a motorbike or something you didn't even notice. Just a guess all this has been! But collies can be weird like that :rolleyes: but that's why I love collies!

Oh - and on a side note - regarding the pulling on the lead - I had the same issue. After she danced up Dame Street on her back legs (pulling that hard!) - much to the amusement of every passer by. :rolleyes: I decided a harness was in order, quick! We took a trip to Maxi Zoo and I spotted a harness so quickly I just knew it would work and I loved the look of it! (And I'm not really a shopper let alone an impluse buyer like that!) we tried it on and staff said to take her on a spin around the shop to try it out, by the time I reached the end of the shop I called back "yes, just put it on the bill, we're taking it!) - Its literally the best. harness. ever. No doubt. I cannot praise it enough! Super bonus - she loves it as well! Normally she'll try and chew things like that off. I've gone through about 10 reflective coats (cheap, I'll admit, but still!) but nope, she loves this, goes mental when she sees it and she's such a joy to have out and about on it that she literally goes everywhere with me now and our walks have doubled in length and occasion! So it might seem pricey (I paid 38 euro for her size which is collie size) but seriously, if the price was doubled I'd have still bought it and be singing its praises! Its called a Julius-k9 harness (I found a direct link to them but Maxi Zoo has them)

http://www.julius-k9.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&view=productdetails&virtuemart_product_id=2404&virtuemart_category_id=353&Itemid=583

tk123

Are there fireworks going off in the area at all or even halloween decorations? Or has anything changed - it could be the most trivial thing that's scaring the dog.

clareog

Thanks for your helpful replies so far everyone. Kali_Kalika, it's good to know that I'm not the only one with a slightly neurotic collie!

This problem started in mid September, a few days after I came home from France for the summer, so the fireworks hasn't begun at that point. Previously Shep and my mam walked happily together during the summer. Initially my mam thought it was due to me being home. My dog and I are very close so she thought that he didn't want me to let me out of his sight again, he has a strong herding instinct. I was skeptical at this and even more so now that he's started doing the same thing with me.

I wish it was only one direction that he dislikes but it seems that once he realises he's too far away from home, he will literally plant his feet down and will not move (unless we turn around to go home.. Then he's like a sled dog pulling me!)

As I said he's absolutely delighted to be off leash, not a bother on him so now I'm wondering whether it's a mix of neuroticism and pure stubbornness! Either way, any other suggestions on how to fix this problem are very welcome! (Any dog psychologists/ psychiatrists out there?!)

carav10

Anything can set a collie off, might have been a big noisy lorry coming up from behind that gave him a scare at some point during his puppyhood that started it. Usually around the 8 to 14 months are the dodgy times for frights & fears. My own does get a bit nervy with headlights or cars fast approaching.

How I dealt with it, not saying it's the right way but it's helped, I went and sat on a wall with her by the road for about 30mins a few times until she got bored & unreactive. Everytime a big one approached, I'd call her to me & give her a command like sit & reward her for focusing on me while it passed. She's fine now.

In relation to yours, maybe go to the threshold point. Do little obedience/fun exercises within the 'comfort zone' gradually moving into the 'nervy' zone. If this persists then a trainer is a good route to go.

As an add on, some collies are so neurotic they can just be saying ehhh I want back inside thanks, but to be fair it doesn't sound like a princessy issue here!

phelo2121

maybe try much shorter walks if you can catch him just before he starts refusing to walk further and turn around and go back so your breaking this new found habit .once you get him out in a walk so many times and get him around before he gets it into his head to turn he might just forget about it !

clareog

These are great suggestions guys thanks a mill. Yeah I think it is a case of having to 're-wire' his brain to get him to start to enjoy walks again. Hopefully with a pocket full of sausages and a bit of time, I can get him to come around to the idea of walkies being a good thing. I'll probably wait after Halloween just to make sure nothing else cements this fear. Thanks again!

Pretzill

I too have have had to overcome the neurosis of my dog(s) refusal to walk. I also have border collies. One used to stop at the top of a hill and would refuse to go further but because I had the other dog with me she eventually gave in and reluctantly followed, this happened quite regularly in a very quiet area, it made me wonder whether there was something creepy about this part of the road, (I guess she had a neurotic owner too) Like another poster said I would have to wait until she was ready, I turned back the first time because I thought she knew best and we'd walked a fair bit of the walk already but when it kept happening she just had to come with me, even if she didn't like it much.

Having said that it was only a particular part of the roadway, once she got over it, she was fine. But this only started happening in older age. As with another BC he won't really walk much at all nowadays, he has in fairness to him very bad hips, so I can't really blame him. But he still needs a little exercise and use it or lose it analogy kicks in with me. The walk is really short and in an area where I can have him off lead, though I need to keep him on lead or he'll take an even shorter cut, slip around and wait for me to return.

Another thing that struck me with your case is you said your collie loves running around off lead, and playing ball are these all on grassy softer areas? Perhaps he has a problem with his pads? May be the road his hurting him, they could be cracked?

happywithlife

My sisters dog went off her walks a while back - turned out the poor pet had a kidney infection I think it was. She literally bounced back with a dose of antibiotics

clareog

Collie has started walking again!! I think it was just a bolshy phase. Thanks for all the advice!