Pup SITS on walks! Ugh!

[Erica Andy & Khloé]

Hi everyone!  Our 9 month old goldendoodle, Khloe, is very energetic, so we take her on one or two 20 minute walks per day.  However, she will often SIT in the middle of the sidewalk or street after walking for (sometimes) only 5 minutes.  We have a gentle leader for her, and we try to encourage her to move forward with treats and "happy talk," however, she will not move unless we turn around and go the other way-- home!! Sometimes we try and wait it out and show her that we are the boss and don't give in to her demands, but this can obviously be frustrating just standing there waiting. There is only so much we can do short of dragging her along the route. We don't think she is hurt or anything because as soon as we turn around she bolts home no problem-- she sprints around the backyard and happily plays with us, has an appetite, etc.  Has anyone had any similar experiences?  Any advice?

We searched on the site here but weren't able to find any solutions using the posts similar to ours. She definitely walks great with the gentle leader when she is walking. However, whether it be the gentle leader, a harness, or a regular collar, she still just seems to sit randomly and wait for us to turn around. She doesn't eat or sniff anything; rather, she just sits there and waits.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Is this something that just recently started? 

[Erica Andy & Khloé]

I would say it started happening about a month or so ago?

[Lynda Kamrath]

Is the sidewalk hot?  My pup used to go from shade to shade and then sit.  He would not get up until he was ready, but it was because his feet were hot.  He only did this in the summer.

[DJ & Chance]

Chance does this at times--infrequently now but more as a puppy. Sometimes it was because he had a sticker in his foot or something else that needed attention.  At other times, it was Chance wanting to do what Chance wants to do, which is to control the walk. 

When I knew he was not hurting or injured or in need of water but rather just being stubborn, I distracted him by doing a quick training exercise (sit, stay, come, etc.) with rewards and usually that made him forget his protest.

[Kim]

Chewie will sit at every shady patch of grass. When we get back to our street he acts like if he doesn't get home that instant his life will be over. I think it's because the kids let him run down our street. I'm not sure that's helpful but he does sit all of the time.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Have you tried taking her to a park or someplace away from home? What if you try running a little or bouncing a ball to get her more interested in moving forward? Mixing up the walk a little with stops for training, fun exercises, etc. may help. If not, maybe she just is content to stay at home.

I have to take my dogs for a walk twice a day or Vern stays up half the night, so I am a little jealous :) Some days, I would really love to skip our walk.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I'll tell you what my trainer has always taught me.....just keep right on walking.  I also use a Gentle Leader and every now and then Guinness will decide he'd rather go a different route, so he just stops.....I keep on going and then he has no choice but to follow.  He has a tantrum for a minute or two and then he realizes I'm in charge of the walk...not him.

[Moe]

My dog is almost 4 and will do this all the time if we are walking near our home. She just refuses to walk that far from home. She will sit and absolutely refuse to walk. Cesar Milan did an episode on this and he suggested balls, treats, alternating running / walking, it worked for the dog on the tv. It might work for your dog. It did nothing for Charlie. If I drag her through it she will walk another few fee and stop again.

I prefer to walk in a local state park so I drive there and walk. If we walk this way she never hesitates and is confident and happy on walks. We usually walk for about 45 minutes to an hour. She will also walk well anywhere that we drive to, different parks, friends houses various towns etc. It is just leaving the house that she has a problem with. I have not really done much about it because I usually walk in the park anyway but it would be nice if my kids could give her a second walk in the evening near home.

I'd suggest driving somewhere else and walking to see if you can rule out physical problem like maybe she's in pain and stops because she needs a break or if it is just a "I don't want to leave my house" problem. If it is the latter it's all in her head.  :)

I have not been able to figure it out but maybe someone will have some insightful advice. I'd love to get beyond this also.

[Abigail *George & Juno*]

Our George does this, but it's almost as if she has a mini anxiety attack and then cowers down and won't continue. But just like your Charlie, if I take her to the wilderness trail or drive her really anywhere else she will continue to walk with me perfectly fine. First of all George is pretty timid right now and it started a few months ago, we decided that when we walk around our neighborhood she freaks out and wants to go back to her "safe place". If I take her away from our neighborhood...staying with me is as safe as it gets. But she really doesn't seem to panic as much away from our neighborhood either. We're getting a new dog addition next weekend, and we've already heard that Juno is a "firecracker" so we're secretly hoping she helps with George's confidence a bit as well. George didn't used to be so timid and afraid of so much, is 8 months a fear stage I wasn't aware of?

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

Libby does this while walking and she is three years old and she also is on a Gentle Leader.   She stops if she hears a car backing out of a driveway or someone is standing outside up ahead of our walk that for one reason or another she is not comfortable with that person.  All we do is go off the side walk into the street and pass the area she is concerned with and she is fine and immediately walks with us.  We believe it is a warning to us and she senses fear for us.  One day my DH was walking her and they were in the street and as they were getting ready to round a corner she dead stopped and would not move.  All of a sudden a car going very fast was coming around that corner and had she not stopped they probably would have been hit.  My DH has a hearing problem and did not hear the car coming.   She does not stop unless she fears something ahead.  She is a great walker and loves going every day for two miles and usually without stops, but if she does we know something is bothering her and we just move around it.  

[F, Calla & Luca]

How wonderful. She is like a self trained service dog.

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

F