Refuse to go for a walk?

[Martha & Cooper]

I am confused about my Cooper.  He gets excited when I suggest we go for a walk.   We put get out his leash and Gentle Leader and he does very well in front of our house and for two houses down the block, then he stops.   Dead in his tracks and refuses to go further!    It is like there is a line drawn on the sidewalk and he can't cross it.   We have become the laughing stock of the the neighborhood.   Here  comes Cooper,  All ready to walk, then he stops, sits down, lays down and won't go any further.   I toss a treat, try to encourage him in every way I can think of.   He just seems like he is done.  But the weird thing is, he turns around and walks home just fine.   He did well in puppy classes and does well on the leash.   Do you think he is just feeling out of his comfort zone?  Or do you think it is because there is another puppy living at the house where he stops and he wants to see that puppy?   Even if I let him visit with JJ, the other puppy, he won't walk much further.   Strange, isn't it?   I even took a video last week to show my trainer to see if she can give me some advice.   I just wondered if anyone else had a Doodle that didn't like to walk.  

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Will he walk in the other direction from your home, or will he walk if you take him to a park?

[Martha & Cooper]

No, it is pretty much the same in either direction. He likes to "investigate" at the park, but not walk the trails. He does the same thing, stops dead in his tracks on a trail and refuses to go further. Silly puppy. I just keep going out every day with him, hoping he will go further. I am thinking that one of these days he will get past this and we will make it around the block!

[BG and Gavin]

Does he react any differently if you don't use the gentle leader?

[Ron Carnes]

Same thing with Zack. He was timid but time resolved the issue.

[Martha & Cooper]

That is good news that time resolved the issue for Zack. Maybe that is all I need with Cooper.

[Martha & Cooper]

Nope, I tried just using his flat collar and it didn't make any difference. He was trained in his puppy class on the Gentle Leader and listens to me better when it is on, but we are transitioning from it. He doesn't seem to mind it. He eagerly climbs up in his chair for me to put in on him for the walk and seems excited, that is why I don't understand why he is so hesitant after we start walking.

[BG and Gavin]

Here is a link to a similar discussion we had here. Hope you find it helpful.
http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/advice-from-city-dog-owners

[Martha & Cooper]

Thanks, I will check it out!

[Kay Bolin]

What if you took him in the car to some other location and walked there? How about maybe stop off a block or two from your house and walk home. I'm anxious to hear how this resolves!

[Martha & Cooper]

That's a thought! I just might try that this weekend. Have my hubby drop us off and we walk home. Thanks!

[Martha & Cooper]

Didn't get a chance to have my hubby drop us off away from home this weekend, but kept trying to walk the block and he finally walked to the end of the street! Progress! I think Ron is right, He is a little timid about trying new things and maybe this is just one of them even though we have been doing this for months. A neighbor he hadn't met yet was out, so I took him out to meet her and she lived a lot further up the street. Now he isn't as skiddish to walk past her house. He is very friendly and doesn't act the least bit scared when he meets someone new. Kind of makes you wonder what is going through his mind? LOL! I'll keep plugging away at it and one day soon get my hubby to drop us off a block or two from home.

[Martha & Cooper]

Update! Cooper is now walking pretty well most of the time. I just kept plugging away at it every day and all of a sudden something clicked for him and he decided it was ok. Now he walks pretty much wherever I want to go. This last week, we have been "teaching" his new buddy, JJ, to walk on a leash and Cooper thinks he is really big stuff now! LOL!