Sitting down - scared, interested but nervous, or ????

[Wendy Taylor]

Hi all, haven't been able to find any good answers with some googling and with typing in some keywords to DK, so hoping someone (anyone!) has some words of wisdom for me. 

When I take Ozzy outside to do his business or to just go for a walk, if he sees a dog in the distance, a child, a person walking, a strange car/sign, he will stop, sit down, and stare (no barking or whining...just staring). No amount of coaxing, treat dangling, tugging can get him to break his stare. If I step in front of him and block his view, he just moves so that he whatever he was staring at before is in his line of sight, and he'll stare again. This goes on until I can't stand it anymore and physically pick him up and move him. Even after this, he'll sometimes turn around, walk back to where he can see the person/thing again. Once the person has gone inside their house or the dog is out of sight or I've moved him around the corner to where he can't see the object, he'll keep walking.

What does this mean? Is he scared? If he's scared, why would he keep purposely moving to an area where he can see the object again? And more importantly...what do I do??? He's 40lb and growing and my 120lb self can't keep picking him up forever. Actually, should I even be picking him up? Is that teaching him any negative associations/bad behaviors? Sigh, my back is starting to hurt. Thanks all. 

[shelly]

Tori does this too...when  there's a spot she does not want to pass on our walks - she just freezes and will NOT budge - I coax, pull, nothing - until I literally pick her up as well... I used to think there was a certain smell she didn't like, but nope... can't figure it out.  I've tried to trick her, but she won't be fooled.  she also will do this when a car passes by as well

[Lori, Rooney & Zuzu]

Hmmm... I guess I would have suggested coaxing with treats but it sounds like you have done that. Does it help at all if you try to keep the momentum going by actually making him move faster when you anticipate there might be distractions? I find with Rooney if he is having a particularly distracted walk I start mixing it up with little bursts of runnning/jogging/stop/sit/change directions etc... It often helps to get his focus back on me because he doesn't know what to expect next. I also incorporate lots of treats when I do this so it's also very rewarding.

It does seem like a sort of nervous behavior to me but I am the furthest thing from being an expert.

[Sue and Buddy]

Buddy, 21 weeks, does a sit and stare, also. When he is in the yard and something startles him, he will come running to me, sit very straight and tall and watch. When the neighbors are in their yard, he will go sit and look at them through the chain link fence. When we are walking and he hears or sees a car coming down the street he will walk out of the road to a yard and sit and watch the car go by. We do not have sidewalks, so we walk in the road. Once the car is far enough away for him, he will walk on. The funniest thing about that is I have had people comment how well trained he is. I have no idea why he does this. He never barks when he does it.

I guess I am lucky that after the car goes by, Buddy is ready to move on. But there is no way to budge him when he is watching the car go by. Most of the time I praise him and tell him he's such a good, boy and let's go. Let's go is his signal to move on. We worked on that in the back yard with treats before I started walking him on the road, so he knows that command.

I don't think your pup is scared, but curious. You might start working on a lets go type of command in the yard and the house. Once you get him doing it at home, maybe he will do it while walking.

[Cathy w/Shiloh~Cody]

My theory is these dogs are very intelligent and are learning the world around them by stopping and staring and taking it all in..I would not pick the dog up, another option may be taking control of the dogs head and the body will follow by using "The Gentle Leader." With a slight correction you should be able to get your dog moving again. 

[shelly]

I have one stubborn girl - she would rather choke than move - LOL... I do have to get a gentle leader though and try that

[Jen, Lachlan, and Declan]

Lachlan does this when he wants to stop and study something, usually something he's never seen before. I've always just let him take his time to think about whatever it is and move forward at his pace to examine it (if it's something stationary). As he gets older and has been exposed to more things it happens less and less. Like Sue, I use "let's go" to mean "we're moving on now" so that if I'm in a hurry I can keep him moving.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

It sounds a little like fixating, and I don't allow that from my dogs.  At the first sign of it I would quickly turn and walk the opposite way for a while.  Just remember YOU are in control of the walk and where you go.  Have you thought about obedience training...especially for loose leash walking or heeling?

[Wendy Taylor]

We're doing basic puppy obedience classes right now (sit, stay, come, etc). I guess the next step would be loose leash walking training...hopefully I haven't taught him any bad habits thus far...we've just been walking around ad lib on a leash. What is heeling?

[Michelle Motorola]

my girl is 12 weeks and does this, but only on the front lawn when people walk by she has to watch them until they are out of sight. I kind of though it was cute but i suppose i should try and nip that in the bud while i can!!! I never realized it was something she shouldnt be doing