Problems with walks

[Cathy]

Hi,

We have been taking Charlie on short walks since we got him at 8 weeks.  He is now four months old and over the last month he has not been wanting to go on walks. He get about 20 feet from the house and stops every 5 feet to either lay on grass or sit on the sidewalk and won't budge!  I am trying to use treats to get him going but has anyone else had this problem?  He walks very nicely back to the house because he knows he's going home. He walks much better if there are two people taking him for a walk.  Starts basic obedience in a few weeks.  It's not that he's tired since he has lots of energy in the yard and house!

thanks!

[Helen]

Do you have a friend with another dog that could walk with you, so there is a leader and someone for him to follow?

[Carlos and Chloe]

That's what happened with our dog chloe. Around 3-4 months old she'd walk as far as 1 house over and then just sit there refusing to go further. She'd have no problem scampering back home. I kept trying every day and eventually it went away. Must be a phase...now at 8 months old she can't wait to go for walks.

[BG and Gavin]

I think this is a very common issue. Do a search on "walk" and see what comes up. We used a squeaky toy that Gavin likes to lure him along. When he sat down we would pick him up and carry him a few feet, set him down and start again. This phase does not last very long. Helen's idea of bringing along another dog is excellent.

[Cheryl and Eddie]

I know that Eddie was extremely sensitive to the heat and exhibited some of this. I always bring water with me on the walk. As the weather has gotten a bit cooler, and he's gotten older, he loves to run now at 6 months. He cannot wait to go out and run and I've lost 10 lbs.! Keep the faith!

[Lynne B]

What I suggest is that you get a target stick (you can just make one out of a piece of wood or plastic if you want) and put something super yummy on the end of it, like peanut butter or spreadable cheese, hold it out in front of the dog so he will move forward to get it, occasionally let him 'win' and lick it a bit and then keep moving. You can get a retractable target stick at most pet stores but it's really not necessary, it works well with most anything. Just don't use something sharp like a wire - you don't want to use anything that could hurt the pup if he runs into it.

[Julie Savolt]

Oh, this brings back memories! Ours did the same thing. We started by having the kids walk ahead so he kept on walking and when he was walking good we said "good walking" and gave him a treat. We tried to do it while he was still walking so he got the concept that we wanted him to keep going. Our dog also didn't like the heat so once fall came he seemed to be a better walker. Good luck! He'll get the hang of it soon!

[Michelle and Chloe]

I had the same problem with Chloe when she was around 4 months old also. I tried to coax her with treats and her toys but she would shut down and not budge. Someone told me to take her for a walk with my other dog and she would get confidence from him. I have to say it worked and now she loves going for walks and doesn't mind when there's traffic around.