Dog won&#x27;t go for a walk

Jadel_L

We've tried taking a ball out with us but he's not interested in it at all.

I usually let him lead the way, but as soon as he gets somewhere he'l stop so i'm not forcing him to go somewhere. He gets the choice.

He does sometimes refuse to even get up when we're in the house and you have to drag him out of the door!

Again, another case that the dog is allowed to do what it likes, when it likes. What happens when you give it what it wants? It has no reason to change and/or obey you.

You have two options:

1) Let the dog do what it wants (and you end up with an uncontrollable dog which will probably be returned to the shelter pretty soon)

2) You instil some ground rules and enforce them (ie; you discourage negative behaviour, and reward good behaviour).

Reply 22

Xenopus

9

Lock it in a cupboard for a few hours, by the time you let it out it will be dying for a walk.

Reply 23

OP

ch0c0h01ic

Again, another case that the dog is allowed to do what it likes, when it likes. What happens when you give it what it wants? It has no reason to change and/or obey you.

You have two options:

1) Let the dog do what it wants (and you end up with an uncontrollable dog which will probably be returned to the shelter pretty soon)

2) You instil some ground rules and enforce them (ie; you discourage negative behaviour, and reward good behaviour).

How is he getting his own way if we drag him out of the door? You don't make sense.

DisgruntledMoth

.

He won't go to the toilet in the garden so he needs to go for a walk. And he doesn't get to run around a large area like that, he's always on his lead so he does need to go for a walk every day.

Reply 24

Jadel_L

How is he getting his own way if we drag him out of the door? You don't make sense.

He won't go to the toilet in the garden so he needs to go for a walk. And he doesn't get to run around a large area like that, he's always on his lead so he does need to go for a walk every day.

I didn't see the bit that you mention that you still drag him out the door, but there is no denying the fact that you pick him up when he refuses to walk, you take him out because he refuses to toilet in the garden, etc.

We'll see what the vet has to say.

Reply 25

Veggiechic

9

Wish I could get my cat to go walkies, she's huge and very very lazy!

Erm... maybe vary where you go walking and take some toys and stuff, try and make it more fun for the lil tyke. Maybe try and get into a routine or going for walks at the same time of day so he knows they're coming

Reply 26

OP

ch0c0h01ic

I didn't see the bit that you mention that you still drag him out the door, but there is no denying the fact that you pick him up when he refuses to walk, you take him out because he refuses to toilet in the garden, etc.

We'll see what the vet has to say.

Would you leave him in the middle of the road then? No i don't think so.

If we don't pick him up he'l start pulling and will hurt himself if we don't do anything about it. I've tried pushing him with my leg but it does nothing.
He's been abused so i'm not going to stand there shouting at him. We haven't had him long enough so be able to do that yet. Picking him up is the only option we have unless we want to hurt him. I'm not doing that to him.

Reply 27

Jadel_L

Would you leave him in the middle of the road then? No i don't think so.

If we don't pick him up he'l start pulling and will hurt himself if we don't do anything about it. I've tried pushing him with my leg but it does nothing.
He's been abused so i'm not going to stand there shouting at him. We haven't had him long enough so be able to do that yet. Picking him up is the only option we have unless we want to hurt him. I'm not doing that to him.

If you don't pull him and/or discipline him he's never going to learn any differently. Just in the same way that giving a child a Mars bar every time they try to stick their fingers in a plug socket isn't going to discourage them from doing it again. Sometimes you do have to be cruel to be kind.

As I said, I wonder what the vet will say :wink:

Reply 28

Nick_000

16

I've never known dogs not to like walks. My dog walks me. I have to run after him holding the lead. He's a boxer though so very energetic.

I'd wait for the vets opinion.

Reply 29

kayzy

13

my dog does this all the time, i think its boredom as he only does it when im walkign him around the block and will lie down or dig his claws in at every available short cut or if he thinks im taking him further than he wants to go, he also does this when in his opinion i should be going on a more intersting walk or when he wants to visit his dog friends: he kept lying down and trying to drag me into a house on my street and didnt know why until my mum told me that she had taken him for a walk with the dogs that lived there

all i can say is try to vary where your walking him if it is boredom, take a toy out if he likes them but probably take it to the vets just in case there is something wrong with him :borat:

Reply 30

brak3n

13

Do you dog's nail seem long? On carpet or on grass they might not bother him because they'd just sink in, but then on concrete it might hurt him to walk. Just a thought.

And in response to chocoholic - I agree that a consistent approach is needed, however, it possible to train with reinforcement rather than punishment. Rewarding the dog when it does something right, even if its just a couple of steps, can be just as effective (and as a bonus, kinder) than dragging the dog or punishing it in some other way when it doesn't walk. You seem to be acting smug because you think the vet's going to say the same thing as you :rolleyes:

Reply 31

brak3n

And in response to chocoholic - I agree that a consistent approach is needed, however, it possible to train with reinforcement rather than punishment. Rewarding the dog when it does something right, even if its just a couple of steps, can be just as effective (and as a bonus, kinder) than dragging the dog or punishing it in some other way when it doesn't walk.

Yes positive reinforcement works but ideally you need to use it in conjunction with some sort of deterrent when the dog does perform a negative behaviour.

If you reward a 'bad' action (ie; picking the dog up) it becomes very heavily ingrained in a dog's memory and it takes something like an extra 10 tries before you're at a similar point as to before. That is why you have to make sure you get it right every time.

Reply 32

TSK08

7

take him somewhere more fun! i hate walking round the street - 1. as its so boring and 2. i never make any money :P

but seriously.... just take him the park etc - but get his paws checked first - might be something wrong there...?

make walking fun - you make sound like aprat but high pitched voice makes them all happy n exciteable.... and make yourself more fun - no offence - but mabey your boring him???? make him want to be with you!

Reply 33

OP

brak3n

Do you dog's nail seem long? On carpet or on grass they might not bother him because they'd just sink in, but then on concrete it might hurt him to walk. Just a thought.

And in response to chocoholic - I agree that a consistent approach is needed, however, it possible to train with reinforcement rather than punishment. Rewarding the dog when it does something right, even if its just a couple of steps, can be just as effective (and as a bonus, kinder) than dragging the dog or punishing it in some other way when it doesn't walk. You seem to be acting smug because you think the vet's going to say the same thing as you :rolleyes:

Nah they're fine, he doesn't have any problems walking outside on the concrete or walking along the street. He refuses to go on the grass in the garden though. I tried playing ball with him but he just stayed at the edge which is pretty strange. In the month we've had him i've only seen him on the grass a couple of times.

Just about managed to take him for a walk today, but it was very slow and he started crying when he saw some other dogs which he's never done before.
He did refuse a little when we got to one end of the street even though he led me there so i turned around and he was still a bit reluctant to go anywhere but we just about managed it.
I hope the vet can do something for him tomorrow, he just looks so sad and fed up most of time.

Reply 34

Curly_hair_girl

14

Was it raining? My dog doesn't really like walking in the rain.

Reply 35

OP