[snuggles]

hi there,

i have a 4 1/2 month old japanese spitz puppy, have started to take her out walking. . . bought the harness, prepared myself, got her all geared up, walked out the door expecting to have an enjoyable walk....2 steps out she plonks on the ground and will not budge!!! have tried treats, giving her time everything!! so last week has been me walking fast not turning around and literally dragging her to walk, she does a little 2 legged hop!!!got my husband to come out last night to think she may walk but no......the thing is the minute i turn around to walk home she walks perfectly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

this is my first dog so i really do not know what to do - should i continue making her to go? am i hurting her paws?:dog-crazy:

would appreciate any advice..............plz help

 

[oneisa]

Is this the 1st time she has been on the harness or the leash? Try seeing if she will walk with it around the house.

Are you walking on concrete or grass? When my lab was a puppy and we 1st started walking on concrete, her paws bled a little. I of course immediately called the vet who told me that she would develop callouses on her paws and would be fine.

 

[snuggles]

Oneisa, thanks for the response, yes its her first time on harness, she walks find in around the house, fine outside the house, its just when i go to walk down the estate away from the house that she begins dragging - well she kind of hops!!! It's on concrete, was conscious of her paws alright. Dont know if i should just continue making her go & hope one day she will get it that she will be going back home!! Such a joy to walk her when i turn around to go back to the house, she stands right beside me and walks a treat!!!

 

[oneisa]

Have you tried bringing treats or a toy with you on your walks?

 

[traininglabs]

That's pretty strange -- I haven't heard of that kind of behavior before. Is she an adopted dog? Could she have some sort of fear or tendency that developed with a previous owner?

 

[ChathamHillKennels]

This is really easy to fix.

Walk her out the door. If she refuses to get up and walk. Then carry her a couple of houses away from the home and put her down. She should take a little encouraging but she'll be more inclined to walk towards your house. Because in the end that's where she want to be. Eventually when you go out the door she'll know to just walk because she'll eventually be coming back home.

 

[dch]

Why did you get her a harness??? This is not a good training tool! Get rid of the harness and get a good martingale collar. Click on this link. I just bought a bunch of these as they are great collars. My dogs wear them all the time and it's really easy to just clip on the lead and go for a walk. They are great as the dogs cant back out of them and they go loose when the dog is walking along with you. https://www.premier.com/store/Products.aspx?cid=1&pid=11

Take her to Obedience classes. This way it gets her away from the house. Plus socializes her with other dogs and gets her leash trained.

Do you treat her when you get back to the house? If so, you are teaching her that she wants to go back home as she knows she is getting treats. She is training you well!

Take her for a ride in the car to the nearest park. Pick her up out of the car and take her to a spot where you can just stand or sit with her. She needs to be leash trained and this will give her a good start. Bring a toy with you, if she likes toys. Have her play with you with the toy. When she is ready she will want to start exploring. Then just follow her around. When she is more comfortable with you doing this, then you can gently start to guide her in the direction you want to go. Use the toy or food treats, whichever one she likes the best, when she is doing good. Don't treat or praise her when she resists. Just be patient and calm.

If she fights you and the leash just stand your ground till she stops. She will get bored with that after awhile and will start to walk around. If you give into her, she will end up being dominant over you.

If someone else is there with a dog that likes other dogs and puppies, your pup will start to follow the other dog. So walk her with other dogs! It's great to train her this way. Plus you can make good walking buddies and friends this way!

Good luck! Let us know how things go.