Is your dog a stubborn Donkey Dog? A lot of dogs pull forward on leash, but some dogs and many puppies pull *backward* or refuse to walk. Pulling harder only makes the problem worse, so what should you do? One way is to teach your dog the cue, “Let’s Go!” This is especially useful for puppies and bully breeds.
Many of the techniques in my Leash Walking article are still valid, but a more targeted answer for laggers is in a post I wrote in the forum, so thought I’d link to it here in the blog, as refusing to walk is a common dog problem. The methods I described in the forum assumed that the dog was not fearful, just didn’t want to go forward. If you have a fearful dog, I would teach the Let’s Go cue, but I would also work on desensitizing their fear, so they have less reason to pull back. We have classes for fear and also sell two useful books: Cautious Canine and Help for Your Fearful Dog.
Written by Grisha Stewart, Ahimsa Dog Training, Seattle![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
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May 9th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Hoping you can help me… I’ve got a 120lb Akita mix who is very willfull. For the last six months (new home) he’s been great, twice daily walks, play in the park – he just really loved his walks! Then, I went out of town for 2 weeks, and while I was gone, my house/dog sitter tried to walk him, and he refused (by getting to end of driveway and lying down). When I returned home, this behavior continued. He will only go to the park now… any other path and it’s a no-go. At 120lbs, if he doesn’t want to move, there isn’t much I can do about it. I’ve continued the routine, but we never make it 50 ft from the house, and we just return. He seems generally afraid (his curly tail goes down, and he won’t look me in the eye) although I can’t imagine why… he’s absolutely the alpha male of the neighborhood and has left his mark EVERYWHERE. Any ideas? He’s pretty chunky, so I need to keep him walking and the park isn’t always accessible! Thanks so much for your time, ~Jamie (and Chewie)
May 11th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Keep in mind that every consequence has the chance to reward, punish, or not have any effect on the dog’s behavior. If you return home when he plops down, chances are, you’re reinforcing that. If you return home while he’s still walking out at a good pace, you could reinforce that, instead. I’d start out with some loops. As in, 20 feet forward, treat, and then return to the starting place. Then wait a 20-30 seconds and do it again, maybe going 22 feet that time or 25. Then the next loop is 30 feet, and so on. Don’t do too many in a row.
One variation might be to set out (in advance) a string of uber-tasty treats, about 5 feet apart, starting with 25 feet out and going maybe to 60 or 70 feet. That way, they get the reward there, and you walk back empty-handed. Repeat to the next treat, etc. Worth a try! It may be better if those treats are a surprise (i.e., your dog won’t start to get dependent on them), so you’ll have to experiment. Either way, expect to do this for several sessions.
Meanwhile, lower the calories at home so you’re not making Chewie fat. Exercise in the house (fetch, tug, etc.) As long as you’re walking, he’s exercising, even if you’re walking in circles. So take your time with expanding those little loops.
Other possibilities are what I’ve already said in this article. Targeting (dog touching nose to your hand) is a great way to get them to move and get over their fears. If all else fails, get a positive reinforcement trainer to come out to the house to help you.