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Puppy WILL NOT walk in one direction

4K views 15 replies 10 participants last post by  Julian G 
#1 · (Edited)
Please lord someone help me I'm at my wit's end with this behavior. Our puppy started doing it about 2.5 weeks ago, and he'll be 16 weeks on Tuesday.

He simply will not walk away from my office or our apartment (but will happily walk on the way back) when I walk him alone. If my husband and I are together, it's fine, if we're walking with the trainer, he's fine, and my husband has experienced it on his own to some extent, but far, far less than I'm dealing with.

Where I work, I need to take him about a block down the street to a grassy area to go to the bathroom (it's a city). He loves the grassy area as soon as he gets there - he gets to play around and rip up grass, which is his favorite.

However, as soon as we get outside my office building, he sits his butt down, or lays down, and simply refuses to move. I suspect that he's spoiled, it's hot out, and he doesn't like leaving the AC, but peeing in my office is not an option, obviously.

I've tried bribing him to move forward with treats for a week and a half with basically no results (maybe a few steps here and there). I bought a harness for him so I could pull him without hurting his neck, and I've tried pulling until he gives in and walks for maybe 10 feet and then sits down again. I tried squatting down turning and facing him to encourage him to come to me which worked maybe two times, and I've tried continuing to walk forward without even looking back and acknowledging he stopped - also didn't work and a look like such a jerk. Anytime he walks forward he gets tons of verbal praise.

I know it's not the pavement hurting him, because I've stood on it barefoot looking like an idiot to be sure, it's shady for most of the walk, and he prances the whole way back joyfully, happily stopping to smell things and let people pet him.

I have to fix this problem ASAP. I get a million questions and bad looks on the street asking if he's scared and I'm forcing him to be out there, and now he's taken to peeing and pooping on the sidewalk instead of waiting for the grass, which gets me a lot of side eye in the street. I find myself being so jealous of people who have a problem with their puppy pulling forward on the leash, because this is so much worse in my opinion. Soon I won't be able to pull him even if I want, weight wise, so I really need a solution for this.

Please, any help is very appreciated!

Oh and side note: He walks beautifully in other places like the beach, park, literally anywhere besides home and work.
 
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#2 ·
honestly, at this point, I'd simply pick him up and carry him.
There may be many reasons he wants to stop. I'd stop with the harness. It's not going to do anything to help you correct the situation. I'd get a martingale (limited slip) collar. If he's already walking nicely on leash elsewhere, I'd give a little pop of the leash and encourage him to come along in a happy voice.

On another note, are you getting anxious and dreading taking him out of your office building because you KNOW that he's going to act this way? That can make the situation worse by making him anxious. I'd try going to opposite way for a few days - instead of walking quietly out of the building, I'd get him ramped up. Excited voice "Let's go for a walk!" "Come on we're going walking!" all the way across the lobby. Don't be afraid to look like a moron. Sometimes a large portion of puppy training is wondering "dear lord, the neighbors must think I've cracked"
If the lobby/in front of the door tends to be a bit crowded, carry him a bit away from the building and keep up the excited encouragement before you sit him on the ground. Then walk quickly away, like it's a game of "catch me if you can" Excited and get him moving after you.
 
#5 ·
Thanks so much, I just tried this the last time I took him out and it worked to some extent. He's actually not a very excitable puppy. He gets excited about random things, or when he's in play mode, but we can't seem to get him too excited with high pitched talking or enthusiasm like my last dog (with the exception of when we first arrive him and he's missed us).

I did go really enthusiastic in the beginning and kind of jogged out the front door down the 2 little steps of the building because he likes that, and then he immediately did his plop down. Undeterred (on the outside :wink2:) I just picked him up and started walking. He kind of hates being carried now so he got really squirmy about 100 ft from the grass, I set him down, and then he walked nicely. Now if this keeps up I'll try to decrease the carrying length and increase the walking afterwards. I was worried about carrying him encouraging the behavior (also he's freaking heavy), but I guess you gotta do what you gotta do! Thanks again!

So puppies can do this when they are apprehensive about the big bad world out there. He clearly is suspect of you too at least initiating the walk, especially if you have been anxious, yelling at him, pulling at him etc. You got a weird dynamic going I think. I think he is more afraid of you and your behavior at the beginning of a walk. So you got to change that up and gain his trust.

So first off, if you chill out, I believe this will change quickly. I'm assuming if he poops on the sidewalk you can pick it up with a bag and all will be okay? Yeah not that great but whatever it is how dogs work in big cities. Can you just do that for awhile with zero emotion? The goal is that going out is less of a traumatic experience and he will want to join you for a fun walk? Then you can start praising him where you want him to go.

Try your best to stop worrying about other people. Who cares. You probably can't see the challenges they have had with their puppies. Handling a puppy is always full of surprises, interpret that as the fun and challenge of it not that people are judging you... which they probably aren't. However if they are saying he looks scared, that is information (not judgement) for you to start working with it.

Finally, invest in some training classes so you learn how to bond with this guy and work with him. You are just entering the complex puppy months and having some real people to help (vs. internet spirits) would be helpful for you.
Thank you so much, I really do appreciate the advice. I've never yelled at him for doing this or really been anything but super upbeat and encouraging trying to get him to walk, so I just feel like I don't know how I could be projecting negativity. He also walks really nicely with me on the way back to the building or anywhere else I take him to walk, and he used to walk nicely with me here as well, this only started out of the blue a couple weeks ago with no triggering incident that I can think of. If he goes poop on the sidewalk I do just pick it up, no big, I'd just prefer he went the extra 200 feet to the grass like he used to.

I work in an area with a lot of religious people, a group which as a whole does not particularly like dogs, and therefore has basically no experience with them. I usually get asked: a) is he scared or most commonly b) is there something wrong with his legs? - they've never seen a show line GSD, and he's a bit cowhocked/puppy clumsy, so they think he's stopping because he can't properly walk. I've heard it so much from people that I've had him looked at by two vets, both of whom said that his legs are normal for his age.

I will definitely be sure to check my emotions in this situation, in case I'm subconsciously giving him a vibe I don't want to be giving, and I think you're right about the pulling needing to stop.

We have a great trainer for him who specializes in GSDs and Mals, and he's a quick learner, so we can turn to her, I just wanted to see if maybe someone else had experience with this particular issue! I will for sure talk to her about it tomorrow at our training session as well though.

Thanks again, I appreciate the input and will try to be more aware of myself!
 
#4 ·
So puppies can do this when they are apprehensive about the big bad world out there. He clearly is suspect of you too at least initiating the walk, especially if you have been anxious, yelling at him, pulling at him etc. You got a weird dynamic going I think. I think he is more afraid of you and your behavior at the beginning of a walk. So you got to change that up and gain his trust.

So first off, if you chill out, I believe this will change quickly. I'm assuming if he poops on the sidewalk you can pick it up with a bag and all will be okay? Yeah not that great but whatever it is how dogs work in big cities. Can you just do that for awhile with zero emotion? The goal is that going out is less of a traumatic experience and he will want to join you for a fun walk? Then you can start praising him where you want him to go.

Try your best to stop worrying about other people. Who cares. You probably can't see the challenges they have had with their puppies. Handling a puppy is always full of surprises, interpret that as the fun and challenge of it not that people are judging you... which they probably aren't. However if they are saying he looks scared, that is information (not judgement) for you to start working with it.

Finally, invest in some training classes so you learn how to bond with this guy and work with him. You are just entering the complex puppy months and having some real people to help (vs. internet spirits) would be helpful for you.
 
#7 ·
My puppy is going through the same thing, in a way. It's been brutally hot here in Maryland, and puppy feels that furnace blast of heat outside the door, and plops his butt down and doesn't want to go out. I have a big yard, so I don't have to walk him down the street, but I have had to carry him down the steps. And even if I settle us in the shade for some fresh air, I'll look around and discover that he's high tailed it back to the house.

After a few weeks "home", he's getting better, (sadly the temp is not!) and he'll mostly come down the steps on his own, but I don't try to keep him outside too much from 11-7 - we go out to potty and for a very brief walk around the yard when necessary, but mostly get out outside time early in the morning and later in the evening.

I think my problem - and yours is probably shortlived. He's going to be bigger and more able to regulate his temperature and walk in another month or so - probably wanting more exercise then than you want to provide, and in the meantime, I'd go with a combo of picking him up (as I do with mine when he doesn't want to go out and I think he could potty) and offering incentives toys and treats as a first course - picking up being the last. So I don't have anything new to offer, but wanted to tell you that you are not alone. And when I described my pups behavior to my sister, who is a veterinarian, she said, "Smart puppy". Hot is hot.
 
#8 ·
He kind of hates being carried now so he got really squirmy about 100 ft from the grass, I set him down, and then he walked nicely. Now if this keeps up I'll try to decrease the carrying length and increase the walking afterwards.
I think this is the way to go. It sounds like it's the initial leaving that he is fighting? And when he starts walking, I would reward him with a toy or food or whatever his puppy crack is. I think I would prefer a toy to tug that will keep him in motion.

Another thing that might work, and do this when you are not taking him out to go, is take him to the spot where he stops walking and make a game. Will he chase food? Throw a piece, send him to go get it and recall him back to you. Move a step forward, threw, send and recall. Do this for a few minutes and then take him back in side.

IMO, it sounds like you need to change him mindset...whatever that may be! To show him to that moving forward is fun. Personally, I wouldnt' want him going on the sidewalk either. Eventually that is going to soak into the concrete and smell.
 
#12 ·
Yes, this is a great idea! I'll start tomorrow if I have a few free minutes during the workday! Thanks :)

All great advise. You had mentioned he is fine when your husband is with you. So I just wanted to repeat its possible your body language or energy possibly can be a huge factor. My dads dog refuses to walk past a certain point on their block. They think it's because there was aloud group of teenagers walking down the block at night awhile back and the dog became very nervous. She will not budge past a certain point. So they wind up go for multiple walks that are only one block long a day. My daughter and I have not had any issues with walking her taken my dads dog for a walk multiple times off the block with no issues there was one minor slight hesitation at first that was ignored. I think my dad is expecting his dog- brynne to give him issues and he in return is giving off some anxious vibes. Maybe if you are having a conversation with someone walking with you or talking to someone on your cell phone just past the point of where your pup refuses to walk may help may lessen your attention off of your puppy stopping.
Also our chihuahua will sometimes balk when leaving the house for walks. We live in a secluded area so it is easy for us to drop the leash and we continue to walk leaving him behind - if he stops he will then follow us and then we will resume our normal leashed walk. You mentioned you live in a city so of course I don't recommend dropping the leash and walk away in a heavy traffic area but possibly a longer leash line with some distance between you may help.
That's a good idea about the phone call, I will give it a try tomorrow! The one time I've walked with another person, he was better. He would stop, but then he would start right up again when we called him. Granted it was a child (my coworker's kid) and Klaus LOVES kids, so that might have also had an impact.

Had similar issues with this too, Oaks was very nervous about cars and sometimes is still apprehensive. He walks great at the park or on the bike trail, but we weren't getting far around my neighborhood. I got him a front lead harness which seems to have helped. I think the more confidence he gained in walking in the unfamiliar places where he was doing well helped him walk around our neighborhood where he was more familiar which is why I think he kept trying to run back to his safe place. Every walk around my neighborhood I try a new direction to mix it up, he is slowly gaining more confidence. I think just keep being patient and working on it and don't give in.
Thanks for the encouragement! Yesterday I did try walking in the opposite direction from our house (the other place I have this problem, to a lesser degree) on our morning walk, and it seemed to go better! Unfortunately this isn't an option at work, but oh well. I know he will move past this eventually, I'd just like it to be soon! haha

I've seen people unintentionally train this behavior because of bad leash skills on the part of the handler. They use constant leash pressure and release when the dog resists and teach the dog resistance is what relieves pressure. The dog does it to the OP and not really so much anyone else because they likely use the leash differently.

Dogs have an opposition reflex. They need to be taught to yield to leash pressure because if not they reflexively resist it in the opposite direction. It is the same mechanism that causes dogs to learn to pull owners on leash. If any of you have dogs that pull like crazy on leash guess who taught them to do it? You did unintentionally.

The fact the dog does it mostly in one situation is a matter of motivation to move on the part of the dog and is inconsequential to the larger issue at hand. You should be getting the dog moving where you want regardless of whether the dog wants it or not.

Learning how to use a leash is pretty critical if you own a dog. It should be a communication tool not a restraining device.
Thanks for the advice! I just watched a video (thanks Chip!) on leash work talking about an active release of leash pressure, so it's definitely something I'm going to start working on! Honestly, I grew up on a horse farm, and all of our dogs had excellent recall, but were rarely walked on a leash - only when venturing out for things like vet appointments. I did, however, spend most of my time leading horses around, who do not reflexively resist pressure on a lead, so it's very possible that I'm just a used to them and a terrible leash user. I will definitely need to work on it.
 
#9 · (Edited)
All great advise. You had mentioned he is fine when your husband is with you. So I just wanted to repeat its possible your body language or energy possibly can be a huge factor. My dads dog refuses to walk past a certain point on their block. They think it's because there was aloud group of teenagers walking down the block at night awhile back and the dog became very nervous. She will not budge past a certain point. So they wind up go for multiple walks that are only one block long a day. My daughter and I have not had any issues with walking her taken my dads dog for a walk multiple times off the block with no issues there was one minor slight hesitation at first that was ignored. I think my dad is expecting his dog- brynne to give him issues and he in return is giving off some anxious vibes. Maybe if you are having a conversation with someone walking with you or talking to someone on your cell phone just past the point of where your pup refuses to walk may help may lessen your attention off of your puppy stopping.
Also our chihuahua will sometimes balk when leaving the house for walks. We live in a secluded area so it is easy for us to drop the leash and we continue to walk leaving him behind - if he stops he will then follow us and then we will resume our normal leashed walk. You mentioned you live in a city so of course I don't recommend dropping the leash and walk away in a heavy traffic area but possibly a longer leash line with some distance between you may help.
 
#10 ·
Had similar issues with this too, Oaks was very nervous about cars and sometimes is still apprehensive. He walks great at the park or on the bike trail, but we weren't getting far around my neighborhood. I got him a front lead harness which seems to have helped. I think the more confidence he gained in walking in the unfamiliar places where he was doing well helped him walk around our neighborhood where he was more familiar which is why I think he kept trying to run back to his safe place. Every walk around my neighborhood I try a new direction to mix it up, he is slowly gaining more confidence. I think just keep being patient and working on it and don't give in.
 
#11 · (Edited)
I've seen people unintentionally train this behavior because of bad leash skills on the part of the handler. They use constant leash pressure and release when the dog resists and teach the dog resistance is what relieves pressure. The dog does it to the OP and not really so much anyone else because they likely use the leash differently.

Dogs have an opposition reflex. They need to be taught to yield to leash pressure because if not they reflexively resist it in the opposite direction. It is the same mechanism that causes dogs to learn to pull owners on leash. If any of you have dogs that pull like crazy on leash guess who taught them to do it? You did unintentionally.

The fact the dog does it mostly in one situation is a matter of motivation to move on the part of the dog and is inconsequential to the larger issue at hand. You should be getting the dog moving where you want regardless of whether the dog wants it or not.

Learning how to use a leash is pretty critical if you own a dog. It should be a communication tool not a restraining device.
 
#13 ·
Just curious, have you ever tried going out the building and head in the opposite direction for a bit?

I agree with others that it may be your emotions getting in the way. OTOH, maybe there was some incident that you and he encountered which may be the problem. Perhaps it wasn't scary to you but may have been to him?
 
#14 ·
Unfortunately we can't go the other way because it's a construction site :frown2:
It is a very loud and busy area, so it's possible there's something he doesn't like, though he seems relaxed walking past the same things on the way back. I will definitely work on my emotions today! Thanks a bunch!
 
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