Working Cocker afraid of walks

[busyhouseof8]

Advice please on how to handle Bella, my 4yo working cocker who is driving me slowly nuts. In general round the house she is perfect pet - great with the children, accepting of other dogs, just wanting to sit on our lap really.

However, whenever I get the lead out to take her for a walk she runs for the hills, cowering under my desk or on the sofa at the other end of the house. I literally have to drag her out of the house - if she's in her bed then it becomes a chariot sliding across the floor as she pulls against me. Often she will pee or poo in fright in a trail all the way across the floor to the front door.

I'm now resorting to picking her up and carrying her to the front door, but this is pretty impractical as I also have a springer, who at the same time is bouncing up and down in excitement at going out, barging into everything and generally causing springer havoc.

Bella has always been the same since puppyhood; getting out of the house is a nightmare. When we actually make it out of the door, the walking on lead in the streets can also be difficult as she seems quite scared of traffic. She shakes for the whole walk and frequently just refuses to move and poos about 5 times. Again, juggling her and the springer is tricky to say the least.

Once she's in the fields or on a beach off lead, Bella is a different dog - happy, running, typical spaniel. She just doesn't seem to link getting out of the house on a lead with ending up in the fields she loves.

Any advice please about how to address the getting on a lead and getting out of the house issue? The truth is we don't get out often enough because it turns into such a nightmare and I want to change that.

do you do clicker training at all? you could give her loads of treats as you leave the door. maybe going out and coming back in with loads of praise and treats?

Never quite got the hang of clicker training. When Bella was younger she was totally disinterested in treats for training - would happily ignore sausage, chicken, cheese - so I never thought it could work with her.

Mind you, now she's older she's turned into a snackaholic, so it could well be worth revisiting!

dried liver or something equally stinky tennds to work best.

You don't have to use food with clicker training just a reward the dog will love - could be a tennis ball.

This does sound a really odd situation. I doubt that she is frightened of going for walks as you say she is fine on the walks so I would want to find the bottom of her actual fear.

What is she like on lead in the situations she is happy off lead eg the beach?

It is odd.

Having dragged her out the house she then goes into one of two modes. First is really reluctant and frightened - sitting and refusing to move, quivering, pooing immediately, i.e. still on the garden path . The alternative is on the way back from a walk if she thinks she is near the house or the car , which she seems to view as "safe havens", she pulls like a train to get there. If she is off lead in the fields and spots the car in the distance, she will head for it at top speed, ignoring all attempts at recall, and is found in the car park sitting by the boot. Clearly dangerous for her so I have to make sure I have the lead on before she spots it!

So long as we are away from tarmac and cars, such as on the beach, in woods etc then she generally pulls my arm off on the lead if she is attached.

Is it just traffic then, do you think? My dog is very nervous of motorbikes, but is ok around every other type of vehicle. If he hears a motorbike, though, he cowers.

She hasn't become afraid of the whole 'lead on' battle has she?

My working cocker had an unpleasant experience with the 'stand' command. We were practicing it quite happily in the kitchen when I backed into a saucepan on the edge of the worktop and it clattered to the floor. He practically jumped through the roof. Whenever we tried to do it after that he would be most hesitant and nervous. He clearly associated the command with being frightened out of his wits. It took me ages and lots of practice at it before he realised that I wasn't going to drop anything noisy on his head when I said 'stand'!

It sounds to me like putting the lead on has become such an unpleasant experience for her that she's frightened of it. You say she's fine once she's out and off the lead? And she's happy to pull you back home? Sounds like she does indeed view the house as a safe haven because she knows you're not going to drag her round by her lead in there.

Have you tried putting the lead on her and then just leaving her to wander about indoors with it on so that she can see that it won't hurt her? Obviously don't try this if you're about to go for a walk as you'll be stressed and she'll pick that up. I would definitely give it a try, if only just to eliminate that idea. But it really does sound to me as though she's frightened of the lead and what happens to her once it's on. We sometimes have no idea what goes through their heads and unfortunately don't always realise the association of our actions.

It sounds as though it's a vicious spiral at the moment.

She's terrified - not a clue why to start with but she's now terrified of the whole getting out of the house process now because the trauma repeats itself over and over.

Does she go into the garden willingly? And if you take her out with no lead - drive to a walk say, how does she react.

Have to say, I wouldn't force her to come out on a walk if she's as frightened as she is. It's just going to make it even worse. I would seek out a behaviourist to tackle the problem. It must be deeply ingrained by now and I'd guess beyond the abilities of Internet sprites who haven't actually seen her.

I think you're right daisy.

I have tried various local trainers over the years here but without much success. Does anyone know a good behaviourist in the Chelmsford area?

I'm a bit of a lurker on here but have two working cockers.

Something that jumps out is that you say she seems scared of traffic so I suspect the traffic has become linked (in her cocker mind) with the traffic she is scared of.

They can be be highly sensitive dogs (mine hate raised voices) so if you are getting wound up about taking her out that probably isn't helping.

Do you walk her on a collar or harness? Just thinking that maybe if you could get a harness and link that to her getting lots of fuss and tasty treats over a few days and then try taking her out on that?

Failing that try the APDT website for trainers in your area - there members only use postive methods.

Good luck

Thanks curli.

Glad to hear there are other working cocker owners out there.

Bella is very highly sensitive. Her reaction to any raised voices is to try to get on your lap and lick you to calm you down - it works so I can thank her for my DH becoming far less "shouty" over the past couple of years. My rescue dog! She is pretty nervous about anything going on in the house or outside - not aggressive in any way, just a nervous nelly always a-quiver.

I walk her on a GenCon halti type headcollar which she absolutely hates but does at least walk by my side. With a traditional collar and also any harness we have tried, once we finally get out of the house she pulls so hard she pulls me over.

Hi busyhouseof8

I've just re read what I put and meant to say has the traffic linked to her thoughts of a collar (should re-read before posting!), but as you use a GenCon that's not relevant.

I know what you mean about pulling though - mine are only little but don't exactly walk to heel!

Goog luck with her - they're are such adorable dogs

This could have been me writing this a few months ago! My working cocker was a trial when i got her, wouldn't walk on a lead wouldn't walk full stop, had to carry her across the road from the house just to get started.

Saying that she was a rescue who'd never lived in a house or been on a walk before. It took a lot of patience and rewards and fuss, walking initially on a harness stopping when she did then moving on to show her there was nothing to be scared of.

She still has issues about the lead, when she sees it she cowers in her bed and will roll around in all directions to stop me putting it on but once on its fine, will then leave the house. Recall was a issue to but throwing a ball kept her close and not too distracted. Good luck with your lovely dog and I hope things turn a corner soon for the pair of you.

Mouse was exactly like that when we first got him - he would wee with fear, and cower, and try to pull us back to the house. Then he just sat down and refused to move.

But like MaxClifford's, he was a rescue who had never lived anywhere other than a cage or, briefly, a foster home in totally rural surroundings. Now he's in London, so big adjustment.

With Mouse we were encouraged to be kind, obviously (as if we wouldkn't be!) but not to let him see we thought there was any problem - lots of little outings, and not picking him up when he wouldn't move. He got better fast, but as I said....it was an obvious problem really, unlike yours. Given that its been going on so long for Bella, I would probably try and get a behaviourist to work with me , I think - someone who can see the layout of where you are, meet the dog, think up a plan that works and that fits you and Bella?

Thanks for all words of encouragement. She drives me crazy, but then again she spent last night asleep lying along the back of the sofa (say nothing!) with her head on my shoulder like a parrot. So the good bits outweigh the bad.

Hopefully I have a behaviourist on the case who was recommended by our vet, but apparently they are sending me a "pack" to look at before we arrange to meet.