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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Does anyone have a dog that won’t go for a walk?

69 replies

Snooks1971 · 29/12/2019 21:10

I’ve posted before, sorry, bullet points:
rescue 5 years old, female not spayed yet til end Jan
Old Tyme English Bulldog
Gets very excited when seeing her harness and lead. Can’t wait to leave the house.
Brakes go on when we are outside
Any advice please?

OP posts:

RandomMess · 29/12/2019 21:11

Ours is fussy about the weather...

Had a friend whose dog decided that fireworks went off outside the front door so they had to drive it in the car elsewhere then go for a walk...

SittingInMustard · 29/12/2019 21:14

Pain? Has she had a vet check for skeletal issues?

Original poster

Snooks1971 · 29/12/2019 21:15

Thanks both - she’s had multiple health checks

OP posts:

FrenchyQ · 29/12/2019 21:18

My jack Russell can be like this...i end up carrying him until he realises that I'm not giving in.

Original poster

Snooks1971 · 29/12/2019 21:19

We think it is due to her history but don’t don’t know how to tackle it, looking for a dog behaviourist after she’s spayed and recovered

OP posts:

RandomMess · 29/12/2019 21:20

Will she get in the car?

Original poster

Snooks1971 · 29/12/2019 21:21

@FrenchyQ we’ve tried but she’s nearly 30kg!

OP posts:

RandomMess · 29/12/2019 21:21

Ours is a rescue was very fearful of being "abandoned" for a long time, meant she had excellent recall!

Original poster

Snooks1971 · 29/12/2019 21:21

@RandomMess yes but then won’t get out

OP posts:

Sprinklemetinsel · 29/12/2019 21:22

I had a fostered Romanian dog like this.
We took her out for as long as she wanted, several times a day. After a long, long time she was happy to walk to the end of the road, no further. She would go in the car, so we took her to different places and set out from there- grass, pavement, all sorts.
She gradually got used to all the different kinds of outside!

Should have said, lots of treats and training while out of the house.

scarecrowhead · 29/12/2019 21:23

Mine does, he's a rescue. He'll happily drive around in the car though

Original poster

Snooks1971 · 29/12/2019 21:23

@RandomMess think fear of being abandoned might well be the crux of it

OP posts:

Singlenotsingle · 29/12/2019 21:23

My dog runs and hides under the coffee table when she sees me get the collar and lead out.

Original poster

Snooks1971 · 29/12/2019 21:25

Arghh so should we try and persuade her to walk?

OP posts:

Hoolahlah66 · 29/12/2019 21:25

My rescue is exactly the same. She won’t walk unless me and DH go, which is annoying when he is at work during the day as she either gets a very early or very late walk or both. She seems fine with our dog walker who we use a couple of times a week, so I think it is something to do with being in a pack. Perhaps if you are able to get another rescue a good fit may build her confidence. Maybe if you know any friends who have dog that yours gets in with ask if you can borrow the dog for a few walks to test the theory first?

VanessaShanessaJenkins · 29/12/2019 21:27

Mine's like this unless either a) she needs a wee/poo in which case she'll walk about 30 seconds then pull to come back or b) all 3 of us go out together on a family walk.
I've given up trying to be nice and take her for a walk in the middle of the day now even though dd and dh aren't home as she just doesn't want to go.

NewDOOFUSfor20 · 29/12/2019 21:31

My dog is a pain in the ass! He refuses to go out in the rain...not great when you live in Cornwall and it's rained every day since September 🙄
He's not rescue, not had a bad life, just a fair weather dog. I can't get worked up about it, by march we should be back to trudging through the fields 🤦

RandomMess · 29/12/2019 21:33

Another friend, she was out walking when a cat went for her huge dog. Dog will not go out with her anymore, other people yes but not her...

user1471453601 · 29/12/2019 21:37

Our rescue girl is a bit odd about going out. She will quite happily go out with DD (the love of her life, both of them). And that's it. She won't go out with me or DDs partner. She doesn't like walking on concrete and it's only over the last year that she has gone to her favourite place (our allotment) without hiding under my legs.

We think it's an abandonment issue.

We just keep working with her and she brings us so much joy, if she never gets better, I would be sorry for her, but it's no great hardship. We have a large and enclosed garden, so her toilet arrangements are fine, if a little bit of a pain, picking up around the garden, but not exactly taxing

stophuggingme · 29/12/2019 21:39

My dog isn’t a rescue dog I’ve had her since she was 12 weeks old
But she will not go for a walk in the rain.
Under any circumstances

RandomMess · 29/12/2019 21:46

Yeah took DDog probably a year before she would go for a walk with any of the DC or DH without me.

squee123 · 29/12/2019 21:47

how about taking her out before she has had her breakfast and then feeding it to her in the form of titbits for progress made? Out the door - treat. Few steps down the front path - treat. Etc. Once she is more happy and confident you can reduce the frequency of the treats.

Also is she definitely comfortable in her harness? One of mine is very fussy about harnesses and claims his legs don't work unless the harness is just right

Ivegotnothing · 29/12/2019 21:51

I’ve had mine since she was a pup, 9 years old and needs exercise, but sometimes she just won’t move until we turn for home. For a short walk she will walk around the block clockwise, but will not go around it in the other direction. She won’t go with my husband at all unless I go too. She likes to play in the garden so I play out with her for 10 mins throughout the day. She likes a ride in the car, but it’s hit and miss if she’ll walk when I’ve parked up! No advice, but you aren’t alone.

WhatAStupidIdea · 30/12/2019 02:47

We’ve had similar with 2 of ours. 1 was rehomed from a friend, we found doing what @squee123 suggested worked very well. Within a month she was perfectly happy going for a walk (so long as we didn’t take the route past the house with the super scary 5ft apple tree out front 🙄).

The other was a rescue with a very vague background. It was a few years after we’d lost the aforementioned dog, so we were fairly confident we could crack it but nope. NOTHING would get him walking. Same as yours, he’d get so excited at his walking paraphernalia coming out but as soon as the front door was closed, he’d lie down and play dead (literally, he’d go floppy and everything), he’d get in the car but refuse to get back out once we arrived at whichever park/beach/wooded area/field we’d driven to. It was such a shame as he was a spaniel who needed his exercise but would only go out in the garden, which inevitably lead to destructive behaviours. After several behaviourists and trainers we gave up trying to force the issue. One day a couple of years later, we took in a rescue gsd, totally unplanned and on the spur of the moment. The very next day, as we were getting ready to walk new dog, old dog bolted out the door and sat expectantly waiting. We harnesses him up, fully expecting to open the door again as soon as it was closed. AND HE WALKED! And walked, and walked, and walked. We never had another problem taking him out other than when newest dog had surgery and was confined to a crate for a while. Turned out he just needed a walking buddy after all that!

Bobstergirl · 30/12/2019 08:59

Try the rucksac walk of Steve Mann- It give amazing results to loads of dogs rucksac walk

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