Encouraging puppy to go for a walk

[happymummy2010]

We have a 3 month old puppy, who is just not interested in going outside for walks. As soon as we put the lead one he just sits down and won't budge. We have tried carrying him outside and even walking a bit away from the house and putting him down, but he is very reluctant to walk.

We have tried a couple of different collars and leads in case that was the problem, we have tried to entice him with treats and squeaky toys, but he is still very reluctant. He won't even walk around the back garden with the lead on.

As we don't drive we can't drive to a park as even if he would walk, it is too far away for him to walk at the moment.

Has anyone any ideas what else we could try ? We must have the only dog not interested in walkies !

Is he food motivated? You could try luring him to heel with a treat, say yes and then reward him and repeat. Gradually space out the rewards until he's trotting along next to you.

Absolutely dont stress it.

You have a very young dog who is just apprenhensive of the big world.

I would carry to new places and just let your dog be.

This is extremely common in puppies.

I would not lure with food just let the puppy get used to things and they will be happy to go down on the floor every soon. I promise!

I bet you very soon you will be back on the thread asking about how to stop a dog pulling on a lead.

(you have not got the only dog that does not like going on walks - had 4 phone calls this week alone for the same issue with puppies)

I would drive or carry to where you are going to walk and just sit with him for five or ten minutes watching things. Do this a few days then see if he fancies a sniff around. He's very young so it may take him a while to get the hang of walkies.

What size breed? It's easier to just carry smaller ones!

I agree with the idea that you just take him out to a nearby park or whatever, put him down and play with him there for a couple of ten minute sessions, and have a couple of little rests where he can just sniff, and maybe wander. Let him explore at his own pace.

Keep taking him out to other places as well as that, just to see, hear and sniff the outside world in some of it's many forms.

Do you go to puppy classes?

I remember the early days with my current dog. He would happily walk on the lead for a bit but then decide he'd had enough and just sit down. At the time I was worried but now I think he knew better than me about what was best for him. That phase didn't last long.

Something that worked well for me was to work on keeping him by my side while in the house or garden without a lead. I would use treats and say, "With me." He was (and is) quite greedy so he was happy to trot along beside me for the treats. I think this is a useful exercise because when you transition to a lead, the puppy is already used to being at your side and it makes training loose lead walking quite a bit easier.

It's definitely true that some puppies don't like to walk away from their house. I see that you don't drive so that makes things a bit trickier. How far can you carry him? If he's smallish, maybe just walking a few streets away could help.

Our pup gets overwhelmed by all the smells and noises on walks. She can be lured along by biscuits to some extent , also by very over excited vocal encouragement but is best if there is something ahead that interests her eg another dog.she has been going out for 3 weeks now and is getting more confident.

What size breed? It's easier to just carry smaller ones!

That's so true! There's a couple of Newfoundlands in our street and I wouldn't want to be the one who had to carry them

I had a bulldog puppy who refused to walk , at all , anywhere so I loaded him into a wheelbarrow and wheeled him up the street . I tipped him out and miraculously he walked home 🫣

I read Similar advice to @certainshepherdpups . Practice going for a walk in the safety of your house. Walk from one side of the house to the other.

Our spaniel puppy is 12 weeks old and exactly like this. I carry him when he asks to be up as I want him to experience the big wide world. He leaves the house ok, sniffs his way along for 100yds (sniffing is good) and I let him go where he wants (except road/gardens obviously) then he wants a carry or to come home. It's all about letting him have outside experience without fear or force. I know he'll be fine eventually

Ours refused to walk away from the house for months. But he really needed the walk as he was humping everything in sight with all the unspent energy... we used to carry him away from the house and he would walk back no problem.

Mine was very wary of outdoors - spent a lot of time sitting on the doorstep with a toy or two and food scattered, just watching the world go by, then progressed to sitting in the front garden (I took a chair and a drink out) doing the same. Eventually this evolved to curiosity about what was beyond the end of the path.