Lead walking ....Dog not walking if she doesn't want to...

[BarrelOfOtters]

So if the dog doesn't want to go a particularly way on the lead she'll dig her paws in and not move. Ended up picking her up today as needed to get across the road and home from in laws...and she wasn't ready to leave.

MIL has ended up carrying her home before now when she's been dropped off to walk across park home and she just won't go.

If there's 2 people she'll go as one can run ahead and she'll follow.

She's 2.5, mostly walked off lead - it's lead walking where she can just be stubborn as anything.

Try holding a high value treat in your hand and walking along as normal. This is how we managed one of ours who tried choosing to stay put.

High value treat and a happy bouncy attitude that is more exciting that a squirrel.

However, if someone has one of those sonic rodent thingies or an anti teenager mosquito alarm, your dog may refuse to walk in that direction.

Are you sure its stubbornness or is it something else?

If she's not used to walking on lead, is she uncomfortable with it?
Does being on a lead cause her collar or harness to rub when she pulls?
Is there anything in that direction that's scared or spooked her before?
Do you always put the lead on at the same point in the walk and so she now associates leads with home time?

It’s stubbornness. She likes it when everyone is together and if one person goes a different way, then she just puts the brakes on.

if you happen to have a high value treat it’s ok….but if you don’t. I think it’s back to basics…

she is mostly off lead where she does similar but we just walk or run on till she follows. We didn’t do enough lead training when she was little.

Is she a retriever?

Sounds like you need to go back to basics and work on her general obedience and recall work.

Dogs are not stubborn - sometimes it looks like it to us. It may be that it is not worth doing something but they will not be stubborn

I would want a vet check to rule out any issues?
Is your dog overweight?
Do you throw a ball for them to chase?

Behavioural issues will include being anxious or stressed in a situation eg when people split up in a group_
The environment eg walking near roads or cars
Hard surfaces
Walking in areas that are not interesting to the dog and they are not allowed to sniff as they walk

Is she also does it when she if off lead then it is nothing to do with lead training.

What breed is she?

Dogs are not stubborn

I take it that you don't have a terrier!

DDog sometimes shows distinct preferences about where she wants to go, and will sometimes plant herself stubbornly as a tactic to get it. If I'm out solely to walk her, I'll sometimes go with it - after all it's 'her' walk, and just as I'd let her stop, sniff, greet dog friends, I let her choose (after all, would you want to eg walk round a gallery with someone who never let you look at the things that interested you?)

But if she's accompanying me and we need to head somewhere, then I have a "I mean it" body language that she recognises and acquiesces to. Instilled by training with treats, as soon as she made any move to comply, reward.

Loads of evidence to show dogs are not stubborn even the Terriers

Just like the guilt emotion - another emotion to blow the mines of humans as they read their dogs body language incorrectly

dogs are not stubborn 1
doga are not stubborn 2
dogs are not stubborn 3

If our family go separate ways on a walk, like off to shops or something, that can cause our collie cross to hesitate, initially refuse to move. He's slightly anxious, wants us all to be together, needs positive encouragement. It's a breed trait.
What could the source of the anxiety/refusal be?

I think the word stubborn is misleading. It means to stick to a single viewpoint when there is overwhelming reason not to - though we often use it as shorthand for 'just not wanting to' which is not quite the same thing.

If a dog is presented with a good reason to change their viewpoint, they will. They have no ego to attach themselves to the old viewpoint against all reason. Now, among individual dogs, what qualifies as a good enough reason may vary so that some dogs seem much easier to convince than others.

So if your dog doesn't want to do something, you've not found a good enough reason for them to that overwhelms their reason not to.

As the OP says, being able to catch up a person they like that's ahead of them = a good enough reason.

Being nagged (or whatever you're doing) by the person holding the lead = not good enough.

As pp have suggested, I'd be looking at what factors sit on either side of that equation and trying to change them so that my 'argument' for walking with me on a lead is far more convincing, to the dog.

• What might be putting the dog off walking on lead with me
• What can I use to make walking with me a more enticing prospect

And yes: a vet check for pain or discomfort as well as an approaisal of the equipment to make sure it's not causing any = always the first step.

(The point of debating the term stubbon is because, while you continue to think of her as stubborn, you may risk missing all the real reasons she has for not wanting to walk. Like 'guilty' or 'naughty' they are terms that essentially blind us to looking for root causes.)

I absolutely agree with you on the use of the word stubborn. It was lazy shorthand. A high value treat gets her moving - as does some excitement. But she really wants the whole pack to be together.

She's also very indulged by the in laws who take her out a lot. If they get somewhere in the car for a walk that she doesn't fancy for whatever reason - then they drive on till they get somewhere she likes....

She's a cockerpoo. Because she's basically a very good natured, happy little dog we have not trained her as much as we should.

Our DDog is very reluctant if it's just one person walking her. She's ok with 2 but much happier if there's a bunch of people.

Usually we have to carry her out of the street before she'll walk.

They drive on until they get somewhere she fancies 😂. That's hilarious.

Are you sure she hasn't a sore neck? This might be why she doesn't want to walk on the lead.

I’m guessing people who’ve said dogs aren’t stubborn have never experienced a basset hound!

She sounds like a smart little cookie, to be honest. One that has a clear idea of what behaviour (from her) results in something she wants.

I would be looking at what makes somewhere an area she wants to walk in and what doesn't. Specifically, I'd be looking for signs of anxiety or under confidence in some areas that means she is trying to get to areas she feels more confident in. Only so I had a clearer picture of her world and could help her, if necessary.

Otherwise, once I'd checked health, equipment, mental state and decided she was OK, I'd relaxed into the 'game' of making my walks the most fun so that she wanted to do what I wanted to do.

Afterall, at the end of the day, in a happy well-adjusted dog who just has strong preferences on when and where they want to walk: that's a rather fun game to play. And remember: you're both on the same side 😁

I’m guessing people who’ve said dogs aren’t stubborn have never experienced a basset hound

But again, that's putting human personality traits onto a dog which doesn't really help anyone.

I heave a beagle - he's not stubborn, he just won't bother to do something if there's no benefit in it for him. I have to find something that will motivate him highly enough - that's normally food, but a squeaky ball or rabbit fur tug will often do the trick too.

I think this where having a biddable breed of dog has it's benefits, really the smarter the dog, the more "on the ball" you need to be.

She's is definitely a smart cookie, who knows how to get what she wants. And yes, some of it is I think lack of confidence. She's not that happy around big dogs so isn't that keen on going places where she might bump into them unless that risk is outweighed by beach or a river.

We have no shortage of very lovely walks a very short drive away. A trot round the block doesn't really do it for her.

My beagle throws herself dramatically onto the ground and waggles all four feet in the air if she doesn't like the direction I'm going. It's as hammed up as a footballer faking an injury.

Sorry, no suggestions, but you're not alone.

I came on here to ask if OP has a basset hound! We have one and stubborn is exactly the word I'd use. It's very clear when she doesn't want ti do something.

Our dog does this too, definitely has her particular routes, and to make matters worse many of the local cafes have jars of doggy treats so it’s always a negotiation to walk past one without going inside 😂. Tricks that work for me, treats or her ball - I bounce it in the direction of travel and lunging for it gets her going. Or the other trick is, instead of pulling on lead from afar, I walk back to her so we are very close and say “heel” and we set off again together, something about me coming to her and then walking together stops the stand-off pulling while she digs in.

Given that they pick her up it’s unlikely
Retrievers are very good at becoming a large Golden blob if they don’t want to move though

Stubborn? We have a schnauzer- nuff said!! 😂