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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

Puppy won't walk

16 replies

Chevrotains · 08/04/2023 08:51

I have a 14 week old Dachshund X puppy. He will walk for about 3 minutes (somewhat reluctantly) and then stop and refuse... then when we turn around, he will literally walk perfectly/run home...

Not sure if I'm supposed to carry him at all at this stage (I don't) or if I literally just keep doing these silly few minute walks that he so clearly hates...

OP posts:

thispostisaboutyou · 08/04/2023 08:55

Where do you walk? My pup was super nervous at first and was much better if I carried him until we got to the park and then took him on a secluded patch of grass for a sniff. He got more confident as time went on but it's a massive sensory overload for them when they first go out

SirSniffsAlot · 08/04/2023 08:56

Perfectly normal - outside is so scary! - and he will grow out of it (almost certainly).

Presuming he's had a vet check and is healthy then just keep walking really easy, short and no bother. He doesn't need walks at this age so it's much more about he enjoying himself and not building up a bad association with walking.

Keep encouraging him. Use treats. Use toys. Maybe drive him a little way then walk him back. Walk him out the front door and round the gate into the backgarden (if your home setup allows). That kind of thing. Try it multiple times a day.

Better he has 10 x 3 min walks he enjoys than 1 x 30min walk he hates.

Original poster

Chevrotains · 08/04/2023 09:03

I do live on quite a busy road, so maybe it is best I carry him somewhere less overwhelming

OP posts:

dimpleton · 08/04/2023 09:08

You should always introduce them to traffic gently. I drove to a quieter area round the corner with quiet cul de sacs and side roads at first, and just let pup go at their own pace. We got gradually closer to the busier road day by day, and just stood watching the busy road from a distance and giving treats/reassuring the puppy.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 08/04/2023 13:02

He sounds scared and is running home when you turn around because that's his safe space.

What have you done to get him used to the hustle and bustle of a busy road? Have you been socialising him so he's comfortable with traffic and all the noise?

Mistymoonsinastarrysky · 08/04/2023 13:06

Poor little thing is scared, you need to take it very slowly starting in a quiet location and gradually building it up as he relaxes - it can take months.
My rescue took at least 8 months before she was really relaxed on local walks. Last week on holiday we went into a small town and she was anxious, she’s now 28 months old, we’ve had her 22 months so still a learning curve for all of us.

Newpeep · 08/04/2023 14:14

We did lots of carrying just to look then we went outside on the lead and just sat and watched the world go by. After a while she started to move forward away from the house herself so rewarded that. She was soon dragging us out of the door! You just need to go slowly. They don’t need exercise - they need experiences. We still now mostly at 7 months drive to fun places and let her run around. We do very little lead walking.

Newpeep · 08/04/2023 14:16

A good modern reward based training class really helps with their confidence too.

Luckycat1 · 08/04/2023 14:49

My puppy was the same at 14 weeks and she's far bigger. The road overwhelmed her and getting to the field two minutes away was very slow with a lot of reassurance needed. I couldn't really carry her so we just took our time, lots of treats and distraction, and about three weeks later walking clicked (with a lot of sniffy stops still, and reassurance still required if a particularly loud and/or big vehicle drives by).

ohsheglows · 08/04/2023 20:54

We had the same thing at the same age except we have a cocker spaniel - it's their secondary fear period. Stick with it and your pup will get over it, we kept having to pull very gently on the lead and throw treats forward, and eventually he got the hang of it and will walk for a good while now!

RedBonnet · 09/04/2023 17:56

Sit indoors near the window and treat when puppy looks interested but not scared. Level up to doing it with an open window. Next level sit outside your door but don't go anywhere and so on. It's a slow process but good foundations at the start are key. Not going for walks isn't a problem, they kind of grow into them. My springer was 7 months old before he'd go round the estate (loved the river, fields, woods etc)

Dox9 · 09/04/2023 19:59

Our dachshund pup refused to walk away from the house but was happy to walk back. We used to carry him for 10-15min and let him walk back home. It was a quiet enough route, no cars at all. He grew out of it after a month or so.

MabelMoo23 · 09/04/2023 21:38

We have a dachshund too, and she hates going for a walk. You get her lead out and she hides… although once you get her out and about she’s ok. But leave the house? Don’t be so ridiculous.

unfortunately when we got her, we lived on a busy road and I think the noise scared her. We live on a very quiet road and the fear has stuck unfortunately

Original poster

Chevrotains · 30/07/2023 20:22

Bit of a random update, but he's absolutely obsessed with walks now! Adores anywhere, happy along busy roads too worried about absolutely nothing, what a learning curve!

OP posts:

Els1e · 31/07/2023 09:41

Great update. Can I ask what advice you followed that worked? My sister is experiencing the same with her puppy.

FastFood · 31/07/2023 11:21

Great to hear he's grown out of that!
My puppy was also not happy with walks at that age, something clicked one day and a week later we were having lovely walks in Paris (which isn't exactly a quiet city).

You're so right about it being a learning curve, almost every single thing I was worried about, he has grown out of it. They change and mature everyday.

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