Getting dog to go for a morning walk

[BigDahliaFan]

Dog is 5 and loves a lie in and to be honest that used to suit us. We both work and she happily lies in till about 10/10.30am when my in laws pick her up and take her off for the day.

We need a couple of days a week to get her up early instead to go out for a walk before we go to work and then she'll be on her own till one of us comes home at lunchtime.

Thing is she won't want to go, and she definitely won't want to go if it's just me and not me and DH. She'd go with just him but it's more likely to be me.

How can I encourage her? She just is a dead weight on the bed, I'll get a tail wag, but that's it.

Does she like walks? If so pop her lead on and then hopefully she will play along.

Mine can be like this but lead or harness and she’s off like a rocket!

If not then treats for getting up? At least initially. Something smelly tossed onto the floor.

Could you pop her in the car to drive a short way then get her out to walk? I've had to do that before with my very stubborn schnauzer! Or could you tempt her out with treats?

Why does she need to go for a walk in the morning? Can you just put her in the garden to go to the toilet and walk her at lunch time.

I absolutely love dogs that love a lie in 😍😍

We have to bribe our dog to bed at night with little piece of ham chucked on the floor leading to where we want her to go. We call it "Hansel and Grettling the Dog".

Could you try that to get your dog physically out of the house?

Then when you're out, how about making that first bit of the walk super exciting. You could wrap treats in some paper/cardboard and hide them in various places around the door and down the path for your dog to find? Or perhaps you could start the walk with letting your dog have a few minutes with her favourite toy?

Tried ham, tried super excitement, everything - can't even get her out the back door for a pee.

Thing is she knows walks with me aren't as exciting as I'm not as bullyable so she'd rather hold on for a better walk...which isn't going to come unfortunately.

Maybe I need to up my game with the excitement and she needs to lower her expectations of a walk.

Honestly I've never known a dog turn a walk down....and it isn't just me.

It sounds like you need to make your walks more exciting 😉 Play? Treats? Hunting (within reason). What floats her boat?

Surely it's not negotiable? Dog gets harness or collar put on, lead clipped on and taken outside.

If it's presented as a done deal, you just crack on with it? I have a 30kg dog who won't toilet in the garden (ever!) and who occasionally has to be forced out for a pee. I don't drag her bodily, but she has occasionally had to be pushed / directed / laughed with to make it a game to get her up and on her paws...

@BigDahliaFan In this situation, the only thing that'd work with my dog is to pretend that we're non-plussed about her going for walk, or pretending to go for a walk without her.

Would that work? As PP have said, does she have to have a walk in the mornings? If she's happy lounging in bed, can't she just do that and then go for a walk at lunchtime when you're back?

My friends dog is like that
If you aren't in bed by 10pm she starts trying to herd you, then takes herself off to bed glaring
If you try to wake her in the morning (especially if raining) she will cross her legs, and hide under the duvet pretending she can't hear you

Why aren't walks with you as excitable?

Maybe you need to change how you do things if she's not keen to walk with you.

But saying that, if she doesn't want to go for a walk, why does she have to?

Because otherwise she has to wait till lunch time and will probably be bursting for a wee and a poo before then

Exactly. Her routine is going to have to change. And she won't be happy.

I think I'll work on generally walking with her in a more exciting way. In laws and DH will throw endless sticks...I moderately throw sticks and do more walking while she sniffs
.

Honestly if she's not bothered I'd leave her and maybe try some games or training with her breakfast to tire her out x

My dog can happily "hold it" until lunchtime - through choice, not necessity. I think the latest was 3pm (after not peeing since about 11pm the night before).

If she doesn't need to go, I wouldn't force it - it could cause more problems than it solves.

I think I'm your dog in human form!

I have a dog that won't go for walks. He's 12 now and has been like it since he was a puppy he's just so lazy! When I have managed to get him out I have to drag him! There's nothing physically wrong I've had him checked over more than once it's just who he is. I have had neighbours say "oh have you got a new dog" when I have managed to get him to leave the house. I've tried everything even taken him out in the car to somewhere new but he couldn't care less

🤣 do you know what breed she is? A greyhound would be my guess!

Could you try a dog flap and just leave him to it?