Working cocker puppy doesn't like walks, help.

[DelphiniumHolly]

Hi,

I've posted about our puppy previously and got some really good advice on here, so thought I'd dip into the wisdom again!

Puppy is 16 weeks. Really settled, training going well etc...

BUT, she won't go for a walk! She refuses to walk from the house, she just lays on the pavement outside and whines until I turn around and go back through the gate (not even treats will tempt her further). Going out in the car is a bit better, this morning I took her to the woods and she was enthusiastic for about 10 minutes but then went on strike. When she realised we were going back to the car she couldn't get there quick enough, straining on her harness and lead.

Is this normal? How can we get her to enjoy her walks?

It seems like she just loves being at home curled up on the sofa! We'd prepared ourselves for a super high energy puppy/dog that needed a lot of exercise and stimulation, but she is the most chilled dog I have ever come across. She's happy just pottering around the house helping me with jobs etc. and playing with our young children.

I know she's just a puppy so things could change, but for context my mum has a working cocker puppy who is 5 weeks older (different litter) and she is as mad as a box of frogs. Since 8 weeks hasn't been able to sit still, runs everywhere, needs a lot of walking and playing with. The polar opposite to our puppy!

Are some working cockers just super lazy? 😂

What @allthemiddlechildrenoftheworld says can also be true. My dog does not like collars or harnesses (especially the latter). Endless refusals and dramatic scratching sessions with the harness on. Obviously, though your puppy absolutely will need a collar, tag and chip if they are excercising on public land which most will be, Unless their owners have grounds.

From what you’ve posted op, I’d say fear or reacting to something you can’t hear or see is the most likely explanation. WCS can have hyperacute hearing and be slightly neurotic about unfamiliar environments, smells, etc.

could be overwhelm, in which case it will likely improve greatly with maturity and careful counter conditioning, but your dog is probably never going to be a happy go lucky, happy plonked anywhere dog. This is not a bad thing as such but it can make going out and about a bit more challenging.

We do, lifetime cover with the maximum yearly threshold. We put it in place when she came home at 8 weeks. So we’re fine on that front! Hopefully she’s just a little scaredy cat.

That’s great. Hurray!

the reason I’m banging on about potential physical causes is my neighbours’s dog: seemed fine, but generally reluctant to walk. Turned out had two almost completely defunct hips with no cup and ball at all. I’d bet that is very unlikely with your dog (theirs was a rescue from a puppy farm, need I say more :( )

I’ve also had a dog who is not at all bothered by food when stressed, no, not even dried liver cubes. It did improve with time and lots of effort on our part although any walk interrupted by a flapping bin bag/ flag/ fireworks (!) is an immediate back to base pulling like a freight train on steroids.

Our older pup didn't like walking from the front door at about that age. We used to either drive places or carry her 100m down the road and she'd walk happily from there. She just grew out of it with no special effort on our part.

I’ve got 6.5 year old bull terrier who is exactly the same.

he will run around the garden and house like a loon for hours, but go for an actual walk? You’re having a laugh.

He hides when I pick the lead up 😂

Even if I drive him somewhere he cries when he first gets out of the van but once he gets going he’s fine.

@DelphiniumHolly - your pup is still tiny and learning about the big wide world.

She's also likely to go through a little fear stage which is common at around 16 weeks. Going out the front door is equivalent to leaving the den.
I've raised many puppies and have come across this multiple times.

I usually familiarise puppy with the area around the house buy taking them on "little walks". So no lead, just let them sit and watch, have a little sniff & wonder in the front garden... or on the pavement right outside the house. Do it on their terms, but slowly encouraging to follow you up the road a few steps at the time by doing recall type games.

I also use this time to practice actual recall! So people, dogs and cars coming past your house: puppy come! & treat!
Although I would always use quiet times as busy times can be dangerous & overwhelming.

Once puppy gets a bit more adventurous and starts to wonder off to far, it's time for the next step... an actual short walk on the lead.

Look at gun dog training for making walks fun, too early to do much, but you might see bits to incorporate.

I’ve also got a wc puppy same age and I’ve fostered about 15 (all sorts) over the years.

lots of them find it overwhelming- I soo what a previous op says and spend a lot of time just sitting outside the house with them.

don’t make walks walks in same sense you would with a non working breed. You don’t realy walk a wc. - you work them. Certainly at that age I’d be doing most of my walking in the garden so that’s something it’s used to - and then use the same stuff you do at home on the walks.

Patience and consistency work wonders. I had one puppy - collie/gsd x who was totally over faced by the world. She’s not had the eat start in life and a lot of change and it was all a bit much. Every morning for weeks and weeks we went out really early and just sat on a bench and she got fed her breakfast when she relaxed and was paying attention to me. Then lots of little walks at really quiet times until she got confident - then she was fine. I took out toys and things she loved at home too so it was familiar and less overwhelming.

16 weeks is young still. Patience, consistency, positive reward, work her don’t walk her and calm confidence from you.

Haven’t RTFT yet but I’ve been watching Hampshire Spaniel Training in preparation for getting a puppy and can highly recommend his videos teaching retrieves in young puppies. You’ll soon be able to do this in the woods with her and it’ll be so much more rewarding for her than just wandering around.

Be careful of just getting into the habit of standing throwing a ball and letting her bring it back to you. Focus on her finding it rather than just chasing it.