Dog being fussy about walks

[BadActingParsley]

She won't just walk round the block, unless we are going in the car she just digs her heels in or walks back to the house or to the back of the car.

Then...it's worse, if we take her somewhere she's not fussed about, she won't get out the boot, or will head back to the car.

Unless it's a beach or a glen with a river she turns her nose up at it.

Any suggestions?? Sometimes, especially in the winter, we need to do a walk round the block..or go somewhere lit, but where there's no water.

She's 5. A cockerpoo. Always been a bit spoilt - but now it's getting ridiculous.

I'd start by getting her checked out for pain. If she's refusing to walk on hard ground but likes being in or near water, that would be my starting point.

The second thing I'd try to figure out is whether it is anything to do with collar, lead or harness, assuming that round the block means being on a lead.

If you can rule out those and it appears psychological then you'll probably have to just go back to basics and use high value treats to persuade her to co-operate.

My girl puts the brakes on and refuses to move as soon as she realises we are heading for home, so I know what it's like 🙄

I have a 10yr old cockapoo. He goes mad when he sees the harness and is sooooo excited to be going out. Then 5 mins into the walk he is just - meh, and wants to come home!!!

Our dog drags his paws on certain walks, or refuses to go with the teenager. I think they’re just like children, with whims and sulks. Treats help, and sometimes jollying him along with an excited voice works. Odd creatures!

Oh God, she does that too!

There are times when DH has run along the street in an excited manner waving his hands encouragingly - that used to work. No she just sort of looks at him in a pitying manner.

I don't thinks it's the hard surfaces as if we are somewhere new and interesting she's perfectly happy to set off.

High Value treats may be the way to go....I'll break out the Stilton.

I would consider a vet check for pain. Dogs are so good at hiding pain, but suffering all the same.
If they get a clear vet check (and sometimes it’s worth putting them on a pain trial as vets can often miss pain during an exam as the dog stiffens up etc). I’d then consider if there are things along the walk (or that have happened in the past) that makes your dog uncomfortable. For example traffic - it sounds like she’s not keen on road walks but happy at the beach, or maybe there’s a dog in the neighbourhood that barks at her etc. You can certainly do things to help her feel more comfortable on a walk, building up her confidence, or simply driving her to nicer places.

@WillYouShutUp will do re vets - thank you. But given the way she bounds out of the car as soon as she's somewhere she deems acceptable I don't think it's pain.

She is a bit nervy - but if she gets a sniff going, or just sometimes who knows why, she quite happily goes on a pavement walk.

You can’t rule out pain. Dogs are extremely good at hiding it.

Please don’t dismiss pain so easily - it’s very very normal for the excitement of a new place to walk to overrule the “ouch”.

My dog was like this...I thought she was just being a typical Goldie and being stubborn about walks in directions she didn't want to go in.....turns out she has a degenerative spinal issue. After spinal block injections she was like a new dog. Dogs will mask a lot of pain to please their owners so I would get the vet to take a look in the first instance, just to rule out any issues. (I'm not saying that you will have the same, just that it's worth starting with the vet...!!).

My 9yr old staff has gone from loving walks to no thank you.

She had her annual check up earlier this week. The vet suggested that some dogs become 'exercise avoidant'. I thought to myself, just dogs?!

I have an 8 year old cockerpoo and she’s very stubborn! I realised recently she’s actually trained me. When she refuses to go on, I say bye bye to her and play on her needy neurosis, and that usually makes her trot on.

So my dog will go from home in the early morning with my husband. She may go in the afternoon with husband, me and son 1 whom she loves. If I take her she has to be dragged - she’s just trying to get me back to safety. She’s the same with me if we go somewhere new - just wants to get me back. Fine with husband. On our normal walk, across fields, she can be really laggy behind once shes stopped ball chasing. If I put her on the lead, she’s fine and trots along happily. Her whole being is designed to keep her herd safe, particularly me.

We had a lovely Staffie rescue who was such a good girl but sometimes she wouldn't want to go a certain way. I gently pulled the lead and chivvied her along with treats, eventually she'd walk the way I wanted her to.