Help, my 5 month pup has always been timid it took a while to get her walking outside. She is now really frightened of everything outside, there is no reason she has not been frightened by anything I can think of, as soon as we get out if the garden on the path she pulls to go home or stops dead. Tail between her legs. If we are getting near the road she's the same. Even treats won't encourage her. She's ok once we have got to the field or park. I have had to pull her along and even carried her. I am not sure what to do
If this is a sudden change in behaviour, she could be going through a fear period - dogs go through a few of these before they are adults. I think my boy had a couple of these, where all of a sudden he wouldn't walks past bins that he'd been happy to walk past before, or would bark at people when startled, which he never usually did. It lasted about a week. Here's an article with some explanation about fear periods and tips: http://thebark.com/content/adolescent-dogs-go-through-fear-periods The article only mentions one fear period, but I think I read somewhere else that there might be several: for example https://berkeleyhumane.org/files/galleries/CriticalFear.pdf
Many pups are timid/fearful in the big outside world - it is afterall a big scary place with the noise, smells, traffic etc. Treats will not encourage your pup or dog to continue walking etc when they are in an anxious state. Dragging your pup down the road will not help to lessen the anxious state and coukd cause injury or ser up other adverse behaviours around leads/walks etc. The best way is tp overcome slowly by allowing the puppy to come to terms and gain confidence by allowing time to stand and stare then turn around and walk back again. It really doesn't matter if you get no further than the end of road if your puppy is walking happily. Confidence will build distance. As @Stacia says can you perhaps pop your pup in the car to get to the park some days to have a run around without the stress?
I would drive to a field/park and start LAT - look at that. Sit on a bench and watch the 'world' go by. I did loads of this with my puppy. Every time a car, cyclist etc goes by ask her to 'look at that'. When she looks back to you, treat her. When she is doing this comfortably, you could try small walks still using LAT. I find at 7 months, I am using this still with my puppy and particularly the last few days where she seems to have become more reactive to noises, people going by.
According to the OP the being in the park isn't the problem, it's the getting to the park. LAT would help build confidence if started from the front door on walks and gradually progressed.
I live just off a dual carriageway and had a similar issue. I started by sitting outside my house and watching the world go by (the main road is hidden by lots of trees). Over the next few days I would go closer towards the main road and treated her as well as just sitting with her. By the end of the week we got to near the end of the cul de sac. The following week we went a bit closer to the road. I would just sit and relax and give her a treat for relaxing too. It took about a month to be able to walk to the main road and walk 100yards up it. I drove places to walk/play in the meantime to not put an pressure on her. Just remember you may need to go a step back every now and then to make sure they are comfortable. Don't rush it either. Hope this helps.
I suppose my thinking was - if you live in a quiet place like I do, you can't walk and have meet lots of distractions. I had to go to where the distractions are. So, it could be driving anywhere where you can watch the 'world' go by. Sorry, I presumed something that isn't necessarily so.
Yes, just sitting watching at first is the answer, and only moving on when the pup is ready. Mollie was I very hesitant indeed at first, I did a lot of standing around, every day. I discovered it was mainly sounds of things she couldn't see which bothered her, especially planes, sirens and helicopters. She's bombproof now (nine months old)
I think that is the way forward, we do have a busy road to get across which ever field I take her too.
There is so much advice thanks to all. I am going to try the little steps and the LAT there is a bench near the road so we can try that. It's so lovely to know it's not just me, I was concerned I had done to much too soon.
