Well this is a new one for me with a 5 year old dog - not a puppy. Lady has been getting more and more reluctant to walk. She will get to the end of the driveway and then just sit with her paw over the lead. What started intermittently some months ago as a rather endearing behaviour, usually in the rain has now got to be a big problem quite suddenly. This morning was the realisation that the problem needs sorting sooner rather than later. This morning I got the usual sit and paw on the lead but she just wouldn't move. I patted her rump and made encouraging noises and she walked a few steps and put the brakes on. Possibly wrongly, I insisted with some steady lead pressure and got her walking to the field. She thenshot off doing what a girl's got to do, then hooned around and recalled at top speed. We went through the first stile into the next field then she looked at me and trotted back through the stile and back home of her own accord and deaf to any encouragement to do anything else. No apparent lameness. Normal behaviour otherwise. At a bit of a loss as I seem to have lost control of the situation. Wondered if she is just still very tired from yesterday when she was working - without any real problems and with enthusiasm until she ran out of steam at the end of the day, but the stopping in the drive has been getting worse so I think there is an underlying problem. Any views on how to deal with it? Thought she might be getting bored with the same walks over and over but don't want to create another problem by driving her somewhere nto try and solve that.
Re: Reluctant to Walk It could be work related, David. Mine usually have a duvet day after a heavy working day.
Re: Reluctant to Walk Yes I did wonder. She was certainly very hungry this morning - she has her breakfast after the walk.
Re: Reluctant to Walk And wasn't her food cut down a little while back? I think I remember you saying the Lady needed to regain a little of her excellent figure. Access to food seems a likely answer - as soon as the walk is over, it's breakfast time....
Re: Reluctant to Walk [quote author=JulieT link=topic=8669.msg122553#msg122553 date=1415524849] And wasn't her food cut down a little while back? I think I remember you saying the Lady needed to regain a little of her excellent figure. Access to food seems a likely answer - as soon as the walk is over, it's breakfast time.... [/quote] Good thinking, it could well be that if she appears to be able to run around to do her business without any lameness or stiffness.
Re: Reluctant to Walk Don't want to worry you but our old Molliepops had no lameness her first signs of a hip problem was reluctance to go for a walk, then refusal. When the vet saw her and manipulated her hips was first time we had a clue she was in pain. Can't say she was ever a very enthusiastic walker but we found ways round it - car to really nice woods and she would have a plod around. Pain killers helped as did various additives to her food.
Re: Reluctant to Walk I'm pretty sure it's not a hip problem, Julie. She has ED which has been operated on and fixed for the time being. When that was being investigated all her other joints were investigated and confirmed in good health with no signs of any dysplasia. I think the first thing I'll try is giving her breakfast before the walk and see how we go on. When I think about it the basic reluctance could be that. She know the word breakfast and if I say it at the point on the walk where we head back she's off in the home direction with enthusiasm. Her food was cut back a small amount to get her weight right, but it's back to normal now. Anyway I'm giving her a duvet day as Heidrun suggested. She is undoubtedly still pretty tired from yesterday. She threw everything into the day and I found it really uplifting when she did her stuff and the way she kept eye contact to find out what to do next when we were sweeping up.
Re: Reluctant to Walk That's OK then, as I said didn't want to worry you and you have that in hand so alls good.
Re: Reluctant to Walk Gave her an early breakfast. Still the, now, usual antics. Might be she's just got into the habit and I've been rewarding her inadvertently. She knows how to press my Mr Softy buttons though. I'll have to post a picture of the sit, ears back and down and paw over the lead stance. I just insisted this morning. Didn't want to use any other method as it would probably end up as a bribe. Much hooning around the fields and launching into the muddy puddles, so really nothing physically wrong I'm sure. Met up with Jaquie and her dog Banksie the Springer. She's probably going to come on the next shoot to try Banksie out so I'll take her in the beating line to show her the ropes. Also Gwen and her dog Daisy and we walked back with together as Lady is great friends with Daisy and they walk along shoulder to shoulder in the narrow bits. ;D
