I'm at the end of my tether with trying to get our 16 week old out into the big wide world. I get really excited about 'walkies' and use the odd treat and loads of words of encouragement just to get him to the front door but he wont go any further. He literally sits on the doorstep refusing to move. I've currently got him on a 'normal' collar and retractable lead after trying a harness (with the same results). I let him sit there by the front door, I walk down the drive and sit on the wall with a loose lead, hoping he will come to me. I call him, I try bribing him. Nothing. He just wont leave the house for a walk. The back garden isn't a problem and has all the same city life noises as the front does. As soon as I get the lead out of the cupboard and approach him with it he legs it and hides. I really don't want to turn an evening/morning walk into a traumatic experience, for either of us, but I am afraid it is turning that way Any ideas?
Hi @gavin doughty what things did you do during the critical socialisation on period? How was he during that period?It sounds as if he is fearful of the smells and vision of the wide world. Try walking around in the front garden. Use high value treats. Not the food he is currently getting. Do the teaching when he is hungry. The treats can make up for the meal he would hsve received inside. If he will play with a ball use that in the front garden too. Gradually cast the ball towards the street and reward him when he ventures in that direction. Overtime work the play towards one metre into the area outside your property. Play with the ball. Next time two metres and so on. I would not use flooding. Make the outside world more attractive than the fear he appears to be bearing. If he will walk with another dog, then try mimicry. I had one student who had a similar problem. If she drove her dog in the car 100 metres down the street, then her dog happily walked away from her house. Perhaps there might be a scent issue outside your property too.
We were a little lucky as I took Buddy to my timber yard very early, with all sorts going on, so sights and sounds were all there for him, he then naturally wanted to venture a bit further (he can still put the brakes on if he isn’t in the mood, so I give lots of encouragement for him to walk with me, and every time he walks by me without tugging etc I give a gooood boy good boy to keep it going, then a ‘yes’ and a treat. You could try this around the garden and gradually just walk out bit by bit. Another thing you could try which my breeder has done with the last of the litter (they are a big family and have kept a couple) is let them play in the front garden, and each day they get braver, sitting my the front gate watching and listening to all the goings on.
Our pup was just the same, she'd get as far as the front garden and just sit down, not wanting to go any further. She is still sometimes a little hesitant, but only for a very short time. I think what helped with Holly, was taking her out in the car to somewhere quiet. We gave her plenty of time to sniff around and get used to all that was new.
Is this the first time you have left the house with him? By the age of 17 weeks, puppies should have been just about everywhere - carried in their owners' arms until vaccinations have finished and then down on the ground. They should have been trailing a puppy house line around the house from as soon as they were brought home, and put down on the ground in safe locations away from the house whilst being socialised. It is hard to give advice without knowing exactly what the pup has experienced... I would put the harness back on the puppy, as it is much better for the pup not to have his throat constricted by a collar once he finally learns to walk somewhere - and get rid of the retractable lead because they are just a poor choice of lead - they teach your dog to pull through giving more leash when the dog tries to go forwards against a tight lead, they lead to the dog getting yanked around when stopped or reeled in, and they are a safety risk. Switch the retractable for a puppy house line, which your pup should be trailing around the house anyway. So - there should be no equipment change. Next, take a handful of grated cheese and scatter it along the corner of the pavement or grass verge or places where a dog might want to sniff. Show the pup the first bit and then follow along as he sniffs the treats. Keep the leash loose and go at his pace. If he doesn't want to eat the first bit of cheese, just pretend that you yourself are really interested in it, throw it in the air a few times and pick it up again. If he still won't eat the cheese then I would be worried that 1) you have a serious lack of food motivation which would really worry me, because how can you train a dog if he is not motivated by food in an outdoors environment? or 2) this is a really huge problem behaviour caused by fear.
Hi Gavin my pup was exactly the same and she had been out carried everywhere, been petted by strangers, seen all sorts and heard lots of different sounds. She is now 27 weeks and is getting better slowly. I just let her sit and watch everything at first, we never actually got very far! Be patient and keep rewarding, almost drip feed to encourage and it will pay off.
Alfie was younger but was v nervous about his first couple of walks. So i carried him to the car (which he was used to) and then carried him into the quiet park at the end and just let him take it in. he was soon smelling his way round. Did this a couple of times and then carried him down the road a bit and put him down and let him decide where to walk. once he was out of sight of the house he was happy to stroll about and explore. just make it as positive an experience as possible. was only a few days Until Alfie was excited to get out for his walks.
