So Finn has started frequently sitting and refusing to move for 1-2 minutes at a time before I can coax him to keep going on our walks around the neighborhood. Once in a while he will whine while he's sitting there. Then today he started continuously jumping and biting my legs / jacket. He has never done this to me before, so I was a bit shocked when he kept at it. Hiring a trainer soon because I'm at wit's end here. But can anyone explain this or is it just normal?
Perfectly normal. I've shared this photo so many times but it really makes me chuckle. He literally hated walks - sometimes he still refuses to move now! We also had the jumping and biting. I treated myself to a new pair of skinny jeans and he ripped a hole in them on the first day. I used to try and stand in his lead until he stopped. He still does it sometimes now - usually if he's been on the lead too long or we've walked further than he'd like. Calms down much quicker now though
Totally normal. They don't like to wander to far from the "Den" when they are that age. Going for walks isn't as important or as necessary as most people think. Just enjoy the time together don't pull. I see people dragging their puppies around by the neck and it makes me furious.
Okay thanks for the moral support! I am having the hardest time getting him the exercise I know he needs because I don't have a fenced yard (garden ) and he is a few days away from being safe from the dog park (had his last shots on Friday, was told to wait a week). At least puppy training is today and I know that will knock him out. Scheduled a private trainer for this Friday, can't wait! It's funny because he usually enjoys going out for walks. I know at 4-6 months they can have random fear phases. He doesn't look particularly scared, but who knows.
Have you tried asking for some well-established behaviours? Luna has stopped a couple of times, but I just ask for a stand or a hand target or two, and then she's happy to set off again.
Sparky would occasionally jump up and nip at my hands and legs near the end of a walk. I supposed its part of the "zoomies" when he gets too excited or overly tired. I just stand there and protect myself refusing to move until he calms down. He hasn't done this in a couple of weeks now. When he just sits there and refuses to move I will initiate play and pretend to chase him and sorta run away. That gets him excited enough to follow suit.
Mollie often stops - she seems to be listening. I wait with her and reward her when she moves on. No treats visible and no coaxing. Being a Guide Dog puppy we often walk in shops and shopping centres too - she does none of the stopping then. I think aircraft, sirens etc are the cause of her stops. The biting thing is overexcited behaviour. I do use treats for this and ask for a 'sit'. It works well, she forgets she was jumping and biting if I then do some training which involves her thinking. She's five months old next week.
Okay good! I was just super surprised at the jumping and biting because he had never done that to me before and I was worried something was wrong. Although he DIDNT get his usual morning walk that day because it was raining and I had an appointment. So he probably had some extra energy
