Our 3 year old lab Duke, has become very stubborn when walking over the last few months. He has always wanted to sit and watch the world go by from a small puppy, but now if you don’t go where he wants to go, or if you want him to move when he doesn’t want to it becomes a real struggle. He has been recently diagnosed with hip dysplasia so I was giving him the benefit of the doubt about maybe he was sore, but at the vets suggestion, I just tried a few sniffs (him not me) at the park at the bottom of the street, and then try and get him to move but he still wouldn’t. To get from outside the park to home, which is about 30m can take half an hour. He also gets stubborn just moving around the park so it s not like he knows he is going home. He gets 2 shortish walks a day (in deference to his hips) so it’s not like he never gets out of the house. If he is lying down not wanting to move, I try calling, whistling, making silly noises, my husband walks quickly from behind him and I give him treats (basically I bribe him which I know isn’t ideal). I even tried to go to a higher value treat which worked for a week or 2 but now he ignores them as well. If it gets to the point where I have lost patience (or it’s about to rain) I throw treats on the ground in front of him to get him moving. Half the time he walks 10m and then lies down again. It has got to the stage I really dont want to take him for a walk. I have tried going for a walk a different way avoiding his normal spots where he refuses to move, with some success (which confirms the fact that it’s not that he is sore) but it means I can’t go to the park which we both enjoy.
Oh dear! I suspect there are quite a few things going on here. Firstly, dogs are incredibly stoic at hiding pain. They also build up a history of reinforcement regarding pain, and guess what? Pain is the most powerful reinforcer there is. If he has pain on a certain walk or associates a place with a bad experience, this will make him even more reluctant. Bribing a dog to do something he doesn't want to only exacerbates the problem in the long run. It does sound like a cycle has developed here. I would personally stop all walks, really I would. Let him sit by the garden gate, sniff, and watch the world, and reward him for being there, and take it literally a step at a time. If he doesn't want to take a step forward, then don't try and lure him forward, instead, reward him for when he chooses to move forward. Firstly, work on managing pain, and building up strength and flexibility by games and exercises at home. What pain meds is he on? There are some great supplements such as Yumove Advance which will compliment his rehab programme. Have you considered hydrotherapy? There are also some great canine physios out there. Ask your vet for a referral/ recommendation, to make sure they are appropriately qualified. Finally, with his HD in mind, find a good positive canine behaviourist, to give you some advice and ideas, especially around how to gently and slowly get your dog happy and comfortable walking again.
Thank you Beanwood, great advice. Your comment that dogs can associate certain locations with bad experiences really resonates. It was at the park in question where I spent several weeks of intensive ball chasing before I realised how much pain he was in. I will perhaps let him have a sniff in the front yard if he wants to with no expectation of him going anywhere. Building up slowly, being patient and rewarding him when he chooses to move is certainly advice I will take. He is on good levels of pain killers and supplements. Hydrotherapy is difficult as there isn’t any nearby, and as my daughter has a disability it is difficult to leave her for too long. I may investigate if there are any physiotherapists near by though, so we can do a program at home. Thanks again, it is a great relief to have a way forward.
