It will get better. We went through the same thing. ):

 

Well, first of all, as long as he has free time to play and run around, he will get plenty of exercize for a puppy his age. Forced exercize, like walks, have to be introduced VERY gradually as the puppy's young bones and joints mature. So you don't have to worry about that yet.

As far as walking on leash is concerned, it is a learned behavior... Not something that puppies come pre-programmed knowing how to do. And although the pulling might be less frustrating to you, it is a symptom of the same problem. He just doesn't know, yet, how to walk on a leash! The fact that he won't take treats from you outside is a sign that he is really overstimulated by his environment... As is his "freezing" when he hears things. Practice your loose leash walking inside the house, in an area where he feels very comfortable, before you take it outside. When you DO take it outside, start by just following HIM around and talking gently to him. Try to up the interest level of the treats you are using too. Have you tried something really yummy like boiled chicken or freeze dried liver or lamb lung?

If none of these help, I strongly suggest that you get a local, positive based, trainer to come out to your house and help you with him a few times. It will be well worth it to help you learn how to teach him!

 

Are you on a busy street? When Cassie first started going out for walks, I would carry her past a few houses to get to the corner so we could turn and walk on a quieter street. She got comfortable with leaving the house and going to the corner very quickly, but I remember her initial hesitation.

 

I agree, it is something you have to teach them he is still a baby and has a lot to learn. I think if you don't expect him to go on a regular walk at this point, but just work on getting him used to the world outside and wearing the collar and leash, may be less frustrating for you. If you show your frustration to him at all while he's doing this it will reinforce to him that he has a reason to freeze. The best thing to do is always be positive and upbeat, no scolding. Once he realizes walks are a fun thing, and when he gets used to all the distractions around him, he will be a lot more likely to start joining in on his own.

It's very important also at this age particularly (once he's had his last set of puppy shots) to get him out and socialized s much as you can. Take him to a park, or somewhere things are going on around him but is very safe (no loose dogs, kids on bikes etc) and just sit calmly with him and talk gently, let him take everything in while feeling safe with you and acclimate to his environment. If he decides to get up and move tell him what a good boy he is and encourage him with "happy talk". Take him before meals so he's hungrier and also find a treat he really loves, and then only give him that treat on walks. If he is toy motivated you can also take a ball or squeaky toy, something he especially likes, and play with him on the walk to help get his attention. Only play with that toy with him on walks.

Most importantly keep everything happy and upbeat. Nothing will shut down a puppy faster than being frustrated and him knowing you aren't happy with him. He doesn't understand why and the natural thing for them to do is to stop and refuse to do anything. This is the age when a lot of things are being formed that will be with him for a lifetime so the happier you make it and slower you take it with him will pay off in the long run. Think of it as if you were to take a 5 year old and put them in a car and say here drive me to the grocery store, then get frustrated with him when he doesn't do it. Similar with a puppy learning to walk on leash.

Please keep us posted on how you both are doing!

 

And please post photos of him if you can! We'd love to see him he looks like a little doll in your profile pic.

 

I just want to add that we did a lot of very short fun games inside, throwing her balls with the leash on and dragging. Then very short training sessions with treats without the leash to show her the "heel" position and some other commands. When she was about 7 months or so and when the weather was nicer, we would take her her on our rail trail where she met lots of people, bikes, roller blades, dogs of all sizes, etc. At first she just wanted to meet and socialize with all the people, babies,and kids. There were times when it seemed that a real walk was almost hopeless. But the following season, something clicked, and she would loose leash walk like a seasoned walker! Something that helped when she was a tiny pup was walking with another dog. She wanted to follow the other dog and immediately forgot her resistance. Anyway, with patience and an upbeat attitude, it will happen!

 

Something that helped when she was a tiny pup was walking with another dog. She wanted to follow the other dog and immediately forgot her resistance.

Absolutely! I'm sure that Kodi became the reliable off leash walker that he is because most of the woods walks he went on were with a totally reliable GSD, who showed him the ropes. I've been walking Panda for short distances coupled to Kodi, and she walks very nicely with him. When I think she's gone far enough for her little legs (she'd MUCH prefer to walk the whole way!!!) I pop her in the stroller so that Dave and I can enjoy a longer walk with the older two, while still not leaving her out.

 

My 4.5 month old puppy is absolutely awful to try to walk with. He sits or spread eagles and will not budge. Any amount of walking I get from him is a mix of running for a few feet, then grounding out. I have tried to get him to focus on me by using treats, but when he is outside, he does not respond to any treats at all. Even if I put them on his nose, he ignores them. He also ignores me. Every tiny sound, no matter how distant, is a reason to be stock still for who knows how long. I try to be patient and wait while he is listening, but this results in walks that literally move one foot at a time, with long sitting periods between. Any time that I do get him to move, he is pulling like a sled dog. I am thinking that the pulling is something I could deal with, but I can't deal with his total refusal to move.

Oh my. This sounds exactly like what Willow does. She'll just stand there and gaze down the road for the longest time. Sometimes she'll just plop down in the grass or roll over on her back. She's ok if she is on a trail back in the woods that is of interest to her, but just going up and down our road to our cul-de-sac she is terrible. I've been carrying treats and calling her name and rewarding (or maybe luring or bribing) her with treats when she follows me and is focused on me. I've been doing this probably now for a month or more. I actually believe she is getting somewhat better. I can now at least get her attention and she'll usually come and follow me. Sometimes I think she can hear traffic that is down the road from us and the she stops and looks to see if anybody is coming. It is so frustrating though and it's not fun to go for walks (for me anyway). I feel your pain! :frusty:

 

I have the same problem with Scout and Truffles. Truffles will only walk a short distance up the street then sits down and will not budge. I have to pick her up and carry her home. Scout will walk about the same distance up the street and then stops. He also sits down and will not move. Then he turns back running towards home. Our street is very quiet without traffic so I don't think that is the problem.

 

Thank you, everyone. I do have Tully with the leash dragging much of the time we are in the house, so the just having the leash on is not the problem. I think it is the overstimulation of being outside. I am going to try to have him more often free to roam on my deck, which is completely enclosed. Maybe it will help him to get used to the outside sounds. I have gotten Tully to do a little better a few times. I have gotten him to go maybe 100 feet without stopping. I just take him on the internal driveways of my development, no larger streets. It is quiet, but even a bird can throw him off, and its not THAT quiet. For now, I am not making much of the fact he does not walk with a slack leash. He is pulling most of the time when he is walking. But I am trying to be positive that he is walking at all. When he grounds out, I just pick him up and feel grateful for the part of the walk that was really walking. I am trying to cultivate patience.

He has been really quite good on short car trips in his carrier. Today for the first time, he actually threw up his breakfast (maybe 4 hours after eating.) He has never done this before. He did not act sick in any other way before or after, so I am thinking he got a little car sick. Any thoughts about that?

 

You are working hard with him and asking the right questions!
I would suggest not picking him up when he won't move, that is what he wants so you are rewarding him for a behavior you don't want him doing. Again he doesn't understand yet that is what you want...but by picking him up you are sending the message that if you lay down and refuse to move, you will get carried. So he'll be more apt to do it.

You are probably getting lots of information from different directions so glean out the info that seems right to you! But if it were me, I would take him outside the house door, or the car door, etc and see how far you can get him to walk on his own. I know it can be frustrating but try to not show any frustration for him (if I were not happy walking outside, I would definitely not be motivated to get up and move with someone who seems angry with me). Start with his comfort level which I'm guessing will be maybe just feet outside the door. As soon as he freezes, say "Come on! Lets go!" in an upbeat happy voice and start walking. If he's not up walking with you by the time you get to the end of the leash (which I am guessing he won't be) give him a GENTLE pull on the leash (are you using harness? If not, good idea to). The second he comes up off the ground at all IMMEDIATELY release the tension in the leash and praise him. Good boy Tully, YEAY!!! Then wait a few seconds and repeat. At this point all you want is any tiny movement of getting up even if it is with your gentle pull on the leash. (I would use the clicker but if you aren't familiar with it might not be a good idea at first). I would also offer him an extra yummy treat even if he won't take it at this point.

I would also take time to sit with him outside when he's laying and not moving, just sit next to him and be very calm, taking in the scenery with him. You can talk gently to him and pet him, make being outside a really positive place to be always. You want to do all you can to make him want to be outside walking with you.

Progress as slowly as he needs. Once he's getting up a little bit, (may take several days or more) then wait for him to get up a little more the next time before praising etc. And remember that the timing of the leash going slack is super important, as dogs don't learn by getting a reward after the fact, it has to be given right as the desired behavior is happening or they won't know what the reward is for.

Your patience will pay off!

 

People tend to try to do too much with puppies too soon. If he is vigilant and refusing high value food also gives us clues to how he might be feeling – overwhelmed, scared and even fearful. To continue to force him into the world and then put social pressure on him is going to further affect his attitude, and not really help us progress. The first thing to do is to get a long line or long lead (not an extendable lead) and sit with him at the back door. Allow him to wander and observe. Don’t pull him or try to encourage him to progress, just sit with him, maybe play with him, or toss treats back and forth so he gets to run in and out. You need to take the pressure off. At 4-5 months of age he shouldn’t be getting a whole lot of physical exercise, especially pavement pounding. Structured physical exercise should be about 20 minutes per day to support
growing skeletal and muscular systems. But in terms of exposure it’s a good idea to bring puppies lots of places in your arms. No allowing anyone to greet puppy in your arms because they have no choice there! Maybe drive him to a quiet spot and just sit with him for about 20 minutes to allow him to explore. In the back yard get him active there with lots and lots of training exercises (earning his dinner) and play sessions. Once all this in place and he is doing well at the back of the property, move to the boundary at the front and repeat there until he is totally cool with that. Then to the next point and so on. The key here is gradual exposure and allowing him
to back off as soon as he needs to. By using the long line he has the option to return to you. A little more gentle approach
and giving him plenty of space and time and he should be fine.
Really emphasise working on loose leash walking in the house and yard now so that puppy builds up confidence and positivity in this behaviour so that this may generalise. Teaching a hand targeting behaviour can be great too so that puppy can be moved voluntarily. Be patient ,and he'll come around.

 

We live on a dead end gravel road that's about 1/4 mile long. There isn't any traffic but she can hear cars on the road that we turn off of to get onto our road. It's very frustrating when all she wants to do is turn around and stand, staring off down the road. She is better as I mention in my previous post. I started by just calling her name and when she would look at me I used a clicker and treated. I did that over and over so she would pay attention to me when I said her name and then did the same thing to have her come to me when I said her name. Then when I started walking with her, I would call her name and she would come and I would continue to walk and make sure she was focused on me and then treat her. I did that a lot, varying the number of steps I took before treating, She's gotten quite a bit better with her walks but she'll still have episodes of just stopping and not paying attention. When that happens, I call her, walk until the leash is taut and turn my back to her. She usually will eventually start walking again. Many times she'll just want to stop and stare up people's driveways or into the house windows. She's such a social butterfly! If anybody is out in their yard it's almost a lost cause.

Sometimes, just to give her something different, I'll stick a small ball or other toy in my pocket. When she starts to exhibit this stopping and staring, I'll bring out the toy and toss or kick it so she can chase it a little bit. I can't do it too far as she is on a leash, but she seems to enjoy it for awhile.

 

Things are going better walking with Tully. I stopped picking him up when he stops, and started waiting a bit, then being encouraging with a high toned voice. At first we just went small distances. I discovered the shuffling my feet a bit whenever he froze made him start running a bit, as if we were playing, and that helped him to ignore whatever sounds he was so fixated on. I also got a Sensation harness instead of a regular walk in harness. It isn't perfect, as it is more likely to get caught in his front feet, but it seems that he turns to look at me more often, and has stopped running at full speed. Now he trots along, seemingly happy with taking a walk. We have gotten up to a block or two, which I think is fine for a puppy his age. We are not yet at the point of having a "heel" position, and I haven't worked on that. I just want him to feel confident with walking and with paying more attention to me than to the noises around him. I still let him stop and sniff. He is only 5 months, and I figure he has a lot to learn about the world, and will learn quite a bit of that through his nose. As far as house training, I think we are close to 100%. He starts whining when he wants something. Its hard for me to know whether it is hunger or needing a bathroom break, but if I take him out and he is still complaining, I assume it is hunger. We still have to go out pretty often, but the time is gradually lengthening, as he grows. No mistakes for maybe 3 weeks at this point.

 

Sounds like you're doing great! Personally, I don't want or encourage my dogs to maintain a heel position when walking casually. My criteria are simple. They must keep the leash either loose, or no more than a finger's worth of pressure, and they cannot cross my path. Beyond those criteria, they are welcome to be beside me, behind me or in front of me. Kodi prefers to strut along in front, leading the parade. He doesn't pull, he just wants to be in front. I'm fine with that. Pixel prefers to be close to one of us, and Panda... well, she's still a work in progress. She sometimes feels like we're walking a bee on a string!

But "heeling" is something we save for the obedience or rally ring. It is very strenuous for the dog, and they can't be looking where they are going... not much fun on a walk. If one of them FALLS into heel position, I say to them "go be a dog!" and send them out of that position!

 

How do you train your dogs to not cross in front of you?

 

Takes time and consistency.
Correct him when he crosses by making him move back to the side he was on.
Think it helps to keep him on one specific side and always follow the same rules/procedures.

For example, I trained Teddy to always walk on the pavement (I walk on the road as do most people in the estate) but he is rarely allowed to be on the road if there is a pavement (its not wide enough for both of us to walk side by side). He also has to stop and sit next to my foot when a car/cyclist/motor bike gets close and wait until it drives past us.

if we are walking/jogging, he has to stay on my right and must not be too close to my feet so I can't trip over him. Works 95% of the times except if he sees a specific stray cat or the neighbors turkey on the other side of the road. At that point, he gets selective hearing, forgets all his manners and tries to run after them!
Initially, I trained him by giving him a small piece of his favorite dog treats every 2 mins as long as he remained on my right (for the 2 mins). Now its routine.

I rarely let him walk on my left (unless the pavement is on the left) and he knows to always keep a little space between us and never cross my path unless I tell him to.

Hope it helps!

 

"Not because I don't trust him to stay, but because I've had bad experiences with too many stupid people and their "Oh, he's friendly!" dogs."

My sister had a great response when someone said that (she had a Dachshund)... she would reply, "Mine isn't!" That would usually cause the owner of the other dog to back off...

 

Yeah, that can work if the dog is on leash, but when two huge Labs are pelting toward you, loose, across a big field, with the totally NOT in control owners in (distant) pursuit, I want to make sure I can get my little dog off the ground if I need to.

 

Tully still has not been doing too well with walking. But my sister, who trains German Shepherds, suggested that I might try a flat collar rather than a harness, at least until Tully understands that I am the boss when we are walking. I tried it today, and what a difference! He seemed shocked when he experienced the first few jerks of the leash around his neck (I'm not talking about me jerking him around, just the natural jerk that happens when he stops short or starts running.) So he seemed kind of shocked at first, but then he suddenly seemed to catch on that it was best to not make it jerk. So he started to just walk at a steady pace. Over the 3 walks we took today, he stopped much less, and seemed to suddenly realize that he shouldn't just sit down while walking, or dive off into the bushes, or start pulling like a sled dog. He seemed to watch me much more, to figure out what way I was going to go, etc. He even was walking with much more of a slack leash. We will keep working on it, but it seems like, for Tully at least, that a regular collar is a better training tool than a harness.

 

Using the regular neck collar for walk training worries me. There is such a high risk of trachea collapse in small breeds. As an alternative, the front clip harness system seems like a better leash style for walk training.

 

Rudy didn't like to walk either. When he was about 7 to 8 months we started taking walks with my neighbor who has a 10 year old basset hound. Rudy loves her and wanted to walk with her. Each week we would walk a little further. Rudy also doesn't mind longer walks if we walk in a pack. Recently my daughter noticed when she tried taking him for a walk, he wanted to turn around after 20 minutes. But when both my daughters and mother-in-law went for a walk, he happily went on a 45 minute walk.


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I used the flat collar for about 3 days, trying to be sure that I didn't put us into a position of jerking or pulling hard, and no running games. I also took the leash off in the house to prevent it catching and jerking while running. Even with limited use, however, it seemed to have done its job. Today I put him back into a harness, and his walking behavior seemed pretty well maintained. So just a few days on the flat collar was a good teaching tool for Tully. I appreciate the concern about pressure from the flat collar. I'm concerned about that, too. But I wouldn't discount it completely as a training tool. I have a Sensation harness, which is a front lead harness. But I find it very hard to use. The buckle is under the belly and it is very tiny. With all that hair around, it is very difficult to put on. In addition, the front lead makes the leash tangle in the legs almost all the time. I have a couple of other harnesses, but haven't found one I really like. I use them anyway.

Tully starts a new class on Saturday at our local Humane Society: Street Smarts. So it will be four classes of field trips to malls, parks, stores, restaurants, etc, with other dogs. So I'm hoping we gain more walking and outside behavior skills from that. (I will be taking him to that class in a harness.)

 

Just do it everyday and you will see the result be patient

 

One of the trainers at the Humane Society gave me a hint that has really worked with Tully's balking while walking. When he stops or sits down or spread-eagles on the pavement, walk back to him and circle him. As you come out of the circle say (with energy) "let's go" or something similar. Walking around the dog brings his focus back to his human and away from whatever was scaring him or making him stop. I have been doing this for a week now, and I hardly have to do it any more. I have been taking him out to different places, malls, parks, etc, and I do this whenever he balks, and it seems to work really well. The only time I had it not work was when there was a really loud noise that was truly scary to him, and my circling could not distract him. We just had to wait a few minutes until the noise went away and try again. By the way, I'm not using the flat collar any more. I'm using the Goody harness, which I like much better than the several others I have tried.

 

I have the same trouble with Willow and I'll be trying this tip. I have discovered that when she stops if I just walk around and get behind her she will sometimes get moving again. It's so frustrating when she walks a few steps, then stops or even decides to lay down. :frusty:

 

Sounds like you are making good progress!!!

 

My experience is that this balking is sometimes fear but not always. Tully often would do this seemingly just because of bird songs. It is perhaps just hearing or seeing things of interest. But it can also be fear. As he has improved, I see fewer instances of listening or observing. He still has some fearful times, but they are a lot fewer than they used to be. Today in our walk there was a lady with a big, black double stroller on the sidewalk as well as 2 dogs. Tully was terrified. I eventually got him past it by walking around him repeatedly, encouraging, etc. The woman apologized for her dogs, and I reassured her that Tully was not afraid of other dogs - it was the stroller. She was surprised by this, but I know he has never seen something like this before, and I could tell. I used to pick him up, basically to continue further progress, and because it was embarrassing to me for him to be doing this every few feet. But I stopped doing that, as I think it is interpreted as a reward for balking. Things have gradually improved since then, but not only because I refuse to pick him up. I think we still have a way to go, but he is getting more confident and understands better that his job is to walk, not sit, when we are out. By the way, the Humane Society lady also suggested taking a tug toy along the waggling it for him when he did this (one long enough that you don't have to bend down.) I did not find that this worked for Tully, and neither did treats thrown down ahead. When he is scared, food means nothing to him, and neither did the toy. But it may work for some.

 

Sometimes I wonder if it's because there is the scent of other animals, deers, coyotes etc. and she is afraid. The groomer is going to let me borrow her puppy's stroller so I can walk Scout and roll Truffles around the neighborhood. 😉 I'll try the circling to see it if will distract her.

 

OOPS!!! Looks like I posted twice on the same topic....I think that might be a bad sign!

 

I have this same trouble with Willow and I don't think it's fear. I can tell if she sees something that she is uncertain about. She just will sit down and chill for awhile. I tried the walking around her and saying "let's go" and it didn't really work. I used to pick her up and carry her when she refused to walk just like Heather does. I have finally started carrying treats and she'll walk if she knows she will get s nibble. I know that I'm bribing and not training, but at least she is walking.

 

Try a stroller

Hello Grasshopper. What a cute name for a cute dog! My Havanese was 9 weeks when I got him, and because he could not be outside until his final vaccinations, I got a stroller to introduce him to the outside world. He seemed to enjoy the world from a safe place that was "higher up". Havanese are like cats. They love to be UP. They also tire easily. They seem to have two speeds, race and drop. As your puppy adjusts to being outside (push the stroller close to hedges for smells) maybe he'll get a stronger appreciation for it once he is bigger and stronger. You can later use the stroller for places that aren't as dog friendly when you need to have him with you. I attached a photo of Tux in his stroller at 9 weeks of age. Also is a photo of the stroller which is great for all terrains, and really easy to maneuver. It can be enclosed also

 

Hello Grasshopper. What a cute name for a cute dog! My Havanese was 9 weeks when I got him, and because he could not be outside until his final vaccinations, I got a stroller to introduce him to the outside world. He seemed to enjoy the world from a safe place that was "higher up". Havanese are like cats. They love to be UP. They also tire easily. They seem to have two speeds, race and drop. As your puppy adjusts to being outside (push the stroller close to hedges for smells) maybe he'll get a stronger appreciation for it once he is bigger and stronger. You can later use the stroller for places that aren't as dog friendly when you need to have him with you. I attached a photo of Tux in his stroller at 9 weeks of age. Also is a photo of the stroller which is great for all terrains, and really easy to maneuver. It can be enclosed also

Couple of things I'd like to attention in response to your post. First is the idea that puppies cannot be outside until they have had all their puppy shots. The AVMA has been very clear that the dangers of avoiding early socialization causes more death (through euthanasia due to problematic behavior) than the risk of diseases themselves. Of course we need to be careful where we choose to socialize young puppies... They should not be taken to dog parks, pet stores or other places where possibly unimmunized dogs might congregate, but the back yard of a friend with well socialized, healthy dogs is a wonderful place for young puppies to learn about the world, as is well run, play based puppy kindergarten, starting as soon as you get the puppy home.

As far as Havanese liking to be "up"... I think that is highly individual. I have one who definitely enjoys high places. I have two who MUCH prefer to navigate the world on their own four feet.

While it is true that you shouldn't push ANY puppy of any breed into forced exercise at too young an age, healthy adult Havanese in general are CERTAINLY not couch potatos, nor do they "tire easily". As long as they are conditioned correctly, Havanese can be "energizer bunnies". Both our adults can out-walk us, and happily go 5 miles on a hike. (Covering 3 times the distance, with all their back-and-forthing!!!) That is about OUR tolerance level for hiking!!! The puppy shows every bit the same enthusiasm, but we limit her to no more than a mile and a half or so at 8 months. But that's OUR limit... She's still raring to go at the end of walks.

That is NOT to say that strollers aren't useful. We have one, and use it regularly. We vacation with our dogs, and as you mentioned, dogs in a stroller are often welcomed in places that dogs on leash are not. Likewise, when we eat at outdoor restaurants, we like that they are safe in the stroller, and not licking who knows what from under the table!

We also have found the stroller very useful for limiting the amount of time each of our puppies has been actually walking when they are young. It keeps us from having to cut OUR walks short. We just let the puppy walk some of the time, then pop them back in the stroller to avoid too much pounding on immature joints and bones.