My dog keeps stopping on walks

Hi everyone,

I’m just checking in to give you a quick update and reply to the latest messages.

In the end, I’ve ditched the harness. Even though it works really well, I wanted to go back to basics and completely rework his walking on the lead (and everything else really – recall, basic commands).

For a while now, we've been working on it DAILY on every single walk.

I systematically change direction whenever he pulls; I make him sit and stay when there’s another dog facing us, and I wait for him to make eye contact before we set off again. If he pulls, we calm down and start over; if he doesn’t pull, he gets to go and see the dog. Mind you, it usually takes a bit of time, so the other dog has usually moved on by then! 😂

It’s hard work sometimes and there’s still a lot of progress to be made, but I can already tell that he’s improved loads in just a week!

He’s actually looking at me now, so it’s much easier to get his attention and communicate with him. He’s paying attention to my leg movements, so he doesn’t just stop randomly on walks anymore!

I sometimes spend 20 minutes just going back and forth to the water fountain until he stops pulling like crazy, but by the 20th minute, we finally get there.

So, now you’re all caught up. I’ll give you another update in a while to let you know how things are evolving.

I’ll probably start another thread soon to ask for some advice on recall this time.

Thanks, everyone! 😊

As I mentioned, I find a no-pull harness is the most effective way to stop a dog pulling on the lead.

It’s just as good for the dog as it is for the owner, who after a while on a walk can’t feel their arm anymore from all the tugging!

😁

Speaking from experience...

Hi everyone,

So I’ve tried the harness method with the little handle! And it works really well!

I just grab the handle and make him walk a few steps; he does it while pulling a bit of a face, but after a few seconds, we’re off again!

I really think it’s just him being stubborn...

I’m trying to retrain him not to pull like a madman when he sees other dogs on leads.

Yesterday, as he was pulling, I blocked his view of the dog in question. When he was younger, he would have followed me and we’d have moved on, but yesterday for instance, he kept stopping as if to say "if I can't see my mate, I'm not moving."

I tell him "let's go" once, and if he doesn't listen, I take the handle and get him moving. When he walks, I give him loads of praise and a treat, and he seemed motivated again to walk nicely on the lead!

So it's brilliant, thanks everyone ;)

First off, thanks everyone for your replies!

To give you a bit more detail, it usually happens when we’re leaving the park or the woods. We stop at the water fountain to let him have a drink, and then he just flops down in the puddle he’s made.

I put it down to him being tired, so I let him rest there for a few minutes until other people want to use the fountain.

To get him to follow me, I just let go of the lead and he comes back to me without any trouble.

But you’re right, it definitely happens mostly at the end of a walk or when we have to leave somewhere he’s enjoying himself.

To figure out what’s what, I’ve been thinking about shortening our walks to see if it’s related to him being worn out. What do you lot think?

But @Piotr06, you’re spot on, it mainly happens in the places we visit regularly!

When you're out on a walk, do you usually stick to the same route?

If so, and you try a different path, it’s quite normal for a dog to refuse to go that way—especially while they’re still learning (at least at first).

It’s simply because they don’t understand why you’re turning right today when you’ve been turning left for months.

If you know your pet well, you should be able to tell if they’ve stopped because they’re tired or if it’s something else.

My girl started doing this too.

If I could see she wasn't actually tired, I’d grab the handle on her harness and get her to follow me. Usually, after a few seconds, she’d get going again, and then I’d give her loads of praise and a big cuddle.

@docline

I agree with the first bit, but as for the second... we don't live in a world where he’s sniffing out landmines or spotting monsters hiding in the shadows!

Stopping is just a "whim"; the only valid reason is if he’s actually tired.

In my view, for him to understand that this behaviour is unacceptable, you need to use a proportionate punishment.

"You don't want to go that way?! Want to do your own thing, do you?!"

"Fine then... we're going home, the walk is over!"

Whatever his age, your dog is perfectly capable of sensing your annoyance. Heading back will be a failure for him if his plan was to have a wander on his own terms regardless of what you want.

Go back home, wait a decent amount of time, and then head out with him again for another walk.

Either way, it’s beneficial: he’ll realise he’s not the boss when it comes to the route, and by default, he’ll learn to tell you: "if I stop, it’s because we need to go home, I’m knackered, or it’s too hot/cold."

Once they reach a certain age, puppies realise they can disobey without the world coming to an end.

Asserting their independence is perfectly normal for a smart dog.

You’ve just got to make sure you don't give in...

That said, try to see if there are any specific circumstances behind these sudden stops; he might have some perfectly good reasons that you haven't spotted yet.