# Doesn't like to walk



## Ellie NY (Aug 27, 2010)

I always thought dogs looooved to walk. Not my Eli. He likes to go outside, do his business, and run home as quickly as possible. When I try to get him to walk after he does his business he tries to pull me back home. We take him to the park 3-4 times a week in the evenings when it's cooler and he will run off leash for a little while. He prefers to sit and watch other dogs play, this includes a really active Havs who makes my Eli look like a lump. 

Eli is perfectly healthy as far as I and his vet can tell (although he doesn't eat very well but he's not skinny). Is this just normal behavior for some Havs? I know they don't need much exercise and he does go up and down the stairs a hundred times a day.


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## MoirasNiceLady (Jul 11, 2011)

Just curious, how old is Eli? My Mo is 4 months and hated to walk on the leash until one night we took her for a walk with our 6 year old Cairn Terrier, whom she LOVES. She booked her little J-Lo butt to keep up with him the whole time. No stopping and refusing to budge, no backing away, no trying to go back the way we came. Ever since then she's been a peach to walk. Is it possible that you have an older dog experienced at walking on leash that could teach her, or a neighbor with a dog that you could walk with to give Eli more confidence? Just a thought


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## Ellie NY (Aug 27, 2010)

MoirasNiceLady said:


> Just curious, how old is Eli? My Mo is 4 months and hated to walk on the leash until one night we took her for a walk with our 6 year old Cairn Terrier, whom she LOVES. She booked her little J-Lo butt to keep up with him the whole time. No stopping and refusing to budge, no backing away, no trying to go back the way we came. Ever since then she's been a peach to walk. Is it possible that you have an older dog experienced at walking on leash that could teach her, or a neighbor with a dog that you could walk with to give Eli more confidence? Just a thought


Eli is 14 months. I live in a very busy area - both for cars and foot traffic. I don't believe he's scared of that since he will sit calmly on the sidewalk near the curb as the cars speed by. While the weather is good I'm trying to give him longer walks but he just doesn't seem interested at all.


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## DonnaC (Jul 31, 2011)

Our puppy hated the leash when we first started. He sat on the sidewalk and stared at me like I was asking him to walk across coals. But, when we took the dachshund out with him, he, too, followed right along, and now he's a real trooper on the leash. 

Also, early on, we took him to a local dog park, and see all the other dogs motivated him.

Have you tried treats in the back of your hand? I have to say I never got anywhere with that, but it works for some folks.


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## sprorchid (Mar 30, 2010)

yup, my little guy didn't really understand what a walk was until I walked him with my other dog. and now I have 3, and they really enjoy walking together as a pack. Now he pulls like a madman, and is always out in front ready to mark the next unsuspecting tree or telephone poll. He also really enjoy romping off leash, and runs like a crazy dog (with my other pup) doing wind sprints back and forth on the trail while I catch up to them. 

I do know dogs that don't walk well on leash. I used the treat in the hand to teach him to walk at a heel... he's learned it, but much prefers to be out in front.


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

Henry is not so keen on going for walks either.


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

Tori isn't thrilled about walking. She will often slink away from me and try to hide when she realizes I have her harness/leash. Once we're out walking, though, she does seem to enjoy it. 

Like Eli, she is definitely much more of an observer rather than a participator. At Hav gatherings and play dates we've attended, she is most happy sitting on my lap watching the other dogs play. I can remember her breeder describing her personality to me when she was tiny (less than 9 wks. old) I was told, "She is happiest just watching her brothers play and chase the butterfly rather than joining them in the chasing and playing." Now, at 4 yrs. old, she's not changed a bit.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Abby used to hate to go for walks and would lay down in the middle of our street and refuse to move! I can't remember how old she was when she finally started liking it, though. Now, she gets really excited and loves to go! I guess from reading a couple of the other posts there are just some dogs that don't like it! I would just keep trying and it may just "click" someday! I wouldn't force it, though.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Dexter is fussy about going outside when there is no need. He will let me take out Jack without wanting to follow along. 

Dexter is will 3 yrs. in September. 

Jack (1-1/2 yrs) loves to be outside and rings the bells to go outside frequently. 

When Dexter was younger he did refuse to walk and would lay down in grass or street at times, he just did not want to go for a walk.

We go for a walk maybe 2-3 times a week (15 minutes), Dexter will be the first to head for home when we are close to the house.


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## Atticus (May 17, 2011)

Atticus is 5 months now and just beginning to really like walks,he was terrible just refused to walk. He still balks some at new places but is much better and I can lure him on and never have to carry him on walks. I was taking him to new places all the time till I realized that was part of the problem so we just went on the same walk for a month, and he started to feel very comfortable.I live in Vermont so walks in nature are pretty endless. The other day though I had him at our market place, cars, sidewalks etc. He wouldn't budge! I realized I need to work on going everywhere! I have different leashes, flexie (sp?) for exploring/sniff walks and a regular leash for loose leash walking (with treats). I haven't really worked much on a real heel except for short spurts while loose leash walking. Be sure you have time on your walks for sniffing fun for him,walking from point A to B may not be his idea of a good time.My main thought IT TAKES TIME!!! Grin


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## Ditto's Mom (Apr 29, 2007)

Ditto likes to walk if I tell him we will stop at the park to run off leash. 
Phoenix who is 18 months LOVES to walk. We walk for 45 min. or more and he wants to keep going!!


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## jillnors2 (Apr 12, 2007)

Mayzie loves to walk but I'm walking 3 dogs at the same time so maybe it's a pack thing. She also needs LOTS of exercise since she's only 11 months old and full of energy.


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## Carefulove (Mar 20, 2009)

Bumi hates the leash and collar. The minute I put his collar on, he starts to mop the floor trying to get it off! Imagine walking outside in the fall! :frusty: He comes inside looking like an Army dog, all camouflaged with leaves.


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## HiggieSmallsLady (9 mo ago)

Higgins is the same way! I resorted to tugging on his leash and I think that's part of the problem. I am working hard on un-doing that behavior. We live in the city so there are lots of things on the ground that aren't safe for him to sniff -- plus it's foxtail season in the neighborhood, so it's challenging to re-direct him. He also looooooves to be carried.

he is great at the dog park, just on harness we both need training!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

This thread is eleven years old. 

People seem to think that puppies come pre-programmed understanding what a leash and collar are, how to respond to them, and how to walk on leash. ALL of tgar must be taught. So puppies catch on faster than others, and especislly if the human they are attached to is more experienced in teaching them. But continuing to do the same thing snd expect different results is… unlikely at best. You are right that you BOTH need training. Get yourself a good, positive trainer to teach you how to teach HIM to walk on leash properly. The longer you let this go, the harder it becomes to fix.


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## skubler (6 mo ago)

When I got Maggie, who is now 3 years, I would treat her first for even sniffing the collar. Continuing to treat her all the way through just wearing the collar for a minute. Eventually, but didn’t take long, we worked up to her just dragging the leash around the house. I think that really helped transition her to walking on it. She gets very excited when she sees her leash now. Even when I ask her, do you want to go for a walk, she runs over to where her leash is hanging and nudges it with her nose. It is so cute.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

skubler said:


> When I got Maggie, who is now 3 years, I would treat her first for even sniffing the collar. Continuing to treat her all the way through just wearing the collar for a minute. Eventually, but didn’t take long, we worked up to her just dragging the leash around the house. I think that really helped transition her to walking on it. She gets very excited when she sees her leash now. Even when I ask her, do you want to go for a walk, she runs over to where her leash is hanging and nudges it with her nose. It is so cute.


That is an excellent way to start! Then follow the puppy around HOLDING the leash, but do not pull on it. Then start encouraging the puppy to follow you by calling "pup, pup, pup and gently clapping your hands and walking backwards, still holding the leash, so the puppy comes with you. The leash should be thought of as an "emergency break", not a "steering wheel". The puppy/dog should stay with you because he has been trained to do so, NOT because you are pulling him along on the leash...

Here is Ducky at 5 months practicing in the driveway. You can see I don't TOUCH the leash. He is dragging it so that if he were to TRY to dart off, I could step on it and keep him from leaving. But he is learning to stay with me FIRST, BEFORE I use the leash to "walk" him.






Then here the is at about 11 months. Here he doesn't need a leash even as a "safety tool". In fact, I am purposely sending him away from me with thrown cookies to strengthen his drive to get back to me, and not only get back "near" me but into proper hell position" on my left side. Which he shows he understands clearly! 






Now, for a pet dog, you don't need this exactness of position, of course, but if you have a dog who understands that he needs to stay NEAR you, and going in the same direction at all times, the leash then becomes the emergency brake it should be, and stops being a "steering wheel". You shouldn't be dragging your dog and your dog shouldn't be dragging you. But first you need to teach the dance. And that is done, not out on the street or sidewalk, but a few steps at a time, day after day, in a quiet, non-distracting setting. JUST like dancing, you learn the individual steps before you learn the dance.


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## skubler (6 mo ago)

krandall said:


> That is an excellent way to start! Then follow the puppy around HOLDING the leash, but do not pull on it. Then start encouraging the puppy to follow you by calling "pup, pup, pup and gently clapping your hands and walking backwards, still holding the leash, so the puppy comes with you. The leash should be thought of as an "emergency break", not a "steering wheel". The puppy/dog should stay with you because he has been trained to do so, NOT because you are pulling him along on the leash...
> 
> Here is Ducky at 5 months practicing in the driveway. You can see I don't TOUCH the leash. He is dragging it so that if he were to TRY to dart off, I could step on it and keep him from leaving. But he is learning to stay with me FIRST, BEFORE I use the leash to "walk" him.
> 
> ...


I had already watched your videos last month and thought to myself, I was on the right track 3 years ago when working with Maggie. I must say watching you and having the puppy culture videos has really built up my confidence 😄😁


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## skubler (6 mo ago)

skubler said:


> I had already watched your videos last month and thought to myself, I was on the right track 3 years ago when working with Maggie. I must say watching you and having the puppy culture videos has really built up my confidence 😄😁


By the way, we go to get the new pup tomorrow! I don’t think I’ll sleep much tonight, haha.


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