When he goes into these shutdowns. I would very sincerely tell him in no undcertain terms you are just not having it. Tighen his collar and tow him relentlessly. It won't be far. He will walk after a few paces. No dog WANTS to be dragged. But in showing him you just aren't standing for it, however bad it looks to the 'gallery' its the way to go to snap this habit as fast as possible.
Then once hes walking treat him, rather than spending anytime begging him to put one foot infront of the other. I would be unforgiving on the stupid behaviour, and then treat the good.
But thats possibly just me I find a couple of good tows and they realise you aren't having it.
Di
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The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
We went through the same thing with Archie from about 7 - 10 months. Every time we got home he would lie down on the front lawn and refuse to budge. If we had been in the car he would get out of the car and lie down. A combination of neutering, taking him out of the passenger side of the car so he couldn't get to the lawn and a few sharp tugs so he knew we weren't going to take any nonsense and we have had no problems since. Not sure which of these was most effective but we haven't had an issue since Christmas (touch wood)
Just in case it isn't just pure stubborness, nothing has scared him along the way, has it? A dog barking behind a fence, or a car backfiring....anything you can think of?
It's just that one of my Guide Dog pups would put on her brakes on the way back home, if I went a certain route, but that's because we would have to go past a garden fence where two GSD's had thrown themselves barking ferociously at the fence once, just as we were going past. Scared us both witless, as we couldn't see the dogs coming, but ever after that Oyster would try everything to avoid going that way, even if the dogs weren't there.
If there really isn't anything you can think of which he might be remotely worried about, then I'd take the no nonsense approach.
Just another thought before I go. Is he calling the shots in any other way while on lead? You know, is he dragging you off for a sniff, or stopping to c*ck his leg, etc, etc? As if he is, I'd clamp right down on anything like that. No stopping or sniffing at all while the lead was on, otherwise he'll think he can call the shots in other ways too.
He used to be a sniffer and leg cocker on walks but we seem to have that sorted now. I don't think there's anything that spooks him because he's done it on all the streets leading to the house. Re the no-nonsense approach to stopping, I tried telling him off and dragging by the collar the first time he did it but was a bit half hearted so didn't work. I was put off by onlookers including young children who think he's the cutest thing ever and still call him the Andrex puppy.
Perhaps I'll take him for a very early morning walk when there's no-one around to watch.
Luna was about that age when she started to drag her feet on the way home, she never completely sat down immovable because I realised she was slowing down and thought GREAT!!!! I pulled out the treats and said 'slow walk' , slowed my walking down to window shopping speed and treated her for slow walking. Then I'd speed up a little and do normal 'close walk', rewarding her for being close. I also threw 'quick walk' into the mix. Swapping and changing between speeds keeping her focused on me always got us to the front door! Luna's shocked expression at realising she'd been duped again was brilliant! As Luna had always been a puller on lead until this point this was the break through in our loose leash walking as once I'd taught her the commands and repeated over and over I could ask her to slow walk, close walk or quick walk whenever I wanted! - Great!!!
When walking off-lead nowadays she will sometimes stop and gaze longingly at the route she wants to go instead of the one I'm going in. I either 1) keep walking and then reach for the treat pocket and do a really excited recall of her OR
2) step back to her side just slightly behind her. Stand for a moment and wait for her to look at me. When she does say 'C'mon then' and excitedly move forward. Luna likes to think she's leading the way!
Had a lightbulb moment with Bailey today, I think I've been overdoing the treats and he's managed to train me to give him more.
This morning he stood and looked at me when I told him to get in the car. I asked him again and held out a treat, he ignored me and started sniffing the ground. So I got out the special Fish4Dogs treats I use for recall and he jumped in the car and looked at me expectantly. I didn't give him anything, not sure if I should have done.
When we'd finished the walk and went back to the car I told him to get in, he didn't move so I gave him a rollicking, grabbed his collar and manhandled him in. Not as difficult as I thought it would be, I think he was so startled he didn't put up any resistance. Will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow.
I think our dogs are better at trianing us than we are at training them sometimes Bodie definitely knows when there are treats in my pocket and when there aren't!
Lol Markus, that pretty much describes our attempts at getting out of the car sometimes. I have tried treating Max after getting out, sitting nicely and waiting while I shut the car up, to make him work harder for it. But after one to many sessions of him taking ages to get out of the car, I have resorted to man-handling and praying the nieghbours aren't watching! He's a very confident boy, and has a stubborn streak a mile wide - all will be done in Max's time - and he has learnt how to milk it for a treat!!
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I find a couple of good tows and they realise you aren't having it.
