# Scared or just stubborn



## MittaBear (Mar 9, 2010)

I've been having this issue with Chester and it's pretty recent. I'm just getting so annoyed and don't know how to fix it. So I could really use some expert advice.

He obviously loves going for walks, but it is so extremely difficult to actually get him out the door. First he plants his feet down and will not move when we try to get him to come out the front door. When he finally does get out the front door, he does the same thing when it's time to go onto the driveway. I obviously don't want to pull him, but even a little nudging won't work because it's like his feet are glued to the ground.

He is the most food oriented dog, but even food doesn't really get him to move. I even uses high motivating snacks like a piece of roast beef or something, which he would never pass up, and even that doesn't work too well. He'll eventually go onto the driveway with the food, but it really takes forever.

I just get so frustrated that I usually end up just carrying him out the front door onto the sidewalk so we pass up the driveway part, but I don't want him getting spoiled so that I'll have to do that forever! I honestly don't know if he's just going through a really stubborn phase, or if he's somehow scared of walking on the front steps/driveway. I should also mention that once we're to the sidewalk and going for our walk, he's fine. He's also walks right up the driveway when we're coming back home. So I don't understand what the issue is!

What can I do about this?


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

It sounds like he's scared, especially if he won't take his favorite treat. It definitely doesn't sound like he's being spoiled (and it might make him not like to be carried) and definitely doesn't sound like he's being stubborn.

How long has this been going on? Has it been a gradual change or a sudden thing? Do you have an electric fence? Did anything scary happen outside that you know of? What happens if you leave from a different door? Can you easily get him in the car? What if you drive him somewhere else to walk?

I would NOT carry him, I would NOT lure with food. Ideally you can hang out in the doorway and give him a treat if he moves that way (even half an inch!) on his own. But let's let HIM do the walking. Get a chair and sit... no helping.

But if there's a serious cause for his fear...you may need a different training plan.


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## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

Is there a back door you can go out of? Garage? Sometimes a different exit for a while does the trick. I agree don't lure him and don't carry him though. You can also try feeding him by the door, and put his water there for a few days - see if he's ok going there to get a drink on his own. 

Another thing you can try, is once he's walking turn around and walk him partway up the driveway and then back out and down the sidewalk. You could even just do a slight curve onto the driveway and back out again, then further up each time, sort of 'back chaining' the walking down the driveway thing and then the steps and so on. 

It may help too to just put his leash on, go to the door with him, and yup, sit and read a book, maybe toss some treats around and let him figure it out. Ignore him and think pleasant thoughts about sitting in that spot so he sees you are quite relaxed there.

Who knows, maybe he got his tail caught, or heard a funny sound, or whatever around that door so now it's scary to go through. Dogs can keep things very interesting!


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## C's Mom (Dec 7, 2009)

Sounds like he's avoiding that driveway at all costs. Did he have something scare him while on the driveway? Loud noise, something stuck to his foot?


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## MittaBear (Mar 9, 2010)

It's just so weird how he's scared to walk down the driveway when we go for a walk, but when we're coming back home he has no problem walking back up it. It's a pretty recent thing. He didn't do this when he was younger. I can't think of a reason why he does this all of a sudden.

I agree that it's not the right thing to do to carry him, it just gets frustrating just standing there waiting for him when he's not going to come.

He's fine going into the car, but getting on the driveway to get into the car is the hard part. If we drive him to the park, he hops right out and has no problem walking.

I'll definitely have to try going out the garage or the back door, and also walking up and down the driveway. I just wish I could think of some of these things. :uhoh: Thanks for the suggestions. I'll definitely be trying lots of these things.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

I didn't see this yesterday, but... Jacks was doing this all summer. This was because of the combined storms, fireworks, and higher activity levels at the two nearby gun clubs. Even on quiet days he would not go down the driveway because he was convinced there was something horrible out there. 

Forget taking walks, he refused to go out in our front yard, even on clear and quiet days. 

<- And actually, I have a video of him somewhere showing him nervously pacing by our garage because I had taken him outside and was just sitting out there sunning myself instead of immediately taking him back inside. I was doing and did EXACTLY what Red Dogs just recommended. And it worked. Then after I got him calmed down about going out in the front yard, I was then able to move on and work on getting him over his walking phobia. 

His walking phobia as it was - the worst part was the stretch from our driveway and halfway down our street. There is a side street at that point that apparently has bad vibes, because once he's past it, he relaxes. Or more likely, you just need to go down that side street go through the backyard of the house at the end of the street, trudge through a field, cross a horse pasture, cross the street and you will find yourself looking at the sign for the nearest gun club. 

I used a different method (prong collar) for getting him to comply with me getting him up the street and past that BAD street. But before I got that far, I first focused on getting him calmed down about going out into our front yard. It took a few weeks of me going out and slouching in the driveway while he was stuck keeping me company out there before he figured out that even if the sky was falling up down the street, at least our front yard was safe.


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