# 5 month old who consistently stops when walking



## Dog Lover (Apr 5, 2012)

Hello,

I am excited that I found this forum. I recently got my first Golden and this forum has answered a lot of questions!! Thanks you!

I got my puppy Autumn a few weeks ago from a reputable breeder. She is my first golden! She is a very smart girl and has picked up things very well and adapted to her new surroundings. She is working on a few things, but walking seems to be one of the most challenging. For the first few days, she had to get used to a leash, as she had never used one. In addition, she had to get used to a whole new area to live in. She has been doing very well for a few weeks, but the past few nights she will just sit down and either try to get me to go back the way we came, or not move at all. She doesn't seem tired, fearful or scared, but just seems determined to go where she wants, when she wants. I think this is possibly her trying to exert her dominance, but I am not sure.

I have consulted the trainer, and he suggested the gentle leader, or a prong collar, but I am not sure about them. In addition, even if I get those collars, I don't know whether I should try and get her move by tugging on the leash, or if I should ignore her and face in the direction I want to go. I don't want to hurt her, but I want her to know that she needs to keep walking and that I am the boss (especially if this is a dominance issue). Luring her with treats and toys don't seem to be working - she knows what I am trying to do!! 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## Deber (Aug 23, 2011)

When young they seem to need motivation to get moving. Some actually lay down as flat as they can and I think they think they are invisible! You might try some high value treats (tiny bits of chicken or beef) and stand a bit in front of her or if she is small enough treat just out of reach of her nose, when she moves forwards say whatever your word is for Good (I use "OK"), treat and start moving again. She may be a bit timid right now and not sure what to do. It take a while to get them to understand the leash is a tool to help them know what to do. Right now she may be at her threshold of confidence and needs a bit of treating to go farther. You can also make a turn to the right and take a few steps then another right turn with a few steps until you are facing forwards again and keep walking. In the beginning I made millions of turns until the dogs got the hang of things.

You are doing wonderfully by taking her out and even a very short walk is true success. She will learn and soon she will be dragging you down the street. You might need the easy walker, but she is so young, I think I would give other options a try first. If you go to a different collar such as a prong, please let a trainer help you fit it and learn how to use. It is a tool and can be a good one, but if not used correctly can hurt. The easy walk is great if you find she is a puller and pulls you down the road, but that is not your problem now. Try better treats and keep trying, it will happen I assure you.


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

How long into the walk when she sits down? My pup, Casper, at eight months gets tired/bored/whatever after 30-45 minutes and then sits down to take a rest. Which is better than jumping and biting! Also, he just likes to sit and watch the wind blow. After a few minutes he is ready to move along. Since the purpose of the walk is to get him some exercise and do something interesting, that's OK with us.


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## Dog Lover (Apr 5, 2012)

Thank you for your replies Deber and Quilter! I appreciate your time 

The sitting part began a couple of days ago, and I was finding it happened at different intervals - sometimes 2 minutes in, and sometimes 10 minutes in. This evening when I came home, she wouldn't even go out with me to pee. She sat on the porch and I tried treats, patience, facing the direction I wanted to go and nothing worked! I tried again a little while later and still, nothing - even with her favourite treats! I ended up going to my trainer at that moment and he spent an hour with Autumn and I and we used the gentle leader. He felt it was a dominance thing. Since we arrived home, we have tried two short walks and Autumn seems to be adjusting. We will continue our dog training and hopefully I will be able to stop using the gentle leader soon enough!! 

Thanks again for your time! It is wonderful to have such a great forum! I will keep reading and I am sure I will be positing again soon! Maybe I will even have advice to offer once my little one and I gain more experience in training! It is so amazing to have had the chance to work with different breeds and I can honestly say that Autumn is probably one of the fastest learners I have had! She is a joy to have - even in her stubbornness!! I am looking forward to our journey together!


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## darbysdad (Dec 23, 2011)

Deber said:


> *When young they seem to need motivation to get moving. Some actually lay down as flat as they can and I think they think they are invisible!* You might try some high value treats (tiny bits of chicken or beef) and stand a bit in front of her or if she is small enough treat just out of reach of her nose, when she moves forwards say whatever your word is for Good (I use "OK"), treat and start moving again. She may be a bit timid right now and not sure what to do. It take a while to get them to understand the leash is a tool to help them know what to do. Right now she may be at her threshold of confidence and needs a bit of treating to go farther. You can also make a turn to the right and take a few steps then another right turn with a few steps until you are facing forwards again and keep walking. In the beginning I made millions of turns until the dogs got the hang of things.
> 
> You are doing wonderfully by taking her out and even a very short walk is true success. She will learn and soon she will be dragging you down the street. You might need the easy walker, but she is so young, I think I would give other options a try first. If you go to a different collar such as a prong, please let a trainer help you fit it and learn how to use. It is a tool and can be a good one, but if not used correctly can hurt. The easy walk is great if you find she is a puller and pulls you down the road, but that is not your problem now. Try better treats and keep trying, it will happen I assure you.


That was a good laugh to start the morning off with The invisibility shield along with the roll on the back because I've "gone lame and can't walk" routines are always hillarious. Darby would do this, so I would have to get behind her and lift her behind up to get her moving again. Kind of like a wind up toy. Be patient and soon enough Autumn will be like a non stop locomotive that you wish would stop. I love the prong collar, Dog Lover, but definately not to be used to cure that situation. Too funny. Give it time and keep prodding Autumn along.


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## Dog Lover (Apr 5, 2012)

Thank you Darbysdad! It certainly is funny to think about why dogs do what they do! I find myself laughing a lot at Autumn's determination! I have used the prong collar many times, especially as I have had rescue dogs (adults) over the years, and that is what my behaviourist suggested, and they worked great! I wasn't sure if a prong collar would be OK for a puppy, but as you mentioned, even if it was, they are not meant to be used for the purpose I need at the moment! The gentle leader seems to be working! Maybe it was just by chance that when we went out this morning, I put her flat collar on and she kept moving..., or maybe she was just too tired to have the "I won't walk battle" I will keep prodding!! Thanks again!


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

I wouldn't use a prong in this situation, personally. Sounds like you need to make walking more fun, which is an encouragement issue. Lots of treats, randomly breaking into short jogs, going places where she's comfortable (maybe a quiet street away from traffic) will all help make her realize walks are fun! Can you get a person to walk their dog with you?

I had a little foster pup who was shy and he didn't like going on walks. He'd stop or sit or do the lying out flat thing. I started calling him to me and rewarding with liver treats...until he started purposely sitting and waiting for me to call him so he could get his reward! I started 'luring' him with a cookie held in my hand to walk a few steps, then praise. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Worked better than calling! We also went on shorter, more frequent walks rather than one or two long walks. Had to stick with quieter neighbourhoods as he frightened easily. Any time a bus or big truck went by, I'd give him a cookie. 

I also took him out with Ranger a lot and that really helped. Ranger loves his walks so it got little foster pup all excited when the leashes came out, only because he knew Ranger was excited! Walking with Ranger seemed to give him more confidence and more of a 'pack mentality'. Once he got braver, he'd only get to walk with Ranger for one walk and then by himself the rest of the day.

I'd also make sure that you're not 'overdoing' it with loose-leash training. With the pups who don't want to walk, I don't really care where they are so long as they're walking. If they want to be in front, that's fine. Once they get confident and are happily walking without stopping for 30 minutes, then I start working on loose-leash training. Otherwise it seems to blow their little minds. With said little foster pup, he'd drag behind me and stop constantly the first ten minutes of our 20 min loop...then once we hit the halfway point, he knew we were on our way home and he'd be right out at the end of the leash, prancing away. Smart guy! I never corrected him for being at the end of the leash and getting a little pull-y. I'd rather that than the stopping and sitting!


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## Dog Lover (Apr 5, 2012)

Thank you for your reply Ranger. I didn't go with the prong in the end as I felt it wasn't for this purpose! The gentle leader is working great and she seems to be doing very well with it!

I do go on short, frequent walks as she is still getting used to the whole walking thing! You are absolutely right about other dogs! Whenever I can, I go on walks with other people who have dogs. That is how Autumn even began moving when I put a collar on her! She still hates having anything on her, but slowly, and with constant treating, she is learning that it is part of being a dog in the city!! She LOVES other dogs - I think more than me for sure at this point, so she is absolutely fine when they are around! She even loves people of all ages, so whenever people or dogs are around, she is fine. It is when we are just strolling along, she will decide to plop her bum down and sit. When I tried treating at first, she did well. Then she realized what I was trying to do and stopped responding to them! She is one determined girl!! So far, with the gentle leader it's been great (although it has only been one full day, so let's hope it continues!!)

Based on all of this, my trainer thought that she was trying to exert her dominance with me as she is not afraid of people, dogs, or cars! She is a little weary of bikers and rollerbladers, but we have rarely seen them, and I think that is why. She just sits and watches them and then keeps going! 

I appreciate your point of loose leash walking as I can probably give her more room to pull ahead a bit. I have avoided that as the trainer said I should never allow her to think it is ok to lead me, or pull me. Your point is well taken!

Thanks again for your time!


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