# Sitting while walking



## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

It could be that something spooked him while you were out walking. Can you try taking a different route?


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Great on getting a vet check!

Instead of walking 3 houses, go one house, back home, one house the other way, b ack home, 1 1/2 houses one way...back home. 

Consider the weather. If it's really hot or cold he might not be so happy. Yesterday morning I had two dogs in the yard and was running the old guy on leash...and WHAM...I was face first in the snow. He decided it was too cold to walk and had just stopped! 

What is his body language like? What kinds of things scare him? How often had you been taking him on walks? Did he previously take treats while on a walk?


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## randalp24 (May 1, 2009)

fostermom said:


> It could be that something spooked him while you were out walking. Can you try taking a different route?


I don't think anything could have spooked him, I can't remember anything ever spooking this dog actually. I have tried different routes, he has done this the past 3 times I have tried walking him.


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## randalp24 (May 1, 2009)

RedDogs said:


> Great on getting a vet check!
> 
> Instead of walking 3 houses, go one house, back home, one house the other way, b ack home, 1 1/2 houses one way...back home.
> 
> ...


It is cold here, but he has walked in colder, it's definately not cold enough where he should be afraid of the cold or anything. He actually loves the snow and cold, judging from his behavior earlier this winter (this is his first winter).

His body language is that he knows I am about to take him for a walk so he gets excited and waits by the gait for me to put the leash on like he normally does. He seems to walk perfectly normaly for a couple houses then all of a sudden wham he decides to sit down and not move. 

I use to give him treats when i was first teaching him to walk on the leash, but I haven't needed to do that for a while. He still pulls more then I care for so I just ordered a gentle leader harness to see if that helps, but I wouldnt' say he has been a horrible walker in the past, he normally seems to love his walks. 

Other then this he seems perfectly happy and healthy, I am just wondering if he has decided to test my authority.

We are getting a snow storm today and I am actually happy, I am thinking with all the new snow on the ground maybe it will snap him out of this, since he loves playing in the snow so much.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

Do you think he is maybe bored with his walks? Is there any way you can enlist the help of a friend and his/her dog to walk with you and perhaps entice your golden to join in.


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## randalp24 (May 1, 2009)

Laurie said:


> Do you think he is maybe bored with his walks? Is there any way you can enlist the help of a friend and his/her dog to walk with you and perhaps entice your golden to join in.


He doesn't seem to be bored, his behavior seems normal up until he decides to sit and hold his ground.


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## momtoMax (Apr 21, 2009)

Everyone is always saying teenage years. Could he just be being stubborn? My 7 month old golden got to walking pretty well on a leash. My 10 month golden drags me down the side walk and it's like starting from square one. I just take his setbacks as teenage rebellion. Why don't you drive him somewhere and then walk? Different surroundings might help for a while and once you see that he's capable of walking somewhere, you don't be so worried that it might be a physical issue.


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## randalp24 (May 1, 2009)

momtoMax said:


> Everyone is always saying teenage years. Could he just be being stubborn? My 7 month old golden got to walking pretty well on a leash. My 10 month golden drags me down the side walk and it's like starting from square one. I just take his setbacks as teenage rebellion. Why don't you drive him somewhere and then walk? Different surroundings might help for a while and once you see that he's capable of walking somewhere, you don't be so worried that it might be a physical issue.


That is a good idea to drive him somewhere else and try and walk him, i didn't think about that.

I am not really concerned about a physical issue, but since he is going to the vet for a scheduled checkup anyways, I figure i would ask about it. He behaves normally in every other way.


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## Mako (Nov 29, 2009)

Mako started doing the same thing. So over the weekend I had my sons take him for his walks and he was fine. Today I took him but we went a different way and he seemed to be fine. I guess he was bored.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Lots of dogs go through a phase around 7-9 months when seemingly silly tings can give them the freaks. Walking past a tree stump...a trash can...a lawn ornament...a flag on a porch...someone sweeping their driveway or shoveling in a garden...kids riding bikes or skateboards...
Even if they were things that they regularly walked past before....
Taking him for a car ride to a new location is a good suggestion...walking with a friend and their dog is another good one...


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## randalp24 (May 1, 2009)

Mako said:


> Mako started doing the same thing. So over the weekend I had my sons take him for his walks and he was fine. Today I took him but we went a different way and he seemed to be fine. I guess he was bored.


 
My dad gave him a walk in the afternoon and he walked fine. 

I did a short walk with him last night and he did sit a couple times but i was able to keep him moving. I think he might just be testing me to see what he can get away with.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Randal*

Randal

Happy to hear he walked with your Dad. I would mention to vet anyway since you are taking him. He probably is just being stubborn and trying to get his way.


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## HudsensMama9 (Dec 17, 2009)

Randal, Hudsen does the SAME exact thing. He walks a little- then sits, then lies down and WILL NOT move....unless I turn the other way and we head toward home- then he walks normally. It is so weird. I have found that by taking him to a new place has really helped- also, it might help if a neighbor or family member has a dog that can walk with you guys, When my sister walks her golden with me and Hudsen, Hudsen walks the entire time!! It is frustrating though because you can't always walk with someone else and you want to make sure they get enough exercise, which is hard to do when they just wanna lie down  I asked the trainer last week about this and she said just try to bring treats and entice him to come toward you. She said NEVER move back toward him because he then knows he can get away with it. The treats seem to work a little bit, but not always. So sometimes we just stand there because both of us refuse to move... Have you tried bringing something for him to carry (bone, toy, etc.). Carrying sticks seem to also help sometimes. Good luck-- I know how frustrating this is!!


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## perdie (Oct 30, 2008)

LOL My goldie does that, he's 20 months and started it at about 15months. Sometimes he doesnt want to go out,sometimes he doesnt want to go home so just throws himself on the floor, its very funny, ive seen some great pictures on here of golden tantrums! Theyre very stubborn but you are in charge so you say when&where you're walking, I can see the signs when my Jamie begins his tantrum - he'll tug back a little&start to do a slow motion 'canter' Ive learnt to lift his lead high on the neck& plough forward with all my might so he knows he has no choice -_we're going in this direction&thats that, _10 seconds later he's forgotten all about it&we're trotting along nicely my son isnt so successful with this method as he kinda does it half hearted. Assert yourself, you're the pack leader, good luck


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## Bailey&Me (Feb 16, 2010)

My 3-month old puppy Bailey also plops on his butt and refuses to walk all of a sudden now! I'm so sorry to hear that it can be an ongoing problem, for many months it seems by some posts here. I was hoping it was just a temporary baby-puppy issue, a passing lack of confidence about being out in "the big world" outside the yard. There are no other dogs around here to walk with, unfortunately, but walking with a dog who is a good example would seem like a good solution to the problem. 

Bailey loved walking on a leash when we first started training and was very happy about doing a short walk around the block or a quick visit to the park---especially when there were people to meet and be cuddled by along the way. The excitement about the walking lasted for about two weeks. Then all of a sudden he seems to have decided that walking is not really for him. He even turns his head away from us when we call him to continue the walk, with a dog's version of "talk to the hand" as if to demonstrate that he is not about to listen or give in, come what may, so no use tugging on his leash. He absolutely refuses to go more than one house away from ours now, no matter who in the family takes him out, and regardless of reassurances, treats, praise over baby steps forward, or anything else we have tried to make him feel excited about walking again. 

The only thing that can make him move temporarily is if we meet someone walking in the opposite direction..then he forgets his resolve for a minute and suddenly wants to run up to the person to be petted, full of expectant puppy love and boundless affection for strangers, as self-assured and eager to be praised for his good looks as only a golden retriever can be.:

I'm hesitant about taking him for rides in the car because he gets terribly motion sick and throws up as soon as we make the first turn. So I guess we will be stuck practicing leash walking in the back yard for now, at least until he stops throwing up in the car, has had his last set of shots and has started his group training sessions at Petco. Can't wait to try some of the advice you have kindly offered randalph24 here though!


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## randalp24 (May 1, 2009)

HudsensMama9 said:


> Randal, Hudsen does the SAME exact thing. He walks a little- then sits, then lies down and WILL NOT move....unless I turn the other way and we head toward home- then he walks normally. It is so weird. I have found that by taking him to a new place has really helped- also, it might help if a neighbor or family member has a dog that can walk with you guys, When my sister walks her golden with me and Hudsen, Hudsen walks the entire time!! It is frustrating though because you can't always walk with someone else and you want to make sure they get enough exercise, which is hard to do when they just wanna lie down  I asked the trainer last week about this and she said just try to bring treats and entice him to come toward you. She said NEVER move back toward him because he then knows he can get away with it. The treats seem to work a little bit, but not always. So sometimes we just stand there because both of us refuse to move... Have you tried bringing something for him to carry (bone, toy, etc.). Carrying sticks seem to also help sometimes. Good luck-- I know how frustrating this is!!


I have tried the treat in front of him to get him up and moving. It worked a little at first, but he has no interest in that now. I also tried sticks and other things, but he quickly looses interest and just wants to turn around and go back home. I guess my neighborhood bores him! I talked with my breeder about it as well, and she thinks something may have scared him which is why he doesn't like walking around the neighborhood. I did have a run in with a very large dog one day, which seemed to spook him a bit, i didn't think much of it at the time, but maybe it has something to do with it.

Anyways, the only thing that works for me is to get him in the car (which can also be a struggle with him) and drive him somewhere new, then he will walk fine. It's frustrating because I certainly don't want to do this forever.

If it goes on much longer I am going to just hire a trainer to come to my house to give me some further suggestions.


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