Doesnt like to walk???

[Louie The Boxer]

Hi,
I have owned 3 other dogs before my current boxer puppy who is 11 weeks old. He is the first dog that i have had that absolutly hates to take walks. He will walk very slowly and sit down every few steps. When we turn around he will run as fast as he can home. How can I get my dog to like to walk?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[Tulsa-Dan]

This seems to be a typical puppy thing with many boxers. My Maggie went through the same thing. Even now, at 1 year old, she will stop mid-walk and refuse to budge until I ask if she wants to go back home, then she'll turn tail and practically drag me back home.

Take treats. Give rewards when the dog lets you put on the collar, and when he leaves the house, and continuallly reassure the dog during the walk by giving treats and using words like "good walk" etc. They eventually get over it.

I always give my girls a treat when we get home from a walk (probably one of the reasons Maggie wants to get home so fast), if they've been good girls on their walks.

Persistence and rewards will help your dog get over the walking problem. Make sure you (your voice) is plenty excited when asking if the dog wants to go for a walk or go outside (or whatever words you use). Make it as much fun as possible for the dog and soon you'll be complaining that the dog wants to go for walk all the time and you can't get anything done :D

Good luck.

 

[douma]

hi
Avra is my first boxer ,i had had 2 other dogs before her and now we have a GSD 2 1/2 years old .Our GSD when she was puppy ran all day, nonstop
I have never seen somethink like this ;Avra when she was from 40 days to 3-4 months old she hated the walk and she LOVED THE SLEEP,she was sleeping the most part of the day.
Like your puppy ,during the walk,after awhile she sat down and i had to take her in my armful ,she didn't like the walk (but she loved the park and the walk with car)and when we turned home she waggle her tail like crazy .
I was very worried about this and visited the vet ,so he said that it's normal with puppys which grown very fast (vet said that Avra is big as female boxer) So they tired very fast.


http://photos.yahoo.com/sof22001

 

[Mia's Dad]

No worries

Louie-

I posted the same question when Mia was about that age. She too hated to walk. I tried treats like everyone on the board told me to, but that did not work for me. The way I got Mia started was to play with her and have her come to me. After about 10 times of doing that she grew uninterested. The good news is that we had to get back to the door to go home. It was only 100 feet or so but it was a start. After about two days for doing that she was ready for walks. Now she loves them, and she learnd to come. Killing two birds with one stone. Just dont give up... take your little one out every day whether he will walk or not. He will get the idea.

Some one else also told me to kind of drag them along. I did not like that idea because I worried about hurting thier littel pads. Hope this helps. Good Luck

 

[Sandi]

I also agree with Mia's Dad.. my two balked at the idea of leashes.. for that matter collars when they were first intro'd...
Collar.. hmm took several days... scratching and what not...
Leash... hooked a leash to them and let them drag it around! all day! after 2-3 days they were comfortable with it.
Next came.. the WALK!... HA what a joke.. you'd have thought I was dragging them to their demise.

I used my all time favorite treat... bits of beef liver sliced very thinly and tiny morsels.. Nuked in the micro to dry.. bag em up... refrigerate... a morsel to get them used to me pulling the leash... another morsel when they took a step... and continue in the house until they were used to it.
Then after a day or 2 venture outside... morsels tucked inthe pocket.. stop every 5-8 feet... praise, praise, morsel

before the week was out we were walking around the block a time or 2, on only 3-4 morsels apiece.

After a few weeks we were working lead lines.. 2-3 min down stays, etc....

Bella & Baxter both love to work.. and their tiny morsel and tons o'praise go everywhere.

I jsut have to be careful with Bax, his skittishness can rear its ugly head in public places and that 2-3 min down stay is gone.

Heaven forbid a child on a bike ride by, Bax is running with all his might. We are working on the Timidness issues.

Wish us luck, as I wish you all the best in the wide world of Leashes

*giggles*

 

[willies_spots]

Cassius hated walks as well...he would walk a little then sit down and lay in the grass and eat it. then get up, you get the idea. i took him out last night (he's 5 months old now) and made it through the whole walk with out sitting down. hey do your dogs hate their collar? Cash scratchs at it constantly. You know that spot on dogs (usually around their hind legs) that makes their hind leg wiggle...well Cassius' is located on his neck, so i think his collar is constantly tickeling him...poor guy!

 

[JEBsMom]

"Tickle spot"

Davis' "tickle spot" (we call it a banjo spot because of what it makes his legs do!:o ) is also on his neck! I've never seen anything like it! We had a problem with his collar too when he was younger - I think it really was tickling him! Silly boxers!

 

[willies_spots]

was Davis able to wear his collar and did he "grow out of it"? I love the name the "banjo spot" LOL that's what they look like...hee hee hee

 

[JEBsMom]

Davis has been able to wear his collar with little problem - the real tickling came when we attached the leash to his collar! It drove him crazy! I think he's either started growing out of it or just getting used to it, because it doesn't seem to bother him much now.

 

[willies_spots]

Oh lord...don't put the leash on...it's so funny he walks and then scratches while he's still walking...i know that it drives him TOTALLY nuts. i feel bad for him and hopes he grows out of it...Davis gives me hope. thanks for your insight!