Puppy doesn't like leaving own territory

[jackthelad]

Hi

I have a brindle boxer called Jack and he is 18 weeks old. He is doing really well, though I would say he is a little bit skinny. However, I hear that many boxer pups are on the slightly lighter side and it is better being that way rather than overweight. Is this correct?

Anyway my question was that he doesn’t seem to enjoy going for walks unless he is in a ‘pack’. By that I mean with other humans or other dogs. If just Jack and me or Jack and my girlfriend then he gets so far (usually to the end of the garden path or sometimes about 50 metres from the house) then stops, sits down and refuses to move whilst turning to look in the direction of the house!

I’m not sure whether to turn back with him or to be more stubborn than he is and wait until he continues our walk. I have done both and must admit when he gets far enough from the house he seems to forget that he wants to go home and enjoys the walk. Though it can sometimes take a good 5 minutes to coax him into continuing the walk. If I turn back with him he pulls on the lead to get home quicker.

I praise him vocally and with treats but this ritual is still occurring. At first I thought he would grow out of it after a few walks. What would be the correct way forward here?

When I take him to the park (a short drive away) he absolutely loves it but I don’t understand why he is so apprehensive walking through the streets. Could he still be scared of the traffic as he was the first few times I took him for walks?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Alastair

 

[BxrMommieNAZ]

Absolutely do NOT give into him or he will continue to do it. Don't alllow him to sit down. Keep your leash short and just keep walking, if he tries to stop just keep walking, he will eventually walk with you. It is probably just a phase, but by giving treats and talking to him, etc when he is doing something unacceptable you can't do, shouldn't bribe puppy, just keep on walking and he will too.

Good luck.

 

[nikasdot]

when mine would sit I put a hand on her belly and coaxed her up. They can be very stubborn and persistent!

 

[jackthelad]

additional

Thanks for that. I will try that from now on. I know what you mean about the treats. Jack only gets rewarded for positive behavior. He is responding to everything else and is (so far) very well behaved. Any more comments are welcomed. I hope it is just a phase he's going through.

Alastair

 

[kathysboxer]

Tyson used to do the same thing. We just made him go on the walk with us. We would walk about 10 or so minutes then turn to come home. Who knew he could pull so hard on leash? He couldn't get home fast enough. He is now 8 months old and does great. No pulling when we are on the way home at all. I have also taught him to heel. I did this with treats broken up in my pocket. When he would start to pull the leash taught, I would say heel in a stern voice and when he came back to me, I would give him the little bit of treat. Now all I have to say is Hey, Tyson and pull slightly on the leash and he knows to come to me. I used the heel command for about a month. He is also trained that when we stop at an intersection and wait for the light, he must sit until we say ok, cross. Your sweet one just needs time and patience and know who is in charge, and it's not him

 

[Caney Creek]

He is doing really well, though I would say he is a little bit skinny. However, I hear that many boxer pups are on the slightly lighter side and it is better being that way rather than overweight. Is this correct?

That's right. At that age they are usually skinny; I remember being able to see nearly every rib on Caney. It also seemed that her nose was too long and her ears were too big for her face He should be fine, as long as he's still got a healthy energy level. Under-feeding or over-feeding him now could cause problems later on. Feeding the right amount, he will still be skinny at this age.

I’m not sure whether to turn back with him or to be more stubborn than he is and wait until he continues our walk. I have done both and must admit when he gets far enough from the house he seems to forget that he wants to go home and enjoys the walk. Though it can sometimes take a good 5 minutes to coax him into continuing the walk. If I turn back with him he pulls on the lead to get home quicker.

I praise him vocally and with treats but this ritual is still occurring. At first I thought he would grow out of it after a few walks. What would be the correct way forward here?

Definitely do NOT let him be the decider of when the walk ends. You have to be a confident leader and be very sure of yourself that the walk IS continuing on your terms, and he doesn't deserve any sort of coaxing to continue.

When and how are you praising him? The timing here could be off. If you are sweet-talking him and giving him treats when he starts to change directions, that is rewarding his bad behavior. Maybe this article will help:
http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2007/reinforcingfear.htm

When I take him to the park (a short drive away) he absolutely loves it but I don’t understand why he is so apprehensive walking through the streets. Could he still be scared of the traffic as he was the first few times I took him for walks?

He could very well be scared of the traffic still. If he had a significant fright during his first "fear period" it could have made a permanent impact on him. Also, at 18 weeks, he is going through another "fear period" in which he will act very fearful of things. The best thing to do during those periods is to not subject him to too much, and not to make a big deal out of the things you can't help. Read these articles on the timeline for puppy socialization.
http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/view_puppy-socialisation.htm
http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/view_raising-your-puppy.htm

 

[Box Boys]

Oh my...Buster would do the exact same thing. It was hard to get him off of our cul-de-sac street. He would sit and refuse to budge. I used treats when he would get back up and walk, but it was frustrating. Finally, we were able to get out of our street and the walks have been going great. Every now and then he gets stubborn or is fearful of a sound or dogs barking, etc. I will say that the walk home is always very smooth. As soon as I say, ok lets go home...he is out and ahead of me, never stopping...straight for home. We still have work to do to master his walks, but he's only 15 weeks old and it's all a learning process.

 

[tcarlisle]

I actually disagree with most replies on this. If the dog is anxious about leaving it's own home, then deal with it as you would an anxiety. Slowly ease the dog out of its comfort zone, praise and pat the chest, etc. Signs of anxiety are drooling, panting, hair on back raised, tail down, ears tensed, etc. If your dog won't pass a certain point even if you offer his favorite food treat, then it is almost certainly an anxiety situation.

Most of our dogs are in a very small world, consisting of our our home and backyard. They are comfortable with those areas because they have been exposed to those areas and know they are safe. Once you try to expand the world of a dog to include the entire neighborhood, it gets very scary for the dog. Some dogs can deal with it better, but for some dogs the anxiety is serious. For dogs with extreme anxiety acclimating to new areas, pulling the dog will not solve the problem and will just make the dog more anxious.

Because of this, I am part of the school of thought that believes letting the dog explore the world at his own pace is best. Spend a lot of time taking him a little further each day. Take him to shopping strips and just sit calmly with the dog. Walk him if he wants to, but don't force. In each situation you put him, he will become comfortable at his own pace.