Stopping in middle of walk & not moving

[cscarro]

Okay, so we have developed a new behavior that I am having a hard time understanding. There is a need for a little background so bare with me....

3 weeks ago, Stella had surgery on her leg - it was broken in two places so she had to have a metal plate put in her leg to fuse the bone together so it would heal. The vet said we had to keep her quiet for 6-8 weeks and limit her activity. Not easy for an 11 month old. We are 3+ weeks out from the surgery and she is healing well. The vet said we can start to take her on short, leashed walks to get her moving, but still not too much exercise.

Lately, when i take her out, once we are headed back or in a direction she doesn't agree with, she completely stops walking and freezes. She just stares up at me as if to say "I'm not moving" and she won't budge. I've tried positive, upbeat commands (let's go, come, etc) but that doesn't work. I tried treats and that works for the first few freezes but after a while she stops being interested. I've tried tugging at the leash (which i HATE doing but sometimes this behavior occurs in the middle of the street) - this will get her to start moving again, but again, i dont want to pull her!

It is SO frustrating. I feel like it is because she is having a hard time with not being able to play and exercise and she wants to stay outside. But, obviously we can't always do that. I feel awful for her but don't know what else to do... Any suggestions?

 

[johann]

How long are the walks?

As someone who's recovered from having a broken leg with plates put in...I would hit points where I would sit down and have to rest for a while. Didn't matter where it was, the pain or exhaustion would just get to be too much (obviously not in the middle of the street :p ). With it only being 3 weeks out from surgery, I would bet that she's sore or in pain somewhere.

Could you try more frequent but shorter walks to see how she does? It would get her outside more often, but hopefully help avoid the sitting and not moving behavior.

 

[silly24boxer]

My boxer Gauge does this too. We call it donkeying up. He wants to walk the way he wants to go and that is it. If you turn a different way than he wants to walk he freezes, stares at you and will not move. Nothing works I tried treats, fun upbeat commands, lets find the bunny all sorts of things. Now I just grab his collar and give him alittle tug.

 

[TwoDogs]

Given that she just had surgery, I'm willing to bet that it is pain related. Even if she is on the mend, exercise could still induce pain. She might also be feeling just slight discomfort but is anticipating greater discomfort and therefore refuses to walk further on the chance that it will hurt more.

 

[cscarro]

thanks for your replies and input!

the walks are between 5-10 minutes (the vet told us to keep it to that, a couple times a day and slowly increase). so, they are pretty short and never too far from home.

I was thinking that too, like maybe she was in pain so she had to stop but it usually only happens when we start heading home (perhaps that is because she's at the end of her walk and she's tired...its hard to tell) BUT if we turn and go the way she wants, she keeps going and seems fine.

maybe i'll try bringing some really special treats with us and take it easy on the walks. i just feel awful bc she has so much pent up energy!

 

[samsons]

just a idea ~~

do u live in a place where u can start with ur house in the middle & walk around blocks ~ 1 at a time - always looping around ur house ~~ so she doesnt know when you are heading home - and u will be closer , if you start to see she is in pain.

I do this with the pups , kinda a square figure 8 , so i am never to far from home ( because of my medical condition. I have A Degenerative spine disease & have random spasms that are , well very painful. ) so this seams safer to me ~ and i rotate the dogs , so everyone gets out , until i am to tired to do more.

hope this might be helpful.

 

[Kilby'sMum]

If Kilby doesn't feel like I've taken her on a long enough walk and she realises we're headed home she'll try and pull me down a different street or do a u-turn. Drives me BONKERS. I have found giving her a reward when we get home has helped a lot as she knows even though the walk is over, something fun is ahead. At the moment, the reward is that 2 houses from home she gets let off her leash and can run home untethered. She LOVES it and haven't had the problem of her turning tail since I started doing that.

Obviously a free run home isn't ideal for a boxer in recovery but maybe something like a bone to gnaw on when you get home or a game of hide and seek or something??

Hope you find some success