# My dog won't walk with me?



## Kay95 (Feb 12, 2014)

My dog is almost 2 and we got her at 6 months old, she used to be fine walking with me and I'd have off lead a lot but now she just won't go and if she is out she will try her hardest to slip out her collar and run home. She walks fine with my mum and dad but with me she acts nervous starts shaking outside and just pulls to go home. I've never treated her badly and at night she always sleeps on my bed. I trained her to do the basic commands when we first got her and she still sometimes listens and does them.


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## Lizz1155 (Jun 16, 2013)

Has anything unpleasant/scary happened to her whilst she was on a walk with you? E.g being attacked by another dog, getting something stuck in her paw, a sudden loud noise etc...?

It's possible that she's running home because that's where she feels safest (it's the building), but it's also possible that she just doesn't want to be separated from your mother and father and is running back to find them. Does she have any issues with being home-alone or if your parents are out of the house?

Do you do anything different during your walks that your parents do not do? E.g different route, different lead/collar?

One more question (sorry, it's a lot) - how does she react if you and your parents go out for a walk with her, but you hold the lead? Will she still try to run home?


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## Kay95 (Feb 12, 2014)

Lizz1155 said:


> Has anything unpleasant/scary happened to her whilst she was on a walk with you? E.g being attacked by another dog, getting something stuck in her paw, a sudden loud noise etc...?
> 
> It's possible that she's running home because that's where she feels safest (it's the building), but it's also possible that she just doesn't want to be separated from your mother and father and is running back to find them. Does she have any issues with being home-alone or if your parents are out of the house?
> 
> ...


She has been frightened by some loud noises and since the fireworks in November she's become very nervous. Even though she was inside with curtains shut and tv on whilst they were going off.

She definitely doesn't like being away from my mum and if she's left alone or even with someone other than my mum she won't eat drink or go to the toilet.

I use the same collar and lead and have tried all different routes but I can't even get her out the house and off the drive without picking her up. She starts shaking.

I walk her with my mum and hold the lead and she is fine no problems. However more and more lately she is becoming nervous of everything around her even when she's with my mum.

We have no idea what happened to her in her first 6 months we just know she was passed round to maybe 4 different homes. She's nervous of boys/men especially when they wear hoods or hats.


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## goodvic2 (Nov 23, 2008)

When dogs won't walk with a certain person it is usually because 

1) the person is not portraying confidence and a timid dog will not want to follow weak energy
2) something has happened which has resulted in the dog associating you to the negative experience. 

It's clearly not a walk in general as she walks with others


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## Kay95 (Feb 12, 2014)

Update: brother tried walking her this evening and she did the same (wouldn't walk) so I went out with him to walk her and she walked happily with both of us together but with either of us separately she won't?!


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## Kay95 (Feb 12, 2014)

goodvic2 said:


> When dogs won't walk with a certain person it is usually because
> 
> 1) the person is not portraying confidence and a timid dog will not want to follow weak energy
> 2) something has happened which has resulted in the dog associating you to the negative experience.
> ...


My mum and dad still have to coax her a bit and if a noise scares her she will sometimes pull them home too. She is a very nervy dog since fireworks night last November.


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## Sarah H (Jan 18, 2014)

Sounds like she isn't confident with just one of you, and even if your mum's there or there are more than one of you, anything that scares her sends her running for home.

I'd try and do lots of really short walks instead of 1 or 2 longer ones. Start by just taking her out the gate and back in again. Lots of praise and treats if she'll take them (sometimes nervous dogs won't take treats), even her fave toy (again unless she's too nervous to care). Start off with these short walks and gradually as she gets more confident build them up to longer walks.

Obviously she will need proper walks too so make them as positive as possible, lots of praise, treats and take her fave toy to chuck around if she likes that.

You can get CDs of noises that desensitise dogs to fireworks, lorries, etc, so you could try this too. You have to start them REALLY quiet, and again, gradually build it up, but I don't know if your girl would then just get nervous in the house too, which you really don't want.

Just try & make the walks as positive as possible and if there are any scary noises she doesn't like just stay still and when she's calmed down give lots of praise.


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## goodvic2 (Nov 23, 2008)

Kay95 said:


> My mum and dad still have to coax her a bit and if a noise scares her she will sometimes pull them home too. She is a very nervy dog since fireworks night last November.


Sounds like she is getting worse then

Have u tried walking her with another dog?

Have you tried giving her a break from walking to reduce her stress levels? Very hard for a dog to progress if they are in a constant state if stress


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## Kay95 (Feb 12, 2014)

Am taking everyone's comments on board 

@goodvic2 - she loves other dogs off lead but on lead she gets defensive and nervous unless she knows them. There is one dog she often meets and I can walk the 2 of them together no problem. 

In the morning I'll try as said to do short walks. Guess it's back to re training her to walk.


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## Mandi1080 (Aug 11, 2015)

Hi, I hope you don't mind, I know its been a while since your original post, but my 15 month old collie bitch is going through what sounds like very similar behaviour. I was just interested to hear if you have got through it? If so how did you get on? I was hoping that she would snap out of it as quickly as it started, but its been about 6 weeks now and getting worse if anything.


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## Martha04 (May 8, 2016)

Kay95 said:


> My dog is almost 2 and we got her at 6 months old, she used to be fine walking with me and I'd have off lead a lot but now she just won't go and if she is out she will try her hardest to slip out her collar and run home. She walks fine with my mum and dad but with me she acts nervous starts shaking outside and just pulls to go home. I've never treated her badly and at night she always sleeps on my bed. I trained her to do the basic commands when we first got her and she still sometimes listens and does them.


I have the same problem, I think it's because I didn't walk enough with my dog when she was little, so she doesn't know if she can trust walkin with me now, I'm not sure of the solution, but just walk with your brother often and work your way into walking with your dog on your own.

Hope this helps!


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