putting the brakes on

[PenelopeBerman]

My 5 year old cocker spaniel has recently started to put the brakes on and stop walking shortly after we go for a walk. It is not too hot and I have tried using treats. She was responding to treats but now won't even walk for the treat. Usually when we walk on leash she walks behind me very slowly. When we are in the bush off-leash she is happy to run in front and keeps checking I am in sight. On-leash - she doesn't keep up and now will stop and not walk. How do I get her to keep walking?

[Adrienne]

Hi Penelope, 

Welcome to the forums,

Is this a new behavior that has started recently?

How long have you had your dog?

Has she always walked on leash fine in the past?

What are you using to walk her (leash, harness)?

Is she ever scared/anxious about any noises? 

Would you describe her as a fearful/anxious dog? Does she startles often?

What methods have you used in the past to train her to walk nicely on leash? Is she new to walking on a leash?

If this is an entirely new behavior, that has recently started out of the blue, I would suggest a vet visit, just to make sure everything is fine in the health department. Sometimes dog who stop walking this way may be having some type of pain going on, especially if your dog is the type who has always been fine going on walks on the leash before. 

[PenelopeBerman]

Thanks for your response. This is new behaviour that has started recently. I have had her for 1 year and no previous issues. It is quite random and doesn't happen every time we walk. She has always been ok walking on a leash - although she does walk slow and usually behind me. Off leash in a bush setting she flys around and loves it. She is used to a leash and harness and not scared of anything, although is startled sometimes by loud/close noises. She was a show dog and is very calm. I was using some kibble to get her to keep up/heel. If we turn around to go home after she puts the brakes on she starts trotting happily and runs around excited for a minute when we get home. Tried to continue in the other direction from home but she stopped again. She is black and gets hot easily but I usually walk early in the day when it's not so hot. Not sure how to get her some excercise if it's too hot for her outside. Any suggestions? I will try some different treats when walking rather than kibble.

[Adrienne]

Hi Penelope, 

Thank you for the added details, they are very helpful!

OK, so any time I hear about a new behavior as such that starts out of the blue, and it happens to a rather confident dog who has always walked well on leash and is used to wearing a leash and harness and is not scared of anything apparent on walks, I can't help but wonder about something either medically going on or some type of discomfort. 

Things that come to mind medically are joint problems that can cause dogs to feel pain, vision issues, heart issues (usually with this the dog pants and appears exercise intolerant) and any type of sudden pain such as back pain or muscular problems. Some dogs may get temporary leg cramps. I once walked a dog who was doing this type of behavior and when the owners took the dog to the vet, they found out it was an anal gland issue. Emptying those glands was all that was needed to help ease the discomfort the dog felt while walking.  So mentioning this to the vet can be important just to rule out any possible underlying issues. 

It could very likely be that heat is a factor if it's so hot where you live. Some dogs may stop walking if the pavement feels hot on their paws. Try touching the pavement with the back of your hand for 5 seconds, if it feels hot, it'll feel hot on your dog's paws too (of course, use hand sanitizer after that!). Heat can also make dogs walk sluggish and perk up when they know they are getting closer to home. 

Living in Arizona, I have walked dogs in the wee early hours of the morning or late evening to avoid the peak hours of heat. When it was scorching hot, I would sometimes give my dogs/guest dogs a bath and let them dry as we walked. Indoors I worked on keeping those doggy brains busy with brain games and nose work games which can sometimes be even more tiring than physical exercise. Clicker training can also tire dogs out quite a lot. I would also stop feeding all of her meals in bowls and start putting to use for training, brain games and food puzzles. 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/adriennes-picks/top-5-dog-feeding-toys/

Sometimes fear of something on walks may cause dogs to stop, but it doesn't sound like yours may be the case. Anyhow, it may help to pay close attention to your surroundings just to see if it's possible to identify any sight, smell or sound that may trigger her behavior just to rule this possibility out. 

I hope this helps,

Let me know if you have any other questions,

Best,

Adrienne 

 

[PenelopeBerman]

Thanks very much for your response. Some great information there.

Pen

[Adrienne]

You are very welcome!

Keep me posted on how things go,

Best,

Adrienne