Tips for walking a difficult dog?

VonVix

This probably isn't going to be your average "I have problems walking my dog" thread.

My nearly 2 year old dog doesn't pull, no... he does the opposite. He keeps stopping to look at things. I have to walk him on a harness because certain situations scare him enough that he'll back up and pop out of his collar, or I'm simply still walking and he'll stop and his collar would come off.

I struggle to walk him if someone is coming up behind me, not close behind me, but far enough that you can see them there, he'll keep looking back at them. If I'm in a situation where there's strangers walking by either side of me he absolutely freaks and makes himself as small as possible and his head darts around trying to keep an eye on all moving things at the same time.

The reason why I'm posting these here now is that I have to walk him by myself down to the vet's, I did it a few days ago and I didn't realise how difficult he would be. Normally me, him, my bf and our other dog are there, but when it's just me and him he freaks out far easier (I've taken him 'nice' places just the two of us, but he still stops and drags).

I'm well aware he knows he is going to the vet as we go through a busier part of town than normal and we always end up at the vet, he can be nearly as bad when it's the four of us together because there are more people around.

I feel stuck in trying to figure out how to make things better for him, I'm great when I've got a plan how to tackle a situation, but I don't know where to start with my little lad. Help?

Nody

Certified behavourist is the first thing coming to mind (if you post your general area there are multiple people here who can recommend people; don't just google it because there are far to many cowboy "Be alpha leader" style wannabies out there). They would provide you with a plan to address of what sounds to me as poorly done socialisation when he was a pup. Will never cure his fear completly but can help reduce it and keep the focus on you to let him to relax a bit more and make walking a bit easier.

VonVix

Nody wrote: »

Certified behavourist is the first thing coming to mind (if you post your general area there are multiple people here who can recommend people; don't just google it because there are far to many cowboy "Be alpha leader" style wannabies out there). They would provide you with a plan to address of what sounds to me as poorly done socialisation when he was a pup. Will never cure his fear completly but can help reduce it and keep the focus on you to let him to relax a bit more and make walking a bit easier.

I 100% agree with your point on poor socialisation, we didn't do enough with him when we got him at 5 months old and that was largely down to the fact my family had VERY poor knowledge when it came to a pups need for exposure/new experiences, it was only a year or so later that I started studying it very seriously, so I am a bucket full of regret nowadays when it comes to these things.

I had considered that a while ago, and I'm probably going to sound like an arse here but part of me thinks I'm just going to be throwing money away at a person who will tell me what I already know about my dog and won't actually give me a plan with how to manage or aid the situation. So I'm very hesitant when it comes to choosing a behaviourist.

A while ago I had spoken to someone who is a trainer/behaviourist and is well known in the area of dog training with regards a similar issue (though it involves just dogs) and the feedback I got was fair enough, it was nothing I didn't already know, but what I was told to do was largely useless as it was hard to apply in every day situations as my environment didn't 'cooperate' with the feedback.

Nody

Post your general area and see what names come up; in general I'd not expect a revolution in what you're suppose to do but the trainer's job is to help you in your daily role and fit it in. If the advice you got did not fit your situation then the advice was poor; a good trainer visiting your place should be able to tailor it to your situation basically.

Worst case scenario you'll simply get that trainer's name again and you've lost nothing and if lucky you might find someone you did not know about that can help. A single consultancy is not going to break the bank and if you don't see progress from the excercises from that one visit then you don't need to have a second visit (and the key is that they visit your place and work from there).