What to do if the dog doesn't want to go for a walk

Walking a pet is a mandatory procedure, during which it gets to know the world around it, gets to know its fellow pets, relieves itself and develops physically. But what should the owner do if the dog is afraid to walk outside and every exit from the house turns into a tragedy? The dog hides in the far corner, the owner gets nervous, begins to drag him out the door by force, and as a result, both the furry friend and his “leader” are in a bad mood. The article will analyze in detail the fear of a four-legged fidget associated with going for a walk, and will also propose effective options for getting rid of such a phobia.

Reasons for this behavior

Before implementing methods aimed at solving the problem, the owner must understand why an adult or puppy is afraid to walk outside. The most common factors that can provoke such a phobia, animal psychologists include:

1. Traumatic experiences associated with strong experiences in the past. It can concern both physiological and psychological aspects. The pet could have been hit by a car, hit by a passerby, or frightened by a violent scene. As a result, the sound of a passing car or the figure of a stranger can resurrect painful experiences in the dog’s memory, which is why he may not like to walk in the yard.
2. Bad weather conditions. Most dog breeders believe that the dog just wants to jump out the door of the apartment and run around to his heart's content. And it doesn’t matter what the weather is like outside the window - rain, snow, strong wind or hellish heat. But in fact, barking friends are selective in this regard, especially for those breeds that have short hair. Severe cold or excessive humidity causes them a lot of inconvenience, so if the dog doesn’t want to go for a walk and there are clouds outside, then it’s better to put the leash aside and take him out for a walk a little later.
3. It is important to understand that if a dog is afraid of people, then it is not surprising that it wants to avoid places that are full of them. This behavior is caused by the fact that in the past the animal suffered cruel treatment from its previous owners. Attentive owners may notice that their shaggy friend willingly goes for a walk in the early hours, when the streets are still empty and there are few passers-by, but in the evening, on the contrary, he begins to be stubborn and hides under the bed.
4. Low level of socialization. Animal psychologists are convinced that if a puppy does not want to leave the house again, the reason is often that his socialization skills are practically undeveloped. This is often the sin of careless breeders who separate a puppy from its brothers and sisters early. The problem also manifests itself in pets taken from shelters for stray dogs, where the baby was kept in isolation. As a result, he considers strangers and his fellow tribesmen to be threatening figures capable of harming him.
5. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system cause unbearable suffering for your pet. He has difficulty moving around the house, let alone outside. Every movement causes severe pain in the dog’s body, so over time he develops a fear of walking, as of something painful and fraught with difficulties.
6. Old age is another factor why a dog does not like walking. During the aging process, visual acuity and hearing become dull, which causes helplessness in the dog. Dogs are afraid of fast moving objects that they cannot hear, so they panic and break off the leash.
7. Animal psychologists have found that in some cases the puppy does not want to go for a walk because it has an innately weak nervous system that reacts too sharply to stimuli such as light, sound, and strong odors.

The owner must clearly understand that if his animal is not mentally stable, is capable of breaking off the leash or throwing itself at passers-by, then you should not try to correct its behavior yourself. Be sure to seek help from an experienced dog handler or qualified animal psychologist. Eliminating fears “at home” is only possible in the case of puppies; an adult without special knowledge and skills cannot be relieved of a persistent phobia.

Why can a dog resist while walking?

There may be several reasons why a dog does not want to go for a walk. The main ones are:

• Health problems. This is the most important and obvious reason that provokes a sharp refusal to go outside. This can be caused by problems and pain during free movements, discomfort when climbing stairs, pain while walking, jumping or running. A factor provoking this may be problems in the spine or joints. The owner’s task is to carefully observe his pet. Perhaps the dog is lethargic and depressed, and there are other symptoms of ill health. In such cases, the first thing to do is take your pet to a veterinary hospital.
• Feeling of fear. It also happens that the dog experiences real fear. A feeling of fear manifests itself in behavior on the street. The animal tries to relieve itself quickly and run home. Feeling afraid, the pet tucks its tail between its legs and refuses to leave the apartment. In such cases, it is necessary to contact an animal psychologist who will help determine the cause of the animal’s fear and cope with the existing problem.
• Bad weather conditions. A dog may be stubborn and refuse to go for a walk simply because of bad weather. Not all pets happily jump through puddles and are ready to roam outside even in the most severe frost. Not wanting to go for a walk in bad weather is nothing more than a manifestation of character. In order to make it easier for your animal to go outside, you can try to shorten the walks or buy special clothes that create comfort during any walk.
• Lack of interest. Dogs have a certain intelligence. By resting while walking, the dog can show its attitude. Perhaps the animal became bored of walking along the same route every time. In such cases, you need to try to diversify the animal’s exercise routine - change the route of the walk or visit an area with other animals. Communication with your relatives will cheer up your pet.
• Fear of everything new. Owners of puppies may encounter problems with walking. Kids simply don’t know what awaits them and are afraid. This is normal. The owner's efforts should be aimed at organizing proper socialization. You can seek help from a zoopsychologist who will help soften the process of accustoming the puppy to walking.

A dog may refuse to go outside even as an adult. This often happens to those animals that lived in a private home. The abundance of sounds, various vehicles and people makes the dog wary.

Animals from shelters are also afraid to go outside. Their fear is that they will be taken away and abandoned again. Such dogs require a special approach. Gentle and affectionate treatment of the animal, a little cunning and treats, can create a real miracle.

It is important to show the dog that the owner is nearby and can protect him if necessary. Yes, dogs also need protection, just like humans.

Methods of influence

So, what to do if your dog is afraid to go outside for a walk? First of all, the owner must establish a strong and trusting relationship with his dog. Until she sees him as her protector and “leader,” there is nothing to hope for any serious changes in the correction of her behavior. The next stage will be the systematic application of the recommendations of animal psychologists, which include:

1. If the puppy is afraid to go for a walk, then be sure to purchase a tray for him, where he can relieve his natural needs at home. Over time, with its help you can successfully train your puppy to leave the apartment. This procedure is carried out extremely simply - the owner just needs to move the tray to the front door every day until it is outside it. The animal, accordingly, will follow him, which will facilitate the process of overcoming the phobia.
2. If your dog is afraid of walking due to inconvenient accessories, buy him a long leash and a comfortable leather collar. Make sure that it fits snugly around your pet's neck and does not choke him. Discomfort can also arise due to a leash that is too short, preventing the dog from calmly exploring the space.
3. Dog handlers are convinced that with the help of games and affectionate treatment it is extremely easy to get an animal to go out into the yard. Address your dog in a cheerful and joyful voice: “Let's go for a walk” or “Do you want to play?” While doing this, pet your pet or give him some of his favorite treat. Motivate your furry friend to go for a walk and his fears will quickly disappear.
4. An excellent option for a timid pet is hunger. Don't feed your animal before going on a walk and then lure it out with treats. The instinct to satisfy hunger is inherent in a dog by nature itself, and it is stronger than any phobia. The only disadvantage of the method is that it is customary to walk with your four-legged friend after lunch, and not before it.
5. Dogs that are afraid of loud noises need to be walked for the first time away from intense stimuli. Choose a quiet park or vacant lot where your pet will gradually learn to be tolerant of the squeals and horns of passing cars. If a young animal is afraid of noise, then take it out to the balcony more often, let it get used to the “sound accompaniment” of a big city.
6. Experts advise owners to take a closer look at the personal preferences of their animals. It happens that a dog calmly walks in the dark and puts on a “concert” as soon as the owner takes the leash during the day. Take this aspect into account when ridding your pet of the fear of walking.
7. Another good method is to wait until the moment when the dog itself wants to go out into the yard. The owner can ask a friend who has a dog to come with him to his house, and then go outside together. The pet must be left at home, but given the opportunity to see that its owner will have fun and play with someone else's animal. Animal psychologists are confident that the feeling of jealousy is inherent in dogs no less than in humans, and if you skillfully play on it, then the fear of going for a walk will disappear forever.

Finally, I would like to say that a dog that is afraid of walking loses a lot in life. Such animals are not physically developed, are deprived of the joy of playing with the “leader”, shun their fellow tribesmen and have an unbalanced disposition. You need to accustom your pet to walks from a very early age, when his psyche has the necessary degree of flexibility to assimilate everything that the owner is trying to instill in him. If you miss this favorable time, then retraining the dog will be much more difficult.

The puppy does not like to walk

Hello, it's me again.

If you remember, in the last episode we started using the click-yum method to stop eating everything in the yard.

There is already some progress at home. There were moments when the floor around was literally strewn with mountains of the most attractive garbage, and the puppy looked at me, and, of course, received a click and a yum. (On the street, however, this does not work yet).

But now a little about something else.

From the first day I noticed some strangeness, namely, he did NOT strive outward. I’ve had dogs before, but this is the first time I’ve seen this - they were all eager to run away. In general, after 10 days of observation, I realized that he does not like going out, and then being there if there is nothing truly interesting. What he is interested in:

• sticks and various rubbish
• sometimes play ball or rope with me, but not for long
• people, especially children
• other dogs (but we see them very rarely and do not approach them).

At night this turns into a certain problem, since he wakes me up, but doesn’t want to go out. You have to drag it out by hand. Sometimes I see that it’s time for him to go and suggest that he go, he also often resists, often rushes home from the outside and only after he sees my inflexibility does he sit down and do everything.

But this is all wrong.

He will grow up soon and this will become a problem if not addressed. In about a month, the quarantine ends, we need to “go out into people”, and what kind of people are there if you go out into the street? I was advised to make sure that the puppy would have a fun and tasty time with me, but I don’t succeed very well - only at the beginning, when we are playing, then some kind of stick comes across and it becomes fun and tasty with it.

It sounds a little contradictory, maybe I explained it confusingly.

I understand that I need to continue training without eating poles, and that it won’t work out quickly, but this dislike for going out is already worrying me. Maybe we should only go out to pee and gradually increase the time we spend there, minute by minute? How to convince your puppy that being outside is fun too?

I forgot to write this. Before we adopted him, the puppy lived on a farm and within two weeks he was separated from his mother and began to live virtually independently. No, he was fed, even too much, he gained weight, but he spent most of his time on his own, mostly in the barn or outside. He was either not allowed into the house at all or very reluctantly. Maybe he began to perceive going outside as a punishment, and that’s why now he doesn’t like to go out? But these are just my guesses and I don't know if this information makes sense.

Thank you
Modified February 3, 2021 by Katsy