Walking my dog

[Steph]

Help Help....
I have a REALLY stubborn Yorkie. My question is, how do I get him to go for a walk?
I put on his harness, hook him up, he walks out into the yard and lays down. I pick him up take him to the street and he stands there...he won't GO!!
Any ideas???
Thanks, Stephanie

[sheilajom]

My baby does the same thing! I just pick him up and carry him lol!

[KathyinCali]

Lucy is a year old and she hates going to walks (unless I'm carrying her). The only time I can get her to walk is when we are traveling and needs to go to the bathroom...

[Nikki+2]

I used to have to drag Gracie and finally she got it. Now she loves walking. I din't push it with my other two and they still don't like walks. If you stick with it, she'll get it eventually, I promise. They can really frustrate you at times though. Welcome to YT!

[Potter]

When I got my yorkie as a pup and after all his vaccine completed, I just put him on his harness and he walks at home with his harness for a little while and then gradually I put on his leash and let him drag it around the house while I watch him in case the leash gets stuck. After about a week or two I think I do some practice with him while I hold his leash in the house. I remember it took longer for him to get used to having the leash being dragged around then putting the harness on. Even after that, it takes some time as puppies really like to test their boundaries and what they can get most out of you -what he did was mouth his leash while I put it on and then he will stop mouthing it after it is on (weird huh). That stopped only a few months later. Now I really wish I hadn't train him that well. He cannot go by a day without a walk and there are a lot of big dogs after we moved, unleashed at the park with leashed by-laws and I secretly wished maybe it would be better if he didn't like his walks that much. I don't want to sound like I am complaining but I feel bad when I cannot bring him out because there are unleashed big dogs out there but he won't poop if we don't walk.

Edited to add: Pao used to do the stop suddenly and will not budge thing. If I know it is too much for him, like too many people and he feels overwhelmed I pick him up-this happens when we lived downtown. If I know he is doing it just because he is doing it, I give him a little nudge on the leash and encourage him on. As of now (he is 2), he doesn't need that anymore..more often than not, I am the one that needs the nudging lol.

[y0rkiesR0ck]

i actually have the OPPOSITE problem. when i take Kash for walks, he RUNS the whole time because he's so excited. sometimes i can't keep up with him, and sometimes i feel i might be hurting him when i hold him back (then he just runs in place...) i'm like, "just WALK..." it's called a "walk" for a reason...LOL.

i didn't do anything special in order to make him like going on walks... so, i don't know how to make your puppy like it... i did read something similar to what another YTer posted (about letting your puppy drag the leash around the house). it might work.

[Misti1]

Originally Posted by sheilajom

My baby does the same thing! I just pick him up and carry him lol!

Whose walking whom? LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

[Mizzrosa]

omg weird i thought martini was the only one who was giving me a problem with walking her...she hates the harness and plops her butt on the ground and wont get up...i have to pick her up and carry her and i couldnt understand and i finally realized she is lazy lol...she is use to be carried and isnt use to walkin with some1 controlling her...if she could have her way she would be harness free lol...ahhh glad to see im not the only 1 with this problem

[kay6688]

Jaxon and I went to Puppy Preschool at our local Kennel & it seemed to do wonders. Try a wooden spoon with Peanut Butter on the end and hold it at your side by their nose & walk! Hugs-Kay

[Tasha07x]

When bailey was a puppy he hated going out at all!! I had to kind of drag him to the end of the street as he also used to just stand there and not move in protest that he did not want to leave the house, when he knew he was not going home till after he had a walk he was ok and started to walk along side me. Now he LOVES to go on walks and the minute i get out his lead he jumps around as he knows he is going out. hehe!! Hope he gets to like them soon good luck!

[celstu1]

Originally Posted by y0rkiesR0ck

i actually have the OPPOSITE problem. when i take Kash for walks, he RUNS the whole time because he's so excited. sometimes i can't keep up with him, and sometimes i feel i might be hurting him when i hold him back (then he just runs in place...) i'm like, "just WALK..." it's called a "walk" for a reason...LOL.

i didn't do anything special in order to make him like going on walks... so, i don't know how to make your puppy like it... i did read something similar to what another YTer posted (about letting your puppy drag the leash around the house). it might work.

Thats my boys! Mario Andrettis on 4 furry legs! HAHA They LOVE walks!

[4yorkiemom]

if you had a 50 lb dog that wouldn't walk you wouldn't be able to just pick him up and carry him! walking your dog is a wonderful time to bond with him -- don't let his stubbornness win out. be persistent -- i learned so much by watching the dog whisperer - cesar milan - it's on the national geographic channel every day at 3pm and new ones on friday nights at 9pm. pull up on the harness when he lays down -- it forces him to stand.

it may take some time but it is the best thing for the pup.

[Paulie]

Mac was OK with walking outside, but the moment we got into our condo's hallway, he would just freeze, as if something scared him. I finally got him to walk by putting a treat in front of his nose and making him follow. We had the same problem with our elevator, and once again the treat seemed to do the job.

Now if anyone could tell me how I can stop my dog from pulling on the leash and barking when he sees another dog, that would be great! It's just a rhetorical question, I don't want to hijack the thread.

Good luck!

[ilovebandit]

I used to have the same problem. Bandit would literally dig his claws on the road/grass/sidewalk and I would have to PULL him.

I just kept forcing him, and now he loves walks. As soon as I say "wanna go for a walk?" he runs to his leesh and sits so i can put it on.

Just stick with it, Yorkies are soooooooo stubborn.

[Sloan]

Originally Posted by kay6688

Jaxon and I went to Puppy Preschool at our local Kennel & it seemed to do wonders. Try a wooden spoon with Peanut Butter on the end and hold it at your side by their nose & walk! Hugs-Kay

I love that idea!!!! I learned in Puppy Kindergarten to put a treat in front of my pups nose and then that was the incentive to get him to walk next to me. But OMG!!!!....was that ever a chore on my back. I think with bigger dogs it wouldn't be so hard but with these little teenies it killed my back....so thanks for the peanut butter on a wooden spoon trick. I like it!!!! Which kind of peanut butter do you use?