Hey GRF folks,
Bodhi's 15 weeks old now and has been walking on leash now for around 3 weeks, a dozen + times a day (we live in an apartment so he's leashed for all potty breaks outside). He has done so, so well with leash walking until this week (although he pulls like mad when he wants to go in a particular direction like the dog park two blocks from our place). All of a sudden, after we get outside and he potties, he will walk for a bit then he plants his butt or lays down and REFUSES to continue on. Treats don't help, he'll walk a few steps for the treat then plant himself again. He'll pull away from me with all his weight if I try to (GENTLY) pull him. If I do get him up and pull him, getting him to continue to walk with me it is such a struggle. And I don't want to pull him, it makes me feel bad-not only that, but I had a lady actually yell at me today how I shouldn't pull my dog. In the middle of a cross walk, like I could just let him stay in the middle of the street. I felt like crying, this was after being outside and struggling with him for a good 45 minutes to walk 6 city blocks.
It isn't that he doesn't want to be outside or walk, he absolutely LOVES going outside. He gallops down our hallway to the elevator and gallops towards the lobby door to get outside. Nothing has scared him, nothing has changed with the exception of his behavior. It is a battle of wills, and I feel like I'm losing. I also feel judged by a lot of people who walk by us and see me pulling him to try to get him to walk with me.
I know I'm probably going about this all wrong. Please tell me what to do. I can't get him into his training class for another 2 weeks and I dread walking him for the next couple of weeks if it's going to be like this.
Bodhi's 15 weeks old now and has been walking on leash now for around 3 weeks, a dozen + times a day (we live in an apartment so he's leashed for all potty breaks outside). He has done so, so well with leash walking until this week (although he pulls like mad when he wants to go in a particular direction like the dog park two blocks from our place). All of a sudden, after we get outside and he potties, he will walk for a bit then he plants his butt or lays down and REFUSES to continue on. Treats don't help, he'll walk a few steps for the treat then plant himself again. He'll pull away from me with all his weight if I try to (GENTLY) pull him. If I do get him up and pull him, getting him to continue to walk with me it is such a struggle. And I don't want to pull him, it makes me feel bad-not only that, but I had a lady actually yell at me today how I shouldn't pull my dog. In the middle of a cross walk, like I could just let him stay in the middle of the street. I felt like crying, this was after being outside and struggling with him for a good 45 minutes to walk 6 city blocks.
It isn't that he doesn't want to be outside or walk, he absolutely LOVES going outside. He gallops down our hallway to the elevator and gallops towards the lobby door to get outside. Nothing has scared him, nothing has changed with the exception of his behavior. It is a battle of wills, and I feel like I'm losing. I also feel judged by a lot of people who walk by us and see me pulling him to try to get him to walk with me.
I know I'm probably going about this all wrong. Please tell me what to do. I can't get him into his training class for another 2 weeks and I dread walking him for the next couple of weeks if it's going to be like this.