[imerjcc]

Hi all!
This is my first time writing a post, so bear with me!
We have a 4.5-month old golden retriever puppy, named Miles (he's the cutest 😀) who recently has been providing us with a bit of a headache.
He got the final vaccine to start walking outside on 17th June and we already had got him used to the leash inside and he was kinda OK with it. In fact, the first week he walked outside and seemed to enjoy it and even pooped outside, no problem whatsoever.

However, since last Thursday 23rd June he seems determined not to leave the house. He still seems enthusiastic on wearing the leash and walking inside with it, but as soon as we get on the pavement, he kinda freezes, pulls strongly in the direction of the house and doesn't want to move an inch.
This morning I tried something new, I picked him up and walked like 5 mins away from home. From there, he walked happily (in the direction of the house), pooped, sniffed and looked liked he had fun. But it's as long as it's in the direction TOWARDS home, not away.

NOTE: I am from Malta, in the Mediterranean and the temperature here has soared to 38-41 degrees C since Thursday, so this could be a factor. Inside, it's AC'd almost all the time. But I would imagine that he needs to get some exercise! We take him out at approx 6am and
7pm for walks (Temp is approx 25C in the morning and 29C in the evening). Inside, he plays (we even play Fetch inside), runs, is happy and eats all his meals, no problem.

Apologies for the long post, but I really would appreciate some help from any experienced Golden retriever owner!

Thanks a lot!!

 

[CAROLINA MOM]

Bumping up

 

[imerjcc]

Bumping up

What do you mean?

 

[nolefan]

She responded to push your thread back into the que so it would be seen.

 

[imerjcc]

She responded to push your thread back into the que so it would be seen.

Oh thank you!

 

[nolefan]

I suspect that your puppy has found the experience of walking outside to be a bit overwhelming, not rewarding. If it is hot, busy, noisy and scary out there since he hasn't been going out a lot you will need to do everything you can to change his opinion. It will take time and patience. Use treats and a loving happy voice to encourage him. Don't force him to get close to things that you can see frighten him like a noisy, banging garbage truck etc. Also, the pavement may be burning his paws. Try to avoid hottest times of day and late afternoon. Take him to grassier areas.

 

[CAROLINA MOM]

She responded to push your thread back into the que so it would be seen.

Thank you nolefan!

 

[Coastal Pup]

My first thought was the heat as well. I don’t know the temperature conversion, but I do know that pavement can get REALLY hot, really fast. And it gets much hotter than the air temperature. A good trick is to put the back of your hand on the ground and see if you can hold it there for 5 seconds. Even if you can, I second Nolefan’s advice to see if you can find some grassy areas to let him walk on/explore/sniff.
Keep in mind that if he’s only just now allowed outside, everything is new to him (unless you’ve been carrying or using a stroller) and he’s probably overwhelmed. Let him sniff around as much as he wants, and try to keep the walks short and happy. Even if you only take him out for 5-10 minutes at a time, try to make each one a positive experience.

 

[Oceanside]

I agree with the others that the heat is likely a substantial factor. While he isn’t super young at this point, young puppies still aren’t that good at regulating temperature in addition to the potential for burning the paws. I’d try start off by walking first thing in the morning before it gets hot and see if that changes anything. I agree with the other suggestions given as well.

 

[michaeldwilson]

Don't pick him up. That will encourage the behavior you don't want. If your pup won't leave the house, stay firm with the leash and wait him out. Dogs can develop a mental block about things (stairs, shiny floors), but if you stay with it and be patient, dogs will usually give in after a while. It's actually a gift in my opinion to help dogs overcome the things they fear. Best of luck!

 

[MeanGyrene]

Take him to a park with lots of grass. If he won't leave the car, pick him up and put him in the center of the grass somewhere where there aren't other dogs. Unleash him and let him sniff and walk around for a while, get him used to being outside. Bring a bowl with water so he doesn't get overheated. He'll eventually love it. Also consider getting some booties, so he doesn't burn his paws on the blacktop.

 

[imerjcc]

Hey all! I'm pleased to say it was just a phase, we are now going on enjoyable walks in the morning and the evening again Sometimes he does stop and pull back a little, but I think it's quite normal. Thank you!!
P.S. Not sure what happened to make him walk again - I got him used a bit more to leash walking inside the house/yard and played some traffic sounds on YouTube, but I wouldn't say that these were done in high amounts that would immediately change his behaviour. Thank you all for your help!

 

[GoldenDude]

I ain’t walkin’ in that heat, either. Can’t blame the dog. But I’m glad it was just a phase. (For context, 25 degrees C is just above our summertime average high. So, yeah, those temps you quoted would kill me - like graveyard dead).

 

[imerjcc]

I ain’t walkin’ in that heat, either. Can’t blame the dog. But I’m glad it was just a phase. (For context, 25 degrees C is just above our summertime average high. So, yeah, those temps you quoted would kill me - like graveyard dead).

Jealous of your weather. In Malta's summer (Late April - Early November), temperatures can easily hit 30C+ in the morning!

 

[GoldenDude]

Jealous of your weather. In Malta's summer (Late April - Early November), temperatures can easily hit 30C+ in the morning!

I grew up in the southeastern US and lived there for the first 30 years of my life. I remember hot and humid, but can’t do it anymore. I need my rainy drizzle and cool temps.