Puppy refuses to walk!

Question
Hello! I am 12 years old and I have a bit of a problem as I have a 16 week- old Jack Russell puppy called Toby and he refuses to walk. I have tried everything on the internet, but nothing has worked. Whenever I give him even just a gentle tug, he cries and I end up dragging him the whole way which I know is bad and it makes me feel so mean! What do I do with him? Please help! Thank you, Laura Cuff xxx

Answer
Hi Laura,

Thank you for writing to me about your puppy not wanting to walk with you.  I apologize for the delay.  We had massive rain and flooding and the power was out.  Thank you for understanding.

I am going to present an article that says it all.  Please read this article as it has some great advice.  Never pull your dog on a leash because it is going to make walking even more scarey for your dog.  You want your dog to want to walk with you, not be more resistant.

Here is the article:

~When Your Dog Refuses To Walk On A Leash
Written By: Rebecca Prescott

When you're walking your dog and he suddenly stops, don't make the mistake of jerking the leash or trying to drag him along. This will just make him want to move away from you, not walking with you.

Another mistake people make is by giving their dog attention when he stops suddenly. This reinforces his behaviour.

The best way to deal with your dog when he isn't cooperating on his walk is to stand still, facing away from your dog. Put gentle pressure on the leash and wait. If your dog moves even an inch towards you, start praising him. Dogs learn well by positive reinforcement.

Another option is to go to the end of the leash and kneel down, facing away from him. Wait for him to come to you and praise him every step of the way.

How long it takes your dog to start walking doesn't really matter, though it shouldn't take more than a minute or two. He eventually will resume walking. If he stops again, move another few feet away from him and repeat the process.

Sometimes dogs are afraid to walk on a leash. If this is the case, you'll need to take him out on a few confidence building training sessions on a leash. Don't take him out for a walk when you're running an errand and you're in a hurry. You'll get frustrated, and the right environment in which to teach your dog, and to overcome his fear and lack of confidence, will not be created this way. Save the errand walks for when your dog has settled into walking on a leash properly.~

I hope this article was helpful.  I would also like to suggest that you have a very tasty and special treat that you use ONLY for training him to like walking.  You can start by practicing in the house and giving him a friendly command like, "follow me" and then treat.  Keep saying this phrase and treat so he starts to associate the command with a treat.  This is called conditioning.

After he is familiar with the relationship between the command and the treat, start slowly in the house.  Say, "follow me" and when he moves towards you then immediately treat.  Continue this in the house where he feels safe until he understands that when he responds to the command he gets the treat.  Use something especially yummy like mini pieces of chicken or cheese.

When he is responding well in the house, take him outside and work very slowly and patiently with him, using the same way of training.  Do not get angry if he doesn't respond at first.  Do not pull him.

If he needs to go out to do his business, carry him and put him on some grass where you want him to go.  Try to work on the walking separately until he understands what you want. Never force him to do anything.  Be patient.  He is still a baby.  Something made him afraid outside and you need to help him heal and gain confidence again.

Best of luck,
Shelley Davis