Dog decides to quit walking

Question
Last year we adopted a 2 year old Norwegian Elkhound mix. He was a little fearful at first, but now has settled in with my husband, two children and a 16 year old Dalmatian mix. I walk him 1-2 miles daily. He is good on a leash, and I try to let it be his time, not rushing him etc. Lately he is deciding to stop during the walk. He sits down and will not budge. I've tried giving him commands, talking nicely, playfully, I've tried tugging, pulling and at last resort picking him up and carrying him. Why is he doing this...my gut feeling says he is just being stubborn.

Answer
By letting it be his time, he has learned he is in control and is training you to stop when he stops. I've had dogs come in for training that had to be  carried in and out and would not even walk a few steps with the owner, the dogs were the pack leaders and the owners well trained chimps. Stop letting the dog tell you what to do.  Obedience training. space invaders, and other basic training steps.  First, get the dog on a short leash. It goes where and when YOU want to go. Second, be inthe lead. If the dog walks ahead of you change direction. The dog has to learn to always follow you or it is walking you, you are not walking it.

You can use a treat, toy or other highly desired item (hot button) to entice the dog to move. If not, tie it to a handy heavy object nearby and tell it good by and walk away 10-15 feet. Ignorethe dog. Sit ont he grass whever. The dog will likley bark for attention. Ignore it. When it stops barking, get up, walk over and walk it home.

When walking, and hte dog is in the correct heeling position, tell it good dog, when not, no reward. The opposite of reward is no reward not punishment. Reward can be vocal, physical (pet rub) or motivational (treat, toy etc).

The dog does not want to be alone, so it soon realizes that to be with you, it has to go where you go.

Regards,
Henry Ruhwiedel
Westwind Kennels LLC