my dog refuses to go on a walk

Question
I have a shih-tzu that will be 3 years old in September.  All of his life he has loved to go for walks.  Now he puts on the brakes and wont move.  I have to pick him up to get him outside.  This just happened all of the sudden and has been going on for 2 weeks.  Can u help me.  Do you think something scared him?  Once we are coming back home he tries to run with full force to get home.

Answer
The question you are posing is an interesting one.  It is very possible that something frightened him.  It is also possible that he is afraid of the leash.  If this is the case, then just clip the leash to his collar and let him roam around the house with it (make sure to supervise him the entire time it is on him).  He will probably be uncomfortable with the leash dragging at first, but as long as you reward him for his calm behavior, he should learn to ignore it.  As soon as you put it on him, give him treats.  

Does anyone walk him other than you?  Whenever on a walk, make sure everyone interacts with him the same.  Consistency will help him learn faster.

The following suggestions consist of what to do and what not to do in this type of situation:  

1.  Whenever he refuses to move, DO NOT talk to him a soothing voice, pet him, or pick him up.  Although humans might need this type of encouragement to change their behaviors and/or feelings, dogs tend to interpret this encouragement as a reward for their behaviors.  If they think that they have made you happy, then they will do that behavior over and over again.  

2.  Whenever he acts afraid (trembling, whining, refusing to walk, etc.), DO simply ignore it.  If you know that it is going to be too much for you to get him outside to potty, or if you don't have the time, energy, and patience to work with him, then just pick him up before he has a chance to put the brakes on, on your way outside.  It is important that you pick him up BEFORE he is afraid because otherwise he may view your holding of him as a reward, especially if he is one of those dogs that enjoys being held.  :)  

2.  Whenever he refuses to move, DO just continue walking.  Again, just keep walking.  If he chooses to follow you, then make a huge deal about it.  He is suddenly the most wonderful dog in the world!  If he enjoys being picked up, then pick him up, as soon as he does what you wanted him to do--which is walking towards the outside door or walking outside.

3.  DO take things in very small steps.  If he moves a couple of inches toward the door, or on the leash, and if those few inches are progress from last week, then consider that success for that day.

4.  DO reduce the number of walks for a while, unless he suddenly decides to enjoy going on walks again.  Make sure that every time he goes on a walk, he is enjoying himself.  You can use these suggestions as guidelines for making the walking experience more pleasurable for everyone involved.

5.  Because the problem behavior here is fear, DO NOT DISCIPLINE HIM WHEN HE ACTS SCARED!  Disciplining him in this situation would frighten him even more.  You want this 'going on a walk' experience to be the most pleasant and exciting experience ever.

6.  DO sit outside with him and just relax.  He probably won't relax the first few times, so don't pressure him to enjoy it, and don't cuddle him so that he might enjoy it.  Just ignore his scared behavior.  If he comes up and sits in your lap, and if he is shaking, then do not pet him or talk to him.  If he asks you for affection by licking you, then you CAN tell him good boy and pet him.  We want him to believe that we are there to comfort him when he does not act afraid.  Remember, dogs tend to interact with each other in different ways that humans interact with each other.

I hope this information was helpful.  Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Erin Goddard
www.erinsdogtraining.com