Stubborn on leash

Question
I have just acquired a 6 month year old Akita. She is good with sit and calling commands, but she is a very shy dog. Recently I have been socializing her with other dogs in the area and she is getting better. But when it comes to walking her, she is very stubborn. It is the beginning of the walk that she immediately stops and does not budge or she lags behind. Once I get her going she walks fine. Sometimes a quick jerk with a "lets go" gets her to move forward, but other times she won't budge. Is this a dominance challenge? If it is, how do I get her to enjoy walks? My goal is to have her as a jogging partner.


Answer
Amanda, when she stops and refuses to budge, just keep doing the quick jerks, one after another, until she takes a step towards you. Then praise and encourage her to keep moving. Do not drag her. If she stops again, jerk jerk jerk until she comes. These jerks should not be so forceful that you pull her towards you, though. I don't know so much about it being a dominance challenge, but it does need to stop before she gets much bigger. Take treats with you and use them to reward her for catching up to you, and if you need to, you can use them as a distraction.

She'll get there!