Hello,
I have a 5 month old miniature dachshund. He goes outside to potty right in front of the building so there isn't far to walk. However, when I try to get him to walk, he refuses. He lays down and digs in his heels. If I give him a little tug on the leash, he doesn't move. If I walk away, he doesn't move. I have lured him with treats and that works but I don't want to do it all the time. Sometimes I have used the clicker and treats and that will work but perhaps it has inadvedrtently taught him that he can get treats for walking.
What's interesting is that he walks wonderfully on his return (walking toward our apartment building) but is horrible when walking away from the building. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I keep thinking he will outgrow it but I don't want him to learn that not walking is ok. Thank you.
Joanne
"Sometimes I have used the
"Sometimes I have used the clicker and treats and that will work but perhaps it has inadvedrtently taught him that he can get treats for walking."
Why shouldn't he get treats for walking? Walking on a leash is STRANGE to dogs. It is unnatural to them, and there is nothing about leash walking that makes sense to them. We can teach them to enjoy it, however. My dog used to lag behind me while walking. I say "used" to. I gave her a reason to want to walk next to me-she gets clicked for it, and it becomes a pretty fun game.
To teach your dog to walk on the leash as opposed to "stalling out", you could follow a multitude of different training plans. I do not know your specific situation, so it's hard for me to say what exactly will work for you. One thing could be to take the leash off, while in your home. With some dogs (I've noticed small ones are like this especially), the leash can feel funny. Either lure your dog into heel position or simply capture it (I prefer capturing, and with a mini dachshund I think you will, too!!). In small increments, walk your dog around in a tiny circle in, say, your kitchen. Set up an obstacle course with your dining room chairs, and weave in and out of them. Once he is going pretty well, attach the leash again, and just let it drag. Work slowly, and don't rush the process. Click and treat anytime he is where you want him to be. Eventually you will be able to transfer the leash walking from your apartment (?) to the hallway and then to front steps and so forth.
Make sure that the treats you are using are "valuable" to your dog. Do a taste test to find out what he really goes for.
Also, you could teach him to touch a target stick, and use that to have him walk at your side. This could be especially useful for you as he is very low to the ground.
Lulu
Rusty (13 YO Kitty), Gus (9 YO GSD), & "Dumbledore" (Approximately 1 YO Betta Fish)