I have a Shih-tzu who is nearly 4yrs old. For the first 3yrs she was difficult to take for walks as she would only walk were she wanted to. She would walk with my husband but with me she would just sit and nothing would budge her. At training classes they told me to just pull her and she would soon get the message but they didn't know how stubborn she was. Anyway we moved house about a year ago and everything was fine. She started to enjoy her walks. Now this week we are back to where we started. Sometimes we just get outside the gate, others we make it a little further. Either way I end up carrying her otherwise we would not get back home. I have another one also and it makes taking her out a bit difficult. It's no good saying just give her a pull and she will walk because she wouldn't have any skin left on her underside if you did that. The vet says there is nothing wrong with her apart from being a bit lazy. Any suggestions please as I find she is a bit too heavy to carry around.

I saw a poodle do just this on a TV programme a few months ago...the "professionals" were called in, and their advice was - don't give in to her. You're in charge of the walks, not her....they showed the owner how to walk briskly with her, not to dawdle, and when the poodle put the brakes on........she didn't stop. The poodle was amazed that her manipulation of her owner didn't seem to be working any more, and soon gave up.

Hope this helps :)

Unfortunately I have tried this but she would just get dragged along the floor. If I try to make her get up she just lays on her back with her legs in the air. Just yesterday someone was going in to their house while I was trying to endorse my authority on the situation and the lady was given me such a disgusted look, it was very embarrasing as it does look like I don't care for my dog when in fact I love her to bits and wouldn't hurt her for the world. I think she must be very strong willed and I can't get the better of her. It does make walking not something I look forward to very much when she is like this.

I'm afraid the poodle in this programme did get dragged - but not for long as she changed her mind about being so obstinate. The owner said that her previous poodle had done exactly the same - but this new one was a rescue poodle who had never done it before! It seemed that in this particular case the owner had "taught" the poodle to do this by being too kind! I'm not saying that it is the same with yours, but be aware this can happen! Dogs can be extremely strong-willed, but we just have to be even tougher! It's not at all easy to do sometimes - but I feel that, as the vet says there's nothing physically wrong with her, you'll have to harden your heart. It will probably take at least a week - and don't take your other one out at the same time, as bad habits are easily learnt!

Good luck :)

When our puppy was about 4 months old, she suddenly developed a fear of a very narrow concrete bridge that we walk over two/three times a day. She just stopped and dug her heels in. Although I hated doing it, I just dragged her over every time we reached the bridge and within about three days she was back to normal and running over it confidently again.

Daisy

Hi Lulu
I don't know much about shihtzus but our corgi was a lot like this when a pup and still does it a bit mostly with my husband but not when both of us are with him. He loves going for walks but sometimes when we want to go on a certain route or end the walk he digs his paws in the ground. I agree it is totally embarassing.
We have a flexi lead and have tried extending it or putting it on the ground and walking away at which point he would follow but now he has clued in and sometimes lies down. Our trainer has told us not to drag him but try high premium treats [like sausages, liver, bits of bacon] and these can work. I have also used a whistle or squeaky toy and this has got him going. However, I'm not using the flexi lead all the time because the freedom it gives him is not helping his heel work. When he is off the lead he sticks like glue so I am always surprised at his stubborness on the lead - I think corgis inherently want to stay with their owners which helps but it doesn't cure the lead problem and it doesn't do to have a loose dog on a busy road.
I was going to suggest you try a walking harness so least you won't look as though you are choking her - you can use it to sort of lift her up and get her moving.
HTH
cissy

I tried a short lead when she was a pup and she just walked along nearly choking herself where she was trying to lay down and I ended up with a bad shoulder. I don't know why but I was told not to put a harness on a Shi-Tzu. I have tried food to tempt her but she soon gets the message and decides it not worth walking for. I have tried giving her the freedom of a long lead but I end up with the lead fully extended and her still lying down. She gets excited when I say we are going out but sometimes it only lasts till we reach the end of the front garden and thats it. She is playfull at home but only when she wants to be. (I think she may be a bit spoilt). She goes out first thing with my husband but he doesn't care what people think, he knows her problem and he knows hes not being cruel to her making her walk but I find myself having to explain to people why I am not picking her up .People have often asked me if she is getting on and its embarrassing to say she is only 4 yrs old. I have even put her on a diet to shed a few pounds encase her weight is hindering her but the vet says she is only slightly overweight and not to worry as long as she doesn't put anymore on. Its a vicious circle as with not enough excercise she will put weight on. I will keep trying.

Hi,
I think you'll have to copy what your husband does, and ignore busybodies who think you're being horrid. You know better, you want your little dog to be fit and healthy which is absolutely right. Can you take her in the car somewhere else to start her walk? If she's in a different park or something she might get so interested in somewhere new that she forgets to be naughty!

Good luck :)

Lulu I've been there and done that. My chinese crested was exactly the same. I overcame it not by pulling but by jerking quickly and saying come. Don't know if you remember the Barbara Woodhouse way of training a case of "Jerk and let go"

As my bitch is quite nervous I couldn't be too firm but I think the others are right it's a case of being too soft. I have other bitches but this one was my prized pooch because she was champion potential. Unfortunately I think I helped to ruin her and even now although she walks on then lead she has her head to the ground and looks thouroughly depressed. When I get the leads out 5 dogs come running and the other one runs to bed. She wants to be left behind.

I think there's more to it than meets the eye!
Lara x

It what way? what am I missing?

Sorry I didn't see your post!
What I meant, generally speaking, is that it may not always be the dog just being wilful and stubborn that is behind this behaviour.
Maybe the dog has an underlying medical problem causing an exercise intolerance so maybe the dog becomes uncomfortable on a walk and copes by refusing to budge!
Maybe the dog has had a bad experience when it was out that perhaps its owner may have been unaware of or not picked up on the dogs discomfort which has escalated into a real problem for the dog. Maybe the dog is agoraphobic? Forcing it to confront that by dragging it out would really not be a good idea.
Your own nervous dog switches into avoidance when you are going out for a walk by running off and hiding in her bed, and is thoroughly miserable when she is forced to go out. I'd be wondering why?
There is an argument for being too soft with them sometimes but there is also a case against forcing the issue when it may not be appropriate to do so.
I know what I'm trying to say but I don't want to come across as critical of you because it's not meant :)
I hope this makes sense to you
Lara x

Hi Lara,
The lady said that the dog had been checked by the vet who said there was nothing wrong, and that the dog also walks okay for her husband.

Hi Jeangenie

I was just sort of thinking out loud really with that post rather than associating it with Lulu's dog :) I took on board what she had said about not wanting to drag it and that the vet and her husband don't have a problem with it. That's why I answered the original post differently further down the thread with a couple of suggestions. I have known of a couple of dogs who have done this.. one having shoulder dysplasia so may have been experiencing a bit of discomfort at the time and one unexplained - just slammed the brakes on now and again
Lara x

:)

Is she very playful Lulu? If she is then leave her at home and just take the other one out by herself. You can exercise the stubborn one by playing with her for a while to tire her out. If not doesn't really matter just leave her anyway :) Maybe a few days or a little longer would help her to forget some of her bad habits. This isn't punishing her just taking a bit of time out!
When you take her out then put some tasty treats in your pockets, maybe little smelly ones like Shmacko's (sp?) and make sure she sees you put them in your pocket so she knows you have them. Take her out when she is hungry. Every now and again break a little bit off and reward her (or both if you have them together).
Don't give her any if she stops and refuses to walk.
This seems to be a wierd trait in some dogs
See how you get on :)
Lara x

Lulu,

Maybe Im kicking in an open door here... but have you tried bribing her with food or a toy?

Charlie (Lhasa Apso) loves his walks in th epark / woods etc, but has so far HATED walking on the road - this has not been a problem so far, but now my other half has changed his working patterns, we have no car to get us to the woods ;)

We have been clicker training Charlie, and so put this into use with walking on the road (he's a hell of a foodie, so that helps!). He was still stubborn at first, and we found the best way to combat this was to take him out in the morning, and take his breakfast with us - we then fed this to him piecemeal, as in every time he took a few steps forward, he was given some food. He soon got the grasp of that, and while he's still fairly idignant at having to work on the road, we can at least get somewhere thats five mins away in within ten minutes, not half an hour :D

majix