Dog won't come back into the house after a walk, help!

[babychops]

Hello geeks. Some of you may remember me writing a post about my puppy a while back asking for some help, well I need some more help lol he's a 10 month old Labrador and we have recently been having problems when we take him for a walk. Sometimes on a walk he will just lie down and refuse to move, we have to try everything to get him going. The biggest problem is every time we get back to the house he will stop half way on the drive and refuse to come in. We have tried everything. We try his favourite treats and toys, nothing. We try and get him excited and run with him right before our house but he just stops at our drive. My husband has to pick him up and carry him in the end as he won't move. He's a very big, heavy dog and my husband is struggling to do this everyday! I tried to go in the back way with him today (into the garden) instead of through the front door but it didn't work. He eventually came in with help from some cheese! Lol does anyone have any suggestions or know why he is doing this?
Thanks x

 

[lfbarnett717]

Did you watch the last episode of Secret Life of Dogs on Channel 4? There was a dog with a problem on walks on there. It should still be on 4od I think. I have found buying a thundershirt massively helpful for my generally anxious 7 year old sprollie - he wears it on walks and is much calmer with it on. Hope that helps! Xx

 

[surf girl]

Caesar Milan is your man for this! I have a staff who's 8 and is a nightmare for my oh when out for a walk, I use Caesars techniques and never have an issue I can even let children hold the lead with no issues as long as I'm there, I use a simple rope with a Loop round her neck and keep it right up underneath the chin, you have complete control over their head then ( oh let's it go round the base of her neck... No control at all! ) it's not tight untill the dog pulls (which they quickly learn isn't comfy and stop pulling) if the dog stops you just gently continue moving forward giving the command move on, (it's good to practice in the house with this by guiding the dog forwards down off furniture and through doors using the command move on so they get used to what it means, cesear calls it keeping the brain moving forward) there's loads of episodes of the dog whisperer that features problems like yours

 

[surf girl]

Did you watch the last episode of Secret Life of Dogs on Channel 4? There was a dog with a problem on walks on there. It should still be on 4od I think. I have found buying a thundershirt massively helpful for my generally anxious 7 year old sprollie - he wears it on walks and is much calmer with it on. Hope that helps! Xx

What's a thunder shirt?

 

[lfbarnett717]

http://www.thundershirt.co.uk like a wrap for dogs - same principle as swaddling a baby! Works wonders and all natural xx

 

[surf girl]

I just googled it! Genius! My dog is terrible with anything noisy! Wind is the worst, I used the keep moving forward method and took her for a walk in a storm recently and it seemed to help somewhat, fireworks are a different story tho I can't do anything with her :/ best get a thunder shirt ready for bonfire night!

 

[lfbarnett717]

I just googled it! Genius! My dog is terrible with anything noisy! Wind is the worst, I used the keep moving forward method and took her for a walk in a storm recently and it seemed to help somewhat, fireworks are a different story tho I can't do anything with her :/ best get a thunder shirt ready for bonfire night!

I absolutely love thundershirts - I own three I think! We tried rescue remedy, which didn't seem to do anything, and then the adaptil plug in, which made Fudge worse! Apparently it should remind them of their puppyhood - as Fudge was a rescue that we got when he was 4, we can only assume he had an awful puppyhood from his behaviour whilst it was plugged in! Fudge now comes running when we get his thundershirt out, and loves wearing it - we wear it on walks, in the car, any time he seems anxious and it really helps. When we brought him home from the rescue centre, he chewed through his seat belt in the car, and being in the car used to be a battle - wouldn't lie down, excessive panting, wouldn't get in the car etc. But now he'll jumo in the car wearing his thundershirt, lie straight down and barely pant at all!

If you are a member of the VIP club at Pets at Home, I have had a money off voucher for thundershirts in the magazine they make...worth a look before you buy one! Xxxx

 

[tobl55]

Does he have a routine? We have always let our lab off lead at the end of the drive from about 5 months and she runs to the door and sits and waits to be towelled before going in. She loves her walks but is always eager to get home as she knows she gets fed as soon as she comes in from walkies xx

 

[gillian w]

My labrador is now 5 and I think they are so intelligent they can run rings around us.Up until 3 I really found her hard work because we were not strict enough with her now she almost still does what she likes but looks on us with kindness or we can bribe her with food never underestimate a labrador .

 

[babychops]

I think we have finally cracked it! When we get close to the house we don't make any fuss at all anymore and we don't pull on the lead at all. We just ignore him and let him wonder up the drive at his own leisure. I think as soon as we try and pull him he puts the brakes on and refuses. The past 3 nights he has just walked in the front door no problems x

 

[lfbarnett717]

I think we have finally cracked it! When we get close to the house we don't make any fuss at all anymore and we don't pull on the lead at all. We just ignore him and let him wonder up the drive at his own leisure. I think as soon as we try and pull him he puts the brakes on and refuses. The past 3 nights he has just walked in the front door no problems x

I remember hearing that your feelings travel down the lead to your dog - guess this shows that there may be some truth in that x

 

[Snowblind]

Opposition reflex can be quite strong in some dogs. If you have found a way of getting the dog to the house I would suggest taking precautions to avoid the same issue in the future by counterconditioning it. Before the walk put something the dog really likes (treats, a toy to play with, a chewie or something) close to the door and reward him for going all the way.

 

[babychops]

We thought we had cracked it but he's still doing it! We took him for a walk tonight and he decided he was gonna lye on the pavement round the corner from the house and not move. Nothing worked! My husband had to eventually lift him and walk him home! And he's a big heavy dog! I just don't know what to do! It's really worrying me that he will always be like this! x

 

[Makenna]

Maybe he's not ready to go back inside? How long are you walking him for? Maybe he just needs a bit longer. Also, my dog doesn't want to finish his walk until he's been to the loo, so make sure he's done his business before the walk is over x

 

[Snowblind]

It should not be up to the dog when to go back home. Anything can happen and there might be an emergency when you are just 10 m from your driveway but as the dog didn't get the walk, you could have a situation in your hands where you need to jump in the car and go NOW but have to fight the dog to get them back in the house.

Did you do some counterconditioning with something the dog really likes when he was willingly going to the house?

 

[Jopanni]

Has something spooked him, My 8 year old lab is a very timid boy who is scared of any noice that is unexpected - A few weeks ago he began to act strange, he would between my son's car and the pavement and no amount of coxing would make him move, like you we had to lift him in the house, another time he ran straight into the rabbit hut and would not move for an hour. it was like he was frightened to come back in - I eventually sussed out the problem - we have recent moved and have hung new doors which are waiting for handles etc, it turned out that when the front and back door where open this made the kitchen door slam shut but because they arent fitted properly yet it's like a dense thud and this is what scared the life out of him :-( - i think he knows when both door are open as he scarpers out the kitchen door whilst I run to stop the door slamming -

 

[babychops]

We have another problem happening now! He gets far too excited when my husband comes home from work and it ends up with a battle between the two of them. The dog is fine with me, he's stopped jumping up at me and getting to playful but when my husband comes home he takes him for a walk and then when they get back the dog starts jumping up and biting my husband non stop! My husband is getting very stressed out as all he wants to do is come home from work and relax, he likes to play with the dog and stroke him but it ends up a nightmare as the dog starts harassing him! The same thing happens in the mornings. My husband comes downstairs to be with him and then all I hear is shouting! How can we stop him harassing my husband! Iv tried to tell him to just turn his back and walk away but he won't listen! He said tonight that he definitely wouldn't get rid of him but he's just fed up and stressed out with him atm! X

 

[lfbarnett717]

We have another problem happening now! He gets far too excited when my husband comes home from work and it ends up with a battle between the two of them. The dog is fine with me, he's stopped jumping up at me and getting to playful but when my husband comes home he takes him for a walk and then when they get back the dog starts jumping up and biting my husband non stop! My husband is getting very stressed out as all he wants to do is come home from work and relax, he likes to play with the dog and stroke him but it ends up a nightmare as the dog starts harassing him! The same thing happens in the mornings. My husband comes downstairs to be with him and then all I hear is shouting! How can we stop him harassing my husband! Iv tried to tell him to just turn his back and walk away but he won't listen! He said tonight that he definitely wouldn't get rid of him but he's just fed up and stressed out with him atm! X

I hate turning my back on the dog too so I redirect his excitement to a toy - a rope tug toy if he appears playful, or if he just seems to need a chew (a possible reason for biting) a Nylabone (durable non edible chew). I think I recommended a thundershirt before, they really work for my dog - calms him in all sorts of situations, in fact I think just putting it on lets him know it's time to be calm. Hope that helps xx

 

[Snowblind]

Sometimes you need to do what you need to do. I would look into Susan Garretts "Crate Games" and games like It's Yer Choice to teach him self control. Garretts book Rudf Love" is a very good book if you are determined to put in the work to sort out your issues.

Leerburg is running a free online course that might help locate and deal with what might be lacking. I'm not that big on the whole rigid pack structure concept as they are but they do have loads of great information there.
https://university.leerburg.com/Master/view/mcid/14/view/self

 

[babychops]

I hate turning my back on the dog too so I redirect his excitement to a toy - a rope tug toy if he appears playful, or if he just seems to need a chew (a possible reason for biting) a Nylabone (durable non edible chew). I think I recommended a thundershirt before, they really work for my dog - calms him in all sorts of situations, in fact I think just putting it on lets him know it's time to be calm. Hope that helps xx

We have tried to re-direct his excitement with a toy but that doesn't work. The only thing that works for me is turning my back on him and blanking him x