# Not wanting to walk...



## coco_little_bear (May 30, 2012)

Lilo doesn't like going for walks. We've tried everything... enticing her with treats and toys, teaching her to heel, dragging her, letting her walk around the house with the harness and leash on to get used to it, letting her walk off the leash at the park, etc.. 

There are only two ways to make her walk... 1. bringing our friend's dog with us or 2. carrying her in our arms and then letting her walk all the way home. It's like she hates going for walks and will only walk if it's to come back home. 

I just don't know what to do anymore. Me and my partner like going for walks and hiking... and I know that Lilo has the energy because she zooms in and out of rooms and is perfectly capable of walking when our friend's dog is around. She becomes really naughty and nips a lot when she has too much energy so it'd be nice to spend it with walks! Of course I don't expect her to go on hikes at this age (20 weeks old) but I'm starting to worry that she'll always be this lazy. :lol: *How can I make her love walking?? *:lol:


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## Rach_Honey (Jan 13, 2012)

Hmmm. My old chi, Benji, must have never been walked before I got him, he hated it with a passion and would not walk, no matter what I tried. In 4 years, the only way I got him to walk was to carry him to where we were going then put him down to walk home - he had a sixth sense and if I tried to pretend we were going home earlier, he would about-turn - he wasn't going to be fooled!  

Honey loves walks, I've walked her every day since I got her, but I can't think that I did anything differently to what you are doing with Lilo. Persevere with what you are doing, maybe one day it will just click? Sorry I don't have a lot of advice! X


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## cpaoline (Oct 9, 2012)

give her some time, mine were the same way until recently, and they are almost a year old. Took Mia a while to like the leash as well, I would always pull her down the street, lol. She eventually caught on.


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

Don't despair! I have the same problem! Except, Angel would bite me if I tried to get him ready for a walk! Even now, he is not crazy about walking! I have to give him a nudge several times! On our way home, no problem! he will even get a little ahead of me! 

I heard that you should put peanut butter on the end of a ruler and get them to follow the ruler trying to get the peanut butter! Didn't work for me, Angel was too low to the ground! Lol. Now, I just tug a little on the leash and say come!

She will be fine as time goes on! They are all different and they need to adjust! We are here anytime you want to vent your frustrations!


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## coco_little_bear (May 30, 2012)

Rach_Honey said:


> Hmmm. My old chi, Benji, must have never been walked before I got him, he hated it with a passion and would not walk, no matter what I tried. In 4 years, the only way I got him to walk was to carry him to where we were going then put him down to walk home - he had a sixth sense and if I tried to pretend we were going home earlier, he would about-turn - he wasn't going to be fooled!
> 
> Honey loves walks, I've walked her every day since I got her, but I can't think that I did anything differently to what you are doing with Lilo. Persevere with what you are doing, maybe one day it will just click? Sorry I don't have a lot of advice! X


Eek. When the dog is already a few years old it must be hard to change their ways. I don't think the previous owner walked her either or exercised her at all. Even getting her to play took a while. Thankfully Lilo was with them only for 3 months so hopefully her hatred of walking is reversible!

Coco was like Honey when it comes to walking. She loved it from day one and could go on forever.



cpaoline said:


> give her some time, mine were the same way until recently, and they are almost a year old. Took Mia a while to like the leash as well, I would always pull her down the street, lol. She eventually caught on.


That's good to know. We love going for long walks and hikes so that poor thing will be miserable if she doesn't learn to love it. I might have to invest in a good carrier.  lol



Angel1210 said:


> Don't despair! I have the same problem! Except, Angel would bite me if I tried to get him ready for a walk! Even now, he is not crazy about walking! I have to give him a nudge several times! On our way home, no problem! he will even get a little ahead of me!
> 
> I heard that you should put peanut butter on the end of a ruler and get them to follow the ruler trying to get the peanut butter! Didn't work for me, Angel was too low to the ground! Lol. Now, I just tug a little on the leash and say come!
> 
> She will be fine as time goes on! They are all different and they need to adjust! We are here anytime you want to vent your frustrations!


Oh I had never heard of that trick. I'll try it today seeing as she loves peanut butter!

Lilo's the same! She also sometimes bites us when we put her harness on and when we're on our way back she actually goes ahead of us. It's kinda sad. I don't want it to be torture for her, I want her to have fun like normal dogs. :lol:


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## woodard2009 (Aug 4, 2010)

If she walks when you bring another dog, can't you walk another dog until she's comfortable enough to walk without the company of another dog? Your neighbors will love you for walking their dogs. I know it's a pain, but if it works, maybe it won't take long for her to get comfortable going for walks without another dog coming along. It's important that you talk to your dog, especially in an excited voice--"Let's go for a walky," etc. They understand more than you think. She's still pretty young. Make it fun for her. Try bringing treats. When she walks a little way, give a treat. Praise, praise & praise.

Can you take some video to show us how the walks go? Maybe someone can weigh in on things you can try by getting a visual of how she acts on walks.


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## coco_little_bear (May 30, 2012)

^ I'd like to take the other dog for walks with us, but he isn't always around (shared custody with the neighbour's ex lol). I will mention it though. Once in a while is still better than nothing. 

As for giving treats, talking in a cheerful way, praising and trying to make it fun, we do that, but it doesn't seem to work. lol

That's a good idea. I'll try to take a video of it later on!


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## Kalisee (Jun 1, 2012)

It took us almost a year! Everytime I would announce walk time she would run and cower somewhere and fake being asleep when I put the harness on. But still every single day I took her out. I would also carry her to a point and she would walk back home. Now, when I announce walk time she will not resist. She has started peeing outside too, on her own. I cant say she loves her walks yet but she has started to at least tolerate them instead of being such a stubborn petrified chi!


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## Chihuahua Mommy (Dec 28, 2012)

Dallas does that sometimes.He will walk a little bit then he decides to just stop and wants to be picked up lol


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## intent2smile (Dec 4, 2011)

Could it be that she doesn't like walking on the surface that you are walking on? Jaxx hates walking in the grass, he basically hops through the grass when he goes potty trying to not get his feet in the grass. When we first brought him home I spent all my time trying to get him to walk in the grass because I knew that in the Summer time the sidewalks would be hot. I spent a lot of time walking in the grass and Jaxx kept trying to get to the sidewalk. Even now he will only walk in the grass when he has to go potty or if there is not a sidewalk around.


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## first_time_chi_owner (Oct 12, 2012)

Went through EXACTLY the same thing with arnie. We tried everything for about 2 months. He was fine walking on a lead and harness just didnt like the actual walking until we got going. Even treats and tricking him didn't work. We tried different times of the day, different routes, different surfaces and nothing worked. The only thing that did was regular walks (5 times per week) with my MIL's dogs. He kinda "learnt" from them that its the normal thing to do. He still resists some days but only for about 10 seconds and then he's fine and trots off in front!! 

Good luck. I remember how exhausting it was


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## flowersnsunshine (Apr 27, 2013)

Josie hated walking on a leash when we first got her too! But I read a dog training book and it said to just gently keep pulling on the leash and when she takes a step to balance herself, treat her and click a clicker.. or whatever praise she responds best to. Josie eventually gave up on trying to pull away and after 10-15 minutes, she was walking on a leash (while eating treats every few steps)! Just keep trying and she'll eventually give in and walk.


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## Rolo n Buttons (Sep 22, 2012)

Rolo and Buttons still disappear now when the harnesses come out. Buttons actually physically shakes and they both scoot in their cage and get in bed! Anyone would think I was doing something dreadful to the pair of them


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## Rach_Honey (Jan 13, 2012)

Same with Honey! She runs and cowers and goes all submissive when I get the harness and lead out! But she loves walks, go figure! :/


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## Judenmink (May 1, 2013)

Yep...Mr Chi was the same. I thought he would never enjoy walking.
I used to carry him away from the house and he would eventually walk back.
He loves his walks now. In fact now he has learned when he is on his extending lead and I say 'ok' he can use the whole of the available length of the lead. When I say 'come back' he has to come to heel and he will stay like that till I say 'ok' again.
He is also great off lead and always stays close. So..dont worry! It will be ok in the end. It seems most chis are pretty reluctant at first. It did take quite a while...I started to worry but dont it will be ok. Just keep persevering. Encourage, treat and praise...and if all else fails carry him away and see if he will walk back better.





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## Jayda (Jun 15, 2012)

Lady was actually not very cooperative initially with walks. She would walk to the end of the driveway and just stop. I literally would have to pull her along. I kept trying though and eventually she came around. One thing that worked, I noticed she did much better not walking around our neighborhood. If I took her somewhere to walk she seemed much better. I guess she knew that "her" house was not nearby so she minds well walk. She does great now, like a different dog. Keep trying. Like you I really enjoy walking with the dogs! I know she likes cooler weather better so maybe it is the heat that is not helping (assuming you live where it is hot).


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## teetee (Aug 25, 2011)

idk if this will work for you but Domo, our yorkie, is the same way!! We tried everything! He loves balls, of all sizes. and only recently, did we have the bright idea to buy a soccer ball and kick it down the road as we walked. He follows it! It works well.


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## BellsMommy22 (Dec 23, 2012)

Bell has always like walks, but Boo hated them at first. She eventually learned to like them though. Maybe try slashing with your friends dog for a little while and see if that builds up her confidence enough that she starts to look forward to them.


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## coco_little_bear (May 30, 2012)

Thanks guys, good to hear that some of your walk hating chis learned to love (or at least tolerate) it eventually. I'm gonna keep trying.  I must have been lucky with Coco... She loved walks from day one. When I said "you wanna go for a walk Coco!!?", she would jump up and down with excitement... I had to calm her down to put the harness on. :lol: Coco and Lilo are like day and night. Complete opposites!! I wish she was still here... she could teach Lilo how to be awesome. 

I tried to film it yesterday, but my phone battery died! Anyway, I tried something else. I carried her to the park and just sat down in the grass. She began exploring and sniffing things, walking up to the people next to us having picnics, etc. We also brought a ball to play fetch. She enjoyed this, so I'm hoping that can teach her to associate the park with fun so eventually she'll be excited about going. 



Kalisee said:


> Everytime I would announce walk time she would run and cower somewhere and fake being asleep when I put the harness on.





Rolo n Buttons said:


> Rolo and Buttons still disappear now when the harnesses come out. Buttons actually physically shakes and they both scoot in their cage and get in bed! Anyone would think I was doing something dreadful to the pair of them





Rach_Honey said:


> Same with Honey! She runs and cowers and goes all submissive when I get the harness and lead out! But she loves walks, go figure! :/


Aww hahah Gosh, it's as if they're being tortured! 



intent2smile said:


> Could it be that she doesn't like walking on the surface that you are walking on?


That's interesting. I didn't think of that, but Lilo used to hate walking on pavements. During the first week, she only wanted to walk on grass. There's a little path made of concrete in the back garden, that separates the garden in 2. She didn't want to cross it at first. Many treats later, she's fine with it now, but maybe it still puts her off even she tolerates it? hmm. We walk mostly on grass at the park though, which she loves, yet still stops. 



teetee said:


> idk if this will work for you but Domo, our yorkie, is the same way!! We tried everything! He loves balls, of all sizes. and only recently, did we have the bright idea to buy a soccer ball and kick it down the road as we walked. He follows it! It works well.


That's a good idea. I tried bringing a toy with a squeaker in it but didn't think about kicking a ball on the way. She loves balls too. She runs up to kids playing football all the time. I'll definitely give this a try.


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## teetee (Aug 25, 2011)

coco_little_bear said:


> That's a good idea. I tried bringing a toy with a squeaker in it but didn't think about kicking a ball on the way. She loves balls too. She runs up to kids playing football all the time. I'll definitely give this a try.


cool, let me know if it works!


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## coco_little_bear (May 30, 2012)

Update: YES! Lilo walked properly for the first time. No treats or fancy tricks needed. That was on Sunday. She walked all the way to the park on the leash, then followed us closely all around the park off the leash. She stopped a few times, but quickly restarted. We took her for another quick walk during the evening and not only did she walk again, but she was pulling ahead of us! 

I didn't want to report on our success too soon, but she did it again yesterday even if it was raining. It's such a sudden change. :lol:


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## Kalisee (Jun 1, 2012)

She is getting older and wiser


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## cpaoline (Oct 9, 2012)

See you were worried for nothing! LOL. All dogs are different can't compare them (easier said than done especially in your case i understand) but I think you 2 will have a great relationship. How is the bonding going, do you feel closer to her now that some time has passed?


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

I think as they get older, they become a little easier to train. Not that you shouldn't start training early! But I am noticing some big differences in Angel and he is 2 1/2 years old. Still having trouble with resource guarding :foxes15:! But, can't give up!

So glad to hear she is walking good on a leash.


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## coco_little_bear (May 30, 2012)

I spoke too soon... I took her for a quick walk just now and had to drag / carry her. She did walk on the way back though. It's a work in progress. LOL

As for bonding, things are getting better. We're getting used to being with a less affectionate dog and she's also becoming a bit more like a 'velcro dog' slowly tbh. Just now, I nearly kicked her because she was hanging too close to my feet. lol I think she might just be a late bloomer. 

Ah yes resource guarding! I don't have this problem with Lilo... as in she doesn't growl or bite to protect things, but she does run off with stuff like chicken bones at the park... instead of guarding it, she just makes us run in circles. :foxes15:


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## cpaoline (Oct 9, 2012)

lol, late bloomer


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

TRADE! You gotta get her to "trade!" I do it all the time with Angel. I realize that he should just "drop it" but it's better than him eating, swallowing, or destroying something! Of course it doesn't always work! Like with rabbit poop!

But what I have been doing lately is just going up to him or calling him over to me and giving him a few loving strokes. He loves to be scratched by his tail! And he just loves being pet and brushed. So I will crouch down on the floor and he comes up to me with a pathetic look and just waits and loves to get his attention! So when he has something I want to take from him, I will crouch down, then he comes over, I talk high pitched sweet things, pet him, scratch by his tail, and eventually I have what he had! Sometimes he gets a treat, not always. But, if I say "trade" then he gets a treat because he willingly trades!!


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## cpaoline (Oct 9, 2012)

Mine are pretty good most times i just ask them "what ya got" and put my hand out, MOST times they drop it, but not all, Mia usually thinks that means its play time and runs crazy for me to chase her..


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## lilbabyvenus (Feb 8, 2009)

I've had the same problem with Ocean. Jer actually took her out on a leash one day and she just walked for him. I don't know if she felt too pressured by me? It was so weird. But after that she has walked for me just fine.


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## coco_little_bear (May 30, 2012)

Angel1210 said:


> TRADE! You gotta get her to "trade!"


I try to do that, but she doesn't think any of my treats are worth trading chicken bones. :lol: I never used the command "trade" though, I'll give it a try! I usually say what have you got there and ask her to leave it or drop it. I may have to carry something really enticing like steak in return. :lol: 

As for walking, I just took her to the park. She had SO much fun playing with a maltese puppy and a papillon (for over an hour) that she didn't want to walk home this time.


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## coco_little_bear (May 30, 2012)

lilbabyvenus said:


> I've had the same problem with Ocean. Jer actually took her out on a leash one day and she just walked for him. I don't know if she felt too pressured by me? It was so weird. But after that she has walked for me just fine.


That could be it. Maybe Lilo felt too pressured too. Lately we weren't really trying. We were carrying her to the park and picking her up every time she refused to walk... so maybe she started to feel more comfortable.


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## Angel1210 (Mar 14, 2011)

coco_little_bear said:


> I try to do that, but she doesn't think any of my treats are worth trading chicken bones. :lol: I never used the command "trade" though, I'll give it a try! I usually say what have you got there and ask her to leave it or drop it. I may have to carry something really enticing like steak in return. :lol:
> 
> As for walking, I just took her to the park. She had SO much fun playing with a maltese puppy and a papillon (for over an hour) that she didn't want to walk home this time.


HAHA! I just got back from the park! I had to practically drag him! lol

Sounds like what you do is good! You need cheese!! Or maybe freeze dried liver treats or freeze dried chicken treats!


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

Another trick to get a dog walking. Teach 'touch' and use a dowel rod with a little ball or something on the end. I think we had one 36" long. Put a little dab of P.butter on the ball/toy on the end of the dowel rod. Once she will follow the dowel rod, you can get her to touch with her nose, whereever you have the rod. Right hand, left, up, down follow in a circle as you walk. Then go outside and have the dowel rod in the position you want. Tell her/him to 'touch' and off you go. Slowly at first. Lots of praise.


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## coco_little_bear (May 30, 2012)

Angel1210 said:


> HAHA! I just got back from the park! I had to practically drag him! lol
> 
> Sounds like what you do is good! You need cheese!! Or maybe freeze dried liver treats or freeze dried chicken treats!


lol She's a cheese addict, I'll try that today.



susan davis said:


> Another trick to get a dog walking. Teach 'touch' and use a dowel rod with a little ball or something on the end. I think we had one 36" long. Put a little dab of P.butter on the ball/toy on the end of the dowel rod. Once she will follow the dowel rod, you can get her to touch with her nose, whereever you have the rod. Right hand, left, up, down follow in a circle as you walk. Then go outside and have the dowel rod in the position you want. Tell her/him to 'touch' and off you go. Slowly at first. Lots of praise.


Interesting, thanks. I think we'll probably be fine since she has improved so much, but it's good to know lots of different tricks for future reference.


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