[GLottie]

Hello, I have a 16week old Pug cross (3/4pug, 1/4 chihuahua) he is very playful and gets very excited when I say 'walkies'. However, once we are outside he soon wants to come back. He jumps up the backs of my legs and just stops walking. At night he doesn't like to walk in darker areas and in the day he only seems to like to be outside for 5-10minutes. I tried taking him to a woodland area and he seemed excited then after 5minutes of walking he was back to jumping up my legs and refusing to walk.
At first we thought maybe he was cold because he initially started shaking but now he has a coat and the shaking had stopped but he doesn't want to walk.
I don't even think its because he is tired because as soon as we are back indoors he runs around like a mad thing.
I am aware that pugs aren't keen on walking miles but I can't even walk him to the top if my road, which is about 500yards!!!
Does anyone else have this problem? And do you think it will pass!?

 

[Jobeth]

Is there another dog that you can walk with? My yorkie would only walk at first if she was following my older dog. If he fell behind she would instantly stop. With my first dog I just used a high value treat and he'd follow me anywhere!

 

[heartagram]

I have the same problem with my chihuahua puppy whom is 17 weeks, I believe it is a confidence issue.
I've been doing numerous things, If you can I also recommend walking with another dog to start with.
When I went out with a family friend and her dog he walked perfectly everywhere, but for me this isn't a opportunity I often have and also you want to be able to walk out on your own eventually! so I've been using high value treats such as ham to bribe him along etc and recently started to use clicker training for loose leash walking beside me.

I also recommend taking advantage of their puppy instinct to follow at this age, where I've been in secure/quiet areas and he will not follow onlead I have either basically dropped the lead or unclipped him and walked off! he'll soon run after you, then I walk back home on the leash and he is fine! make it all a big game if you can, lots of praise and treats and msot of all you need alot of patience!

It is hardwork but I'am seeing progress, I do have to carry him to some places but always let him walk home as I find he is more confident to go back a way he has came etc, just keep building the ocnfidence really and try to avoid any tension on the lead as this will make them pull backwards/stop.

 

[mcparlston]

Don't worry believe it or not my 15 week old BC was the same and in fact still would rather not go out. I just took him out any way and gradually he has got more confident. Initially he was afraid of the dark, rain, trees, puddles, parked cars, moving cars, bicycles, people and not to mention other dogs. Now he is just afraid of boisterous dogs. He used to sit on the pavement and refuse to move, so I just picked him up and carried him some of the way and would put him down intermittently. Sometimes now I still have to carry him down the stairs if I am short of time and he doesn't really want to go. Just stick with it hopefully he will get better.

 

[Nikkisun]

We had the same with Cooper (in fact I posted on here about it). We stopped taking him out for 4-5 days and then started again - he had forgotten about whatever it was that was bothering about him and walked along quite happily!

 

[GLottie]

Thank you all for your advice. I will give him a try with other dogs, my mum has a dog who he loves and we haven't got round to walking them together yet so I will try that. Also lots of treats is probably a good tip too