Why Doesn't My Dog Want to Walk With Me?

By Jennifer Chen
My Doggie Dreamland Columnist

When walking your dog, you might wonder why it doesn't follow your lead. The first thing that you want to do is to understand the situation. How old is your dog? Has your dog been owned or trained by anybody else? The reason why I'm asking is because you want to know what has effected your dogs upbringing. If you are the sole owner, then it's up to you to train and correct these behaviors...unless you want to pay somebody for it.

So to get started, you have to think about the psychological situations. I'm not asking you to think like a doctor. It's just that you have to also understand where your dog is coming from. If your dog moves away from you or doesn't want to walk when you want to walk, it's either due to poor training, not being trained, or some other issues.

So how do you analyze a dogs behavior? Think about your dog like another person. If you have jerked him around or imposed some negative behavior, that's a good reason for your dog not wanting to obey you. So take a step back and think about your past experiences with your dog.

If nothing like that has happened before, it could be even the smallest things that most people don't realize. Let's say that you're walking your dog and then both of you stop. Then you decide to reward or praise him. Guess what? You've gave positive gratification to your dog for stopping.

So how do you correct this? Praise or reward your dog while it performs the wanted actions. Stopping isn't what you desire. Walking is. So praise and reward your dog as the both of you walk...or if it approaches you if that is the wanted behavior.

If your dog still doesn't follow your lead, the last thing you want to do is become aggressive. Face towards the walking direction and tug the leash gently. As you do so, your dog should move towards you. As your dog performs that action, praise him.

So your dog doesn't want to walk with you? Don't worry, just be patient. As you repeat this action, your dog will eventually start walking. Just continue to stack positive praises with positive actions. Your dog will remember them and you'll be happy as well. You're making your dog become more confidence in itself as well as in you.

About the Author
Jennifer Chen is a dog training specialist and a contributing writer to MyDoggieDreamland.com

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Why Doesn't My Dog Want to Walk With Me?

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