Disclaimer:  I am not a dog trainer. (Though I’ve spent enough time with them that I practically feel like one). I am not a trainer, nor do I want to be a trainer This is not a post on how to train your dog to walk better on the leash but musings on my own experiences here. 

Before we brought her home, my husband and I used to talk about all the places we’d take our dog with us. Long walks down to the river, around the park, to our favorite places to eat.  

It never occurred to me that Sweet Baby L might … not want to go anywhere?  

If you lived in my neighborhood when Sweet Baby L was still a baby puppy, then you might know her as the “dog who’s always lying down.” 

Without fail, we’d walk out the front door, take three or four steps and then Sweet Baby L would lay down on the sidewalk in protest.  Nearly every person that walked by would look at her and say, “oh, she must be tired.”  Little did they know we’d hardly moved at all. 

All the laying down and refusing to walk was… kinda funny and cute, until it wasn’t. The bigger (and heavier) she got, the harder it became to get her to move. I’d think about how much easier it would be to have a tiny dog that I could pick up and carry if necessary. Sweet Baby L was clocking in at around 50 pounds back then. I couldn’t lift her. And I really didn’t want to resort to having to drag her. 

Eventually it got so bad that I used to dread taking her out for walks. I’d try to time it during the hours my husband wasn’t going to be super busy at work just in case I wasn’t able to get Sweet Baby L back home and needed his help. More than once, he’d have to come rescue us. I’d walk home practically in tears, while Sweet Baby L bounced along as if nothing had happened. 

What was the problem? Did she just hate walking with me? Why was it so much easier for my husband to get her moving?  A year (and lots of training later – s/o to the Dog Behaviorist) and I’m happy to report that walks with Sweet Baby L have become one of the highlights of my day. Here’s what worked:

A Major Attitude Adjustment

I hadn’t realized how much of my own behavior Sweet Baby L could pick up on. I had no confidence when I took her out because I was always so defeated. No wonder she felt like she had to take charge. Every trainer I’ve spoken to has told me the same thing: if I don’t establish the tone, Sweet Baby L will. And a commanding presence goes a long way.  Now, when Sweet Baby L tries to lay down and refuse to move, a strong, firm ‘No’ is what she hears. “Let’s go,” in the same tone means it’s time to move. If I move confidently in the direction we are meant to be going, giving her no time to decide what she wants to do, Sweet Baby L quickly falls into line. 

Good-Bye Harness, Hello Martingale Collar 

We bought Sweet Baby L’s harness because it was “no pull” (whatever that means?) and also because almost every other pup in the neighborhood had one. But soon I noticed that all the dogs who were actually walking nicely with their owners were harness-free. They were all wearing collars instead. It didn’t make sense until our trainer explained that it’s hard to communicate with a pup in a harness. We made the switch to a martingale collar and it really changed the game for us. Now when Sweet Baby L gets a firm tug on the collar she knows it’s time to move. 

No Treats

Sweet Baby L and I fell into a pattern of me rewarding her for bad behavior by bribing her with treats to get her to move. It seems so obvious looking back, but it took me way too long to recognize.  In those moments of desperation/weakness when she wouldn’t move, I’d offer a treat to get her up. The win was short lived, when she started associating laying on the sidewalk as a way to get rewarded with treats. Now, the only treats she gets on walks are when she’s striding alongside me like the good girl she is.  Reinforcement of good behavior, not bad. 🙂 

Knowing When To Quit 

We all have off-days, dogs included. And some days, Sweet Baby L just isn’t going to want to go anywhere. Usually these are the days when it’s very warm out and no matter what she’s not gonna wanna move further than the twenty feet it takes for her to find a good potty spot. I know now when to pick my battles. Sometimes, Sweet Baby L gets the win.