Suddenly laying down on walks?

Appa's been going on walks for a couple weeks now since she's up on all her shots finally. She loved it for the first week and a half and now she's started being stubborn on some of them and plopping down on the sidewalk refusing to move. I either have to pick her up and carry her or wait forever, tug a bit and she'll get up--walk a little way--and then lay down again.

I've been checking her paws to make sure they're not hurt afterwards and taking her once every 3 days or so for 15 minutes-ish each time to get her used to walking a lot on pavement and such. So I don't think it's that her feet are bothering her. Any ideas why she's doing this? Should I start using treats again or try a different type of collar (just using her collar and a leash right now)? Any suggestions or info is welcome!

Thanks! :)

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Permalink Reply by Sam Tsang on June 18, 2012 at 11:43am

Hi Leah, make sure the collar has no more than 2 fingers gap, before you walk, make sure you lift up right behind the ears. Stop for water breaks every 15 mins, keep your leash at ankle length.

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Permalink Reply by Appa and Iroh on June 18, 2012 at 11:48am

Thanks for the reply, Sam! I'll give those a try and hopefully we'll be walking well again soon :D

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Permalink Reply by Marcie on June 18, 2012 at 1:59pm

Becca did this at when I first got her at 8 months. After a few days of aggravation I figured out she did it when she was overwhelmed. There is an antique store on our walking route. They change the outdoor display daily, Becca often still has to stop and check it out. It took three weeks before she walked our whole route without stops. I tried several strategies with her. Playing the touch game to distract her helped. Waiting her out drove me crazy. Now I just have to say "Let's go" and she will get back on track. Aggressive dogs and garbage trucks are still an issue, but we are working on it. I also try to be patient when we walk a new route.

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Permalink Reply by Appa and Iroh on June 20, 2012 at 7:33pm

thanks for the tips! she probably is overwhelmed, we only walk for about 15 minutes total when we walk but it takes us through 3 little sections of the neighborhood and they all look a little different.

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Permalink Reply by Appa and Iroh on June 20, 2012 at 7:31pm

good point.

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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on June 18, 2012 at 9:04pm

She is a real cutie! I noticed you live in Texas so wondered if the pavement was a little too hot for her. Puppy's feet are pretty tender so if you are not comfortable walking barefoot then the surface may hurt her feet. Are there some grassy areas you can alternate the walks to?

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Permalink Reply by Appa and Iroh on June 20, 2012 at 7:25pm

I take her before the sun gets too high or after it's set, haha--I can't even be outside during the heat of the day and Appa hates being hot more than me ;). There's a park nearby, I'll give it a try as soon as i can, thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Beth on June 18, 2012 at 10:22pm

She's only about 12 or 13 weeks old, right? Puppies have strong instincts to stay near the den. They don't have the urge to roam the perimeters of their extended territory the way adults do. Rather than walk her away from the house, put her in the car and take her places and let her wander around there. Nearby parks, walking trails, a friend's neighborhood. Don't expect her to go more than a few blocks. If your home area is the only place you can walk, try carrying her out and walking her back. And like Bev said, pavement is tough on a puppy.

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Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on June 18, 2012 at 11:21pm

Like Bev, I wondered if she was hot. The smaller the dog, the quicker they overheat or are affected by the cold. In Summer, I always check the pavement with the palm of my hand.

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Permalink Reply by Nora on June 19, 2012 at 9:32am

I think she might be a bit overwhelmed by the surrounding. My trainer told me at the beginning of my DouBao 's kindergarten class that:

- Take the pup outside AND bring something to chew or eat for a while (Kong is good). Then just SIT (no walking) at a less busy spot and let the pup get used to the sound, the smell, the light and the moving things (cars, people). And then move to busier spot gradually.

- If she starts to explore, that's great and let her explore. If she comes back (check-in) with you, praise her (first) and give her a YUMMY treat, encourage her to explore again. So, she gets learning new things and knows a good things happens when she close to you. LOL...

(My trainer suggested to do that 30 mins everyday for a few weeks. I didn't... 'cause I was dumb...)

Hope it helps. Update us:-)