Walking

So i have had Annie for about 8 weeks now. We got her from a breeder at 8 weeks, so she is 16 weeks today. We have been trying to walk her consistently, but i feel like she HATES it. When i bring her off leash in the woods she has so much fun. She sniffs everything and explores and is so happy. She stays close and has a great time. But in our neighborhood or even on a wooded trail she just looks at me as if to say, "why are we here?". I was walking on a trail with her yesterday and people were laughing at me trying to coax her off the ground while in the midst of one of her "splats" as i like to call them (this is when she decides to lay flat on the ground with all of her legs and feet spread out). Cute, but frustrating at times :)

I bring treats with me, and treat her give lots of praise when she walks briskly and doesn't stop. I even bribe her sometimes with treats to get her to move again. She is extremely food motivated so this works briefly, but honestly she just doesn't seem to care for walking. I know she has energy and can go far because i take her for walks with other dogs and she will go twice as far. But when it's just me and her she will walk for about ten minutes and after that she could care less. She also plays with other dogs and socializes regularly so i doubt she has anxiety or anything. I know it is important for Corgi's to be stimulated and i would like this to be something that her and i can enjoy together. I know that corgi's are famous for being stubborn but does anyone have tips? Will this get easier as she gets older?

Thanks for any tips,

Lindsay and Annie

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Permalink Reply by Vicky Hay on May 5, 2014 at 12:04pm

"Splat"! That's very expressive. :-) Ruby the Corgi Pup likes to do something along those lines, too.

At 16 weeks she's still very young. Her attention span is mighty short...oh, say, about a minute and a half? I'd keep the "walks" just as short -- no longer than 10 minutes at first, working up to half an hour or so.

Also you might try getting her more accustomed to the leash simply by linking a short one to her collar while she's in the house. Let her drag it around, play with it, whatever, so it won't seem like such an oddity to her when you're ready to go outside. (Obviously, keep an eye on her so she doesn't get caught up in the furniture or pull down Aunty Em's 150-year-old grandfather clock...) And if you have a yard, just walk her around the back yard for a few minutes a couple of times a day, rewarding mightily with treats and ecstasies of praise when she cooperates.

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Permalink Reply by Denis J. on May 5, 2014 at 12:47pm

I agree with the previous reply. She's still so young and doesn't surprise me freedom in a new environment would be so exciting. I'm surprise you can keep her close off leash cause mine would have just bolted.

If she's not interested in leashed walks I would recommend doing another activity with her instead, like obedience training. Any classes available or on your own to sit, wait, come back, let go, and fun tricks would a good activity to bond bewteen you both and in the mix of things you could practice leash walking, short distances with praises.

Good luck

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Permalink Reply by Jane on May 5, 2014 at 1:21pm

At 16 weeks I wouldn't worry if she only wants to do short walks. She probably has a lot more fun off leash in the woods/with other dogs and so the regular walks just aren't as interesting for her short attention span.