Q.: My dog, Rosie, is a patient of a fellow veterinarian in Macon, Ga., and she referred me to you. I have benefitted from your articles and blog posts, and thought you might help me with an issue.
Rosie is a 5-month-old toy poodle. I have had her since she was 8 weeks old and been working with her to housetrain her as well as teach her the basics. She is doing well in most areas except walking on a leash.
I bought a harness collar and give her a treat when she walks, but she does not like it. She seems fearful and wants to sit down every 10 feet or so. I coax and cajol with enthusiasm, but she does not respond. She prefers to go back home asap! She loves to run and play in the yard, so I don’t get it.
Thanks for any advice or counsel. – Beverly
A.: I am glad to hear that you like the articles and the blogs. I can’t tell for certain from your post, however it sounds like Rosie is reacting to the head halter itself. If she is reacting to the head halter,, work on conditioning her to accept it by putting the collar on for short periods (starting at 5 to 30 seconds) while feeding her tasty treats. Slowly increase the amount of time that she wears the collar until she can tolerate it for the length of a walk. During this time, don’t walk her, but instead let her play in the yard.
Now, if Rosie is actually afraid to take a walk, regardless of whether or not she wears a head halter or another type of collar, that will require a lot more work on your part. It?s easy to understand how a dog could be perfectly happy in her own home and then be very frightened outside of the home. Generally, this is going to be as a result of either a lack of socialization and/or a hereditary predisposition. The problem is Rosie is past the socialization period, so it will take help from a behavior professional if she is actually afraid to go on walks.
Dr. Radosta
Lisa Radosta DVM, Diplomate ACVB
Florida Veterinary Behavior Service
PO Box 210636
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33421-0636
561-795-9398
www.flvetbehavior.com
Read more articles by Dr. Radosta | Ask her a question
Source: http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/pawshere/2013/04/05/toy-poodle-afraid-to-go-for-walks/
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