Pup won't walk

[outsider 0]

Hi all,

This sounds really daft, but my young Jack won't walk! She was hand-reared and born by Caesarean, been in a kennel next to the other dogs all her life since she's been outside, take her in the garden loose or on a lead and she just stands there, won't walk on or off the lead, it's as is she is totally panic stricken. Tried coupling her to another older bitch, she just dragged her along. Took her off the lead and she just won't move. Been breeding Jacks over 20 years, never had anything like this before, wanted to show her in puppy classes this summer. We are trying to do something with her every dy but she won't go for sausage, turkey, bread cake or biscuits yet if she is in her kennel she'll jump and beg and eat anything. Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

[Guest bullterrier]

does the pup walk in it run or just put it in your garden or yard which ever you have and go in side and watch the pup if not i would try the vets hope it comes good for you mate.. ..john

[outsider 0]

does the pup walk in it run or just put it in your garden or yard which ever you have and go in side and watch the pup if not i would try the vets hope it comes good for you mate.. ..john

In the run she's fine, walks/runs up and down/comes to the door, whatever. Put her in the garden and she freezes! (Don't think she's ill + vets round here cost an arm and a leg). Wondered if anyone else had ever had anything like this.

[skycat 6,174]

You don't say how old she is: or did I miss that? It sounds as though the dog is completely unsocialised and has never been out of the kennel: forgive me if I'm wrong, but that is classic behaviour of a dog that never went further than its kennel during the first months of its life. Pups need to be exposed to outside life before they are 14 weeks old if they are to be confident and relaxed in the big wide world.

[outsider 0]

You don't say how old she is: or did I miss that? It sounds as though the dog is completely unsocialised and has never been out of the kennel: forgive me if I'm wrong, but that is classic behaviour of a dog that never went further than its kennel during the first months of its life. Pups need to be exposed to outside life before they are 14 weeks old if they are to be confident and relaxed in the big wide world.

She's 6 months old and they all used to come in the garden as a litter, she also was coming in the garden with us off the lead + going in our field off the lead - it seems to be since we've tried her on a lead we've got a problem, however, we keep trying every day for a few minutes with/without other dogs. Also, the pups stayed in the house until they were about 7 weeks old and had the run of the kitchen, corridoor etc. + she was no different to any of the others.

[Hannah4181 260]

I knew of a lab pup that did exactly the same, as soon as the lead was put on it just rooted itself to the spot and nothing could make her move. I would try clipping the lead on and just leaving her in the garden, if she stays still then let her, just ignore her, it may take a great deal of patience but i would suspect that eventually she will overcome whatever it is that is freaking her out. Obviously i'd only do this if she is supervised, the danger of her getting caught up with the lead when left alone is a worry.

[outsider 0]

I knew of a lab pup that did exactly the same, as soon as the lead was put on it just rooted itself to the spot and nothing could make her move. I would try clipping the lead on and just leaving her in the garden, if she stays still then let her, just ignore her, it may take a great deal of patience but i would suspect that eventually she will overcome whatever it is that is freaking her out. Obviously i'd only do this if she is supervised, the danger of her getting caught up with the lead when left alone is a worry.

Hi Hannah,

We have tried that! Maybe we're not giving it enough time. If you leve her in the garden with/without the lead she just freezes to the spot, however, I have had her running around while I've been gardening on my own, the worry there is that she might possibly escape if left too much to her own devices (she is working stock after all), but then if you let her have a run about when she's in the mood, then put the lead on after, she freezes again.

Thanks for your reply.

[Hannah4181 260]

Will she walk when your out in the fields, i.e off lead exercising with the other dogs? My friends lab pup would scream like it was being murdered if the slack on the lead was taken up at all, it was horrible and certainly nothing i've ever seen before. We literally hooked her up to a light lead and left her in the field, whilst we walked on with the other dogs, she did eventually start to ignore the lead and stopped the screaming. Took a fair while though, its something you'll just have to work through i think. I personally would try to do a couple of half hour sessions morning and night until its cracked.

[outsider 0]

Will she walk when your out in the fields, i.e off lead exercising with the other dogs? My friends lab pup would scream like it was being murdered if the slack on the lead was taken up at all, it was horrible and certainly nothing i've ever seen before. We literally hooked her up to a light lead and left her in the field, whilst we walked on with the other dogs, she did eventually start to ignore the lead and stopped the screaming. Took a fair while though, its something you'll just have to work through i think. I personally would try to do a couple of half hour sessions morning and night until its cracked.

Hi Hannah,

 

We don't 'walk' them as such as they've had no jabs but we take 2 or 3 at a time in our own fields when the horses are in (so as not to have any accidents). She doesn't scream, just won't go or keep up. If you take the lead + collar off she then runs about stupidly like a pup but is not over keen on coming back! Nightmare. Like all things animal wise it's difficult to know if she's being stubborn or if there is a genuine problem.

[Hollie 21]

Just a suggestion, can you not give her some 1-2-1 time indoors, get her confidence up while inside with you, just play for the 1st few times and then slowly introduce a light collar and then a lead?

[outsider 0]

Just a suggestion, can you not give her some 1-2-1 time indoors, get her confidence up while inside with you, just play for the 1st few times and then slowly introduce a light collar and then a lead?

Hi Holly,

We have done a bit of that, it is difficult as we are not totally enclosed and are on a busy road, then if someone leaves the door open.....that's why I keep them inkennels in the first place. Obviously, she was born/kept indoors when she was young but again, we can put her in the kitchen whilst say cooking or something and she's not even interested in the scraps (whereas any of the others would be on their back legs trying to get the chicken skin or whatever). I think it might be a long job. Shame, we wanted to show her in puppy classes this year. I wonder if it it was because she had no 'real' mum to tell her stuff.

[gnipper 6,543]

Its about time you got her jabbed if your planning on showing her isn't it??? As for the lead part try getting someone who isn't concerned about her lead fear to walk her confidently as the dog will pick up on the fact your worrying about her worrying and make her worse if you know what I mean.

My lurcher was nervous on the lead before I got him and the lad walked him on an extending lead, the day after I got him I didn't give him any attention to feed his fear and walked confidently and he's been fine ever since.

[outsider 0]

Its about time you got her jabbed if your planning on showing her isn't it??? As for the lead part try getting someone who isn't concerned about her lead fear to walk her confidently as the dog will pick up on the fact your worrying about her worrying and make her worse if you know what I mean.

My lurcher was nervous on the lead before I got him and the lad walked him on an extending lead, the day after I got him I didn't give him any attention to feed his fear and walked confidently and he's been fine ever since.

TBH there was no point in jabbing there if we weren't going anywhere. Seem to have had a breakthrough last night in garden, she suddenly went 'oh I see you want me to go where you're going eh?'..not 100% obviously but I think she's getting the idea, seems like it was a 'time' job. Thanks all of you for the input.