His Way Or The Highway

[Guest djenkins99]

Our 5-year-old greyhound Romeo is a very well behaved dog in all respects except when going for walks. This is important, since we don't have a fenced-in yard. And his behavior seems to be getting worse. Here's what happens:

 

We usually walk at least a mile up to 2.5 miles, depending on the weather. He starts out happily, walking next to me or slightly ahead (I mean, a foot or two), with a loose leash, and will change direction whenever I do. But about half-way through our walk, after he's relieved himself, he will eventually set his mind on going one direction, always farther away from home, and not the way I want to go. He makes this clear by looking and moving in the direction he wants to go, and refusing to follow me. Gentle pulls on the leash, commands to "come", even treats have no effect. Waiting patiently, pointed in the direction I want to go and encouraging him, also doesn't work, unless I'm willing to stand in place on the sidewalk in sub-freezing weather for at least 10 minutes, and even then there's no guarantee he'll change his mind. The only thing that seems to work is pulling him insistently, not easy to do with a 75 lb dog digging in his heels. I'm discounting health issues or cold paws (he's been checked by our vet and found to be healthy), because (as I proved today) if I eventually relent and go the way he wants he trots along perfectly happily. This has gotten to the point where no one else in the family will walk him, and frankly I'm also near the end of my rope (or leash).

 

We had a greyhound before Romeo, and she occasionally would also exhibit this stubborn side, but patience and encouragement would always win her around after a minute or so. Not so Romeo.

 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Feisty49]

First, as you probably know, don't pull too much on the leash or the collar may slip off. It can also hurt his neck.

 

My Annie did this planting frequently right after adoption and now does it occasionally. Ya gotta get his feet moving. What worked for me in the beginning was to hold her close to my knee, with the leash taut, and pushing with my knee against her shoulder, walk her in a circle and just keep on walking when the circle is complete.

 

The other thing that I did and still do now is to give her a push on her shoulder with my hand or on her sides with my thighs. Annie can get quite stubborn if she doesn't want to return home, and she knows what she's doing and she knows she can't win, but she still tries it. It's gotten so that I don't even have to give her a push. I just have too walk up to her and she -- I swear -- smiles and starts trotting.

 

It doesn't matter how you do it, but getting all the feet going is what should work, and if he gives you attitude (the first couple of times I did this with Annie she was very upset), use a firm voice and say, "Eh eh," or whatever works for you but keep on walking! Annie knows when I use the "Eh eh," thing, she's doing something she shouldn't.

Edited March 4, 2013 by Feisty49

[Guest djenkins99]

Those are great suggestions, especially the turning in a circle idea. I've tried nudging him with my hand on his shoulder, to get him pointed in the right direction, but that has had no effect--he'll just freeze once I've nudged him to go where I want. I'll try this a little more forcefully with my thighs, or the circle idea.

 

He's a very good dog in all other ways, so getting him over this bad habit is critical.

[Feisty49]

The circle walking was a suggestion from a trainer I talked to. I was so happy back then when it worked because it had reached the point where I didn't want to take her out the door!

 

Another suggestion about motivation is to make sure you are in charge of the walk. By this I mean don't slow down just because he does In the beginning I unknowingly slowed down when Annie slowed down. I learned that If she had already P&Pd, not to slow down just cause she wanted to because it usually meant she was going to plant her feet and gaze around. We do want them to be able to check pee mail, but, as is often said on this board, nothing in life is free and before he earns the privilege of stopping and sniffing, he has to prove he'll move again when you want him to. Next time you walk him, be aware of how much you do what he wants instead of the other way around.

[a_daerr]

You've gotten good advice... I just wanted to mention that since you're from the Pittsburgh area, the WPA Humane Society offers greyhound-only classes where you could work on loose-leash walking and heel. We've taken lots of classes there, and they have been great. Also, if you're interested in joining a playgroup for Pittsburgh greys, email me at alicia dot daerr at gmail dot com.

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

Have you thought about that there may be something that he doesnt like about the route you are trying to take him? Has there been an incident that would scare him, or construction, or loud noises, etc. that may be making him want to go another route? If you have had him a while and he has been fine on leash before, but now starts balking, it may be environmenal that is causing his discomfort. While I am of the mindset to keep a very short leash and keep a faster pace which wont allow him to stop, I would first take a look at the world from his eyes to see "why" he doesnt want to go on the route you have chosen.

 

Chad

[Guest djenkins99]

Hi Chad,

 

Yes, I've thought about that, and while it's impossible to know for certain what's going through that head, his reluctance to move seems more based on wanting to satisfy his curiousity to explore someplace new than fear of going someplace known. Today, for example, he refused to move going back up a street that we had happily walked down 15 minutes earlier. He's stopped 2 blocks from our house, on the same street we went past 30 minutes before. He really seems to hate going home--he'll slow to a crawl going the last 100 yds up our street, from either direction. He's like a little kid that doesn't want to come in from playing when it's past bed time. If he didn't weigh 75 lbs I'd tuck him under my arm and carry him home, like I did when my kids were little and acted this way. (Actually, I tried that last April but ended up giving myself a mild hernia and hurting my back to the point where I couldn't move for 5 days.)

[Hawthorn]

Maybe he's just trying to tell you that he'd like longer or more interesting or more varied walks? Mine are happy with a 20-30 minute walk most days, and a longer walk with the opportunity to be off-lead once a week or so, but they're older, and anyway they are all different as to the length and type of walk they prefer. Mine also prefer to go the same route every day and look at me as if I'm mad if I want to go a different route but, again, they are all different and maybe your boy would like more variety? Has he got a lot of energy? Is he generally a curious dog?

 

He's certainly trying to tell you something, that's for sure, but it can sometimes take a while to work out what it is - if only they could talk . I wouldn't necessarily view it as a "bad habit" though, more as him trying to communicate something to you - less frustration and more enlightenment that way!

 

Also, is there any reason you can think of why he wouldn't want to go home? Do you go out and leave him when he goes back home? Or shut him in a crate? Or something else he doesn't like?

[Brandiandwe]

Hawthorn beat me to it. Do you always walk the same route? And is he getting enough exercise? In the evenings we usually go the same way but mornings generally start and end the same but the majority of the walk is different each day. I have four or five different walks and then a couple of other variations on basically the same walk which we do in the mornings. The girls never know which one we're going on and it keeps them, and me, interested.

[Guest djenkins99]

I'm happy to report that turning him in a circle worked perfectly yesterday on our afternoon walk. It not only gets his feet moving, it seems to reset his brain so that whatever it was focused on before is cleared. I had to use it 5 times, but it worked every time. It's a nice, gentle way to solve the problem. A really great suggestion, I'm very grateful.

 

I do vary our routes a lot--I also like exploring the neighborhood--and usually we are out for at least 30 minutes unless the weather is really miserable. (Even he didn't object to cutting it short when the temperature was 5 above a few mornings last month.) He'll happily take the same route to the park every time--a 2.5 mile round trip--because (I'm assuming) he gets to run on the field and possibly see his dog friends.

 

When we get back home he often gets a cookie or a meal, and since I'm retired he's got free reign of the house with usually at least one other person at home, so I don't think there's anything about going home that he should dislike. He's seems to be a very curious boy who loves being outside and wants to go everywhere at once.

[Fruitycake]

Our Monty hates old routes, I think because he's already checked all the sniffs on that route and doesn't like covering the same territory. When I take the dogs on "death marches" (my husband's term for 3 hour walks that cover probably 5 miles or more), he's perfectly fine until we get within about 4 blocks of the house coming home, and then he realizes we're going back home and suddenly gets "exhausted" and slows to a crawl, appearing to have to drag himself down the sidewalk. If we turn and aim away from the house again, he speeds right back up to a happy trot and his ears come up and he gets his energy back. That's kind of what I picture with your boy.

 

I've also done the thigh-into-the-dog's-shoulder turn around thing when Monty's gotten balky. I'm glad it has worked for you as well as it has for us! I haven't found treats to do much when we're on walks because his focus is on something completely different. Although if I start the long walks before breakfast (in the heat of the summer we might start at 5:30 or 6 AM), when coming home if he puts on the breaks I have been able to get his enthusiasm up by asking if he was hungry. He knows where his "hungry" [meal] happens, and puts on a relative burst of speed home at that point!

[TINMANPDX]

Elliott likes the alley behind our house but the alley creeps me out. I will usually let him go down the alley a block to get his sniffies out, then take a turn onto the sidewalk whre the block ends. He often tries to plow right on and continue to the next alley - I literally feel him speed up and power walk it! He does this if we are going in the direction of the park near us too ... silly, hardheaded guy.

[Guest djenkins99]

Our Monty hates old routes, I think because he's already checked all the sniffs on that route and doesn't like covering the same territory. When I take the dogs on "death marches" (my husband's term for 3 hour walks that cover probably 5 miles or more), he's perfectly fine until we get within about 4 blocks of the house coming home, and then he realizes we're going back home and suddenly gets "exhausted" and slows to a crawl, appearing to have to drag himself down the sidewalk. If we turn and aim away from the house again, he speeds right back up to a happy trot and his ears come up and he gets his energy back. That's kind of what I picture with your boy.

 

I've also done the thigh-into-the-dog's-shoulder turn around thing when Monty's gotten balky. I'm glad it has worked for you as well as it has for us! I haven't found treats to do much when we're on walks because his focus is on something completely different. Although if I start the long walks before breakfast (in the heat of the summer we might start at 5:30 or 6 AM), when coming home if he puts on the breaks I have been able to get his enthusiasm up by asking if he was hungry. He knows where his "hungry" [meal] happens, and puts on a relative burst of speed home at that point!

You've given me another good suggestion. When I feed him I make him wait for a moment in one spot before I allow him to eat, but just tell him to "come". I'm going to try calling him with something like "breakfast" and see if he'll associate that word with getting fed. We also go for walks before meals, and after an hour outside he's bound to be hungry, so maybe the thought of getting his meal will get him over the last few yards on our street.