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Used to love walks, but now refuses


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Hey folks. I've had my guy for over a year now. Our routine would be we would go out for a walk in the morning before breakfast and we'd get most of activity for the day. However, recently we moved and we're in a new home in a new city. These days whenever I go on walks he goes out and goes for about a block, goes potty, and then decides he's done walking. He just stops and tries to turn around and go home. It's not a complete "statue" but he will flat out refuse to walk a foot further and goes in the direction back home.

I've tried to get him to walk more but he just won't move an inch. He just demands to go home and eat and lay down and there's nothing i can do short of dragging him (which I won't do). He's having trouble hitting his daily exercise goal because of this now.

Any tips on getting him to actually walk again?

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My first thought is a vet check. Maybe he’s in pain. Secondly, new home, new city, new sights, sounds and smells. Give your guy some time to adapt to his new surroundings.  Baby steps. 

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Seems he is equating walk + reverse course = reward of food waiting for me at home.

Have you tried letting him eat first, then go for a walk?  Do you have a fenced yard where he could do his morning potty? Then he could eat and go for the walk.

 

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I would give him time.  I would encourage him to continue walking, but if he doesn't want to I wouldn't force it - everything in the area is new to him and he needs to adjust.

I had something similar happen with my boy and in a little time he started walking our full walks again.

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27 minutes ago, macoduck said:

Seems he is equating walk + reverse course = reward of food waiting for me at home.

Have you tried letting him eat first, then go for a walk?  Do you have a fenced yard where he could do his morning potty? Then he could eat and go for the walk.

I think that's exactly it! He's smart and not only does he know where home is, but he knows that going there right after potty will get him fed.

I'm getting a fence put in this week which is exciting, it'll be his first time with a fence and a yard. The problem is after he eats he really doesn't want to go for a walk, he just wants to lay down for a nap.

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As phall says "give him time." In his eyes it's another big change, the same as coming off the track and starting life as a pet. Try and keep his routine the same as before and he'll come around. It took my Grace a few months to be able to walk wherever I wanted but even now occasionally she won't turn left out of the dive or cross a road that she did the day before. That's greyhounds for you

Grace (Ardera Coleen) b. 18 June 2014 - Gotcha Day 10 June 2018 - Going grey gracefully
Guinness (Antigua Rum) b. 3 September 2017 - Gotcha Day 18 March 2022 - A gentleman most of the time

 

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I would say pain is happening now for some reason when he goes on  his walks. Check for corns etc. Something is occurring or has occurred-maybe even stress or psychological- but something has happened to make him change his mind like that. Could even be back pain. Dogs can be very good at hiding pain up to a point. JMO.

Edited by racindog
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Mine did the same thing when we first moved, turns out he doesn't like the new walking surface, we don't have side walks in our new neighborhood so we have to walk on the road which is sharp and pebbly. We now walk downtown close to my office (he comes to work with me). 

Maybe the walking surface is uncomfortable? 

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