# Stressed out walking the neighborhood



## Bigbark (Jan 9, 2021)

Is it possible that Remy just doesn’t like walkies? I have never pulled him or forced him to do anything on a walk, but he just seems so stressed out and it’s getting worse. He runs away when I get out his harness - a nicely fitting step-in since he also ran from the over the head type. Now he’s so stressed that he won’t even take treats on our walks. He doesn’t seemed bothered by passing cars, but whines at people and dogs.

I live in a suburb and there are always people out walking dogs, pushing strollers etc. Ironically, he walks pretty well on a leash. I taught him to heel off leash in our backyard so he doesn’t really pull much and he stays on my left side. I’ve tried using toys, letting him dictate the walk, and keeping it short - nothing has worked and now even high value treats have stopped working. He’s not interested.

In the house and backyard he is just the sweetest dog. I’m hoping for lots of fun adventures together, but he jseems stressed whenever we step out the front door. Any Ideas on how to help my sweet little guy?


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Didn't you have some earlier issues with Remy hating car rides too? I wonder if Remy is the kind of dog who is slow to warm up to new things and easily overwhelmed. What if you were to abandon walks for a couple weeks? Instead just practice fun obedience games twice a day in the front yard?

Something also to be careful of is how you put the harness on. Some dogs, especially when suffering from an ear infection, hate having straps dragged over their ears. They run away when they see the harness because they don't want you grabbing their head. Try using a buckle collar instead if the dog has become headshy.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

cowpony said:


> Try using a buckle collar instea


Collars are bad for toys. I think Remy is a toy ?

Have you tried a step-in harness ? I agree taking a break for a few days would be a good idea. When I got Merlin (he was 16 months old and had never been walked), he was very afraid of walks at first. I would only go a few dozens feet and come back. Then do the same the next day and slowly increase.

At first I would go where there were nobody around, and then slowly I went to places a little more busy, and went from there. As you see, slow is the way to go with fearful dogs. Merlin would not take treats either. He still doesn’t in s lot of situation. Fearful dogs won’t take treats when stressed. But the sound of a happy voice giving encouragement will help.

Take your time with Remy and he will thank you for it.


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## Bigbark (Jan 9, 2021)

Cowpony, I think you may have hit the nail on the head. He is (hopefully) just getting over an ear infection. I now use a step-in harness, but he's always been afraid of the leash touching his head, so that could be part of it. I've thought of getting him a martingale collar, but I've already gotten him six harnesses, each different, and he's hated them all!

I think you are right about backing off of walks for a couple of weeks. If I do that, I will only need to put his harness on to take him to the vet and to his training classes. I somehow feel that his hatred of the harness/car/walkies are all tied together. He still doesn't like the car, but he isn't throwing up anymore and seems to tolerate going for car rides. I think I'll try sticking to training sessions without walks, and then hopefully go back to walks in a couple of weeks.

I've been pretty down about this. I love him to pieces and want to take him everywhere - but I want him to be happy. Hopefully, he'll get over this. Thanks for the good advice.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Reminds me of a great SpiritDog post I saw a while back. Not sure if the Facebook link will work:




__ https://www.facebook.com/



Here’s a screenshot, just in case:


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## Bigbark (Jan 9, 2021)

Dechi said:


> Collars are bad for toys. I think Remy is a toy ?
> 
> Have you tried a step-in harness ? I agree taking a break for a few days would be a good idea. When I got Merlin (he was 16 months old and had never been walked), he was very afraid of walks at first. I would only go a few dozens feet and come back. Then do the same the next day and slowly increase.
> 
> ...


Thank you! Remy is a mini and we use a step in harness. Next week, we start training at a new school with smaller classes. Hopefully, his new trainer can help him with some of his anxieties. Its just heart breaking when he won't even take a treat on our walks - not even lamb lung!


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## Bigbark (Jan 9, 2021)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Reminds me of a great SpiritDog post I saw a while back. Not sure if the Facebook link will work:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## buddyrose (Jul 27, 2011)

Bigbark said:


> Cowpony, I think you may have hit the nail on the head. He is (hopefully) just getting over an ear infection. I now use a step-in harness, but he's always been afraid of the leash touching his head, so that could be part of it. I've thought of getting him a martingale collar, but I've already gotten him six harnesses, each different, and he's hated them all!
> 
> I think you are right about backing off of walks for a couple of weeks. If I do that, I will only need to put his harness on to take him to the vet and to his training classes. I somehow feel that his hatred of the harness/car/walkies are all tied together. He still doesn't like the car, but he isn't throwing up anymore and seems to tolerate going for car rides. I think I'll try sticking to training sessions without walks, and then hopefully go back to walks in a couple of weeks.
> 
> I've been pretty down about this. I love him to pieces and want to take him everywhere - but I want him to be happy. Hopefully, he'll get over this. Thanks for the good advice.


Both of my toys LOVE their booster car seat. Even though it's padded, I got a round cat bed and put it in. Both my prior and current toy curl up with their head on the bolstered sides and just doze off. You could try that to see if it makes the car ride more bearable. Parents do that for crying babies ... take 'em in a car in their car seat. Soothing. 

My new toy is afraid of dogs. I pick her right up. Maybe carry him & walk him when it's more quiet. If people/dogs approach, pick him right up.
Beginnings are hard. Everything is new and scary.


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## Bigbark (Jan 9, 2021)

buddyrose said:


> Both of my toys LOVE their booster car seat. Even though it's padded, I got a round cat bed and put it in. Both my prior and current toy curl up with their head on the bolstered sides and just doze off. You could try that to see if it makes the car ride more bearable. Parents do that for crying babies ... take 'em in a car in their car seat. Soothing.
> 
> My new toy is afraid of dogs. I pick her right up. Maybe carry him & walk him when it's more quiet. If people/dogs approach, pick him right up.
> Beginnings are hard. Everything is new and scary.


Oddly enough, he seems to really like to meet other dogs. He’s very social, even with big dogs. That’s why this whole thing is so confusing.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Bigbark said:


> Oddly enough, he seems to really like to meet other dogs. He’s very social, even with big dogs. That’s why this whole thing is so confusing.


Even at over a year in age, and even as a spoo, Galen gets a bit spooked when he has poor sight lines on walks. There's one stretch of road where the yards on either side are wooded. Galen insists on walking right down the middle of the road there, even though we have enough room to walk on the edge. He acts as though he expects something to leap out of the shrubbery at him. We have enough wildlife in our area that I'm not going to ignore his concern; his nose is better than mine. Do you notice your dog is more worried in certain landscapes?


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## Bigbark (Jan 9, 2021)

cowpony said:


> Even at over a year in age, and even as a spoo, Galen gets a bit spooked when he has poor sight lines on walks. There's one stretch of road where the yards on either side are wooded. Galen insists on walking right down the middle of the road there, even though we have enough room to walk on the edge. He acts as though he expects something to leap out of the shrubbery at him. We have enough wildlife in our area that I'm not going to ignore his concern; his nose is better than mine. Do you notice your dog is more worried in certain landscapes?


It’s hard to say with Remy. He doesn’t bark much on walks, but he whines and stops walking when we see people or other dogs. Does that mean he is curious? We don’t walk him on the golf course in the summer, but in late winter and early spring, he seemed to enjoy walking there. Strangest of all, we took him to a nearby town with lots of people, cars, etc and he seemed to like it! He did a lot of sniffing and seemed eager to explore. What do I make of that? Is it possible that he just hates all of his harnesses and his leash?

Tonight he has his training class so we’ll see how he does. Other than that, we are not going to go for walks in the neighborhood for at least the next 2 weeks.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Bigbark said:


> He doesn’t bark much on walks, but he whines and stops walking when we see people or other dogs


Curiosity and fear are not mutually exclusive. I will step out my door to look at a coyote in my yard. You can bet I'd retreat back inside my house if that coyote started walking towards me, however.


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## Bigbark (Jan 9, 2021)

cowpony said:


> Curiosity and fear are not mutually exclusive. I will step out my door to look at a coyote in my yard. You can bet I'd retreat back inside my house if that coyote started walking towards me, however.


Again, I think you nailed it!


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