Is your dog pulling on leash? They just freeze to one place at times and cannot be moved at all. This can happen due to very many reasons. But, this situation requires your patience, love, empathy, and compassion. Let’s find out more about why dogs do this.
Safety of Home
We all like to feel safe and comfortable at home; your dog too. In the case of puppies, it is a genetic safety measure to stop them from wandering off. With age, they feel more comfortable about going farther from their home. So, if your small puppy is pulling on leash and not willing to move further, this might just go away as they grow up. Another problem could be the leash. Gradually, your puppy will get used to it, but leash might feel like a problem initially.
Mental Health Needs Help
Just like us, dogs have different personalities, and some are sensitive too. Especially puppies, out of fear from new things (which can be scary too in their mind), start pulling on the leash. It is sad that we cannot understand them in words, but we can try to understand their troubles. Stress and anxiety happen to them as well. As they remain children throughout their short lifetime, it is easy to guess what all troubles a child may feel.
Some Dogs Like Long Walks
Walking is the highlight of their day, especially in a green park. They just want to stay outside as much as they can. So, when they sense that the walk may just end, they put a break and freeze to a place as a sign that they don’t want to go back home.
Wrong Training
If you occasionally treat your dog during the walk and someday you don’t have treats with you, but your dog wants it: Your dog will stop, and won’t move until you give him/her the treat. This may not happen with all the dogs always, but you never know. There might be more wrong training like this that you can figure out to control this situation. But once the wrong training is given, it is difficult to reverse it.
Physical Problems
Dogs cannot tell in words about their pains and other discomforts. If they are pulling on the leash or stopping to walk in the middle, this could happen because of sore hips, backs, or muscles. If you suspect pain as a possibility, visit a vet. Larger dogs feel an increase in pain while walking. Some dogs might feel uncomfortable about the harness. Fitting of the harness may go or it might be scratching at the sensitive areas such as armpits. Experiment with harness versus collar and try to find out which one feels better. In other situations, it could be a broken nail, burned paw, too hot or cold surface, or something like that.
Superstitions
This might sound funny, but dogs are superstitious too. If your dog is stopping at the same place every day, it could be possible that they are hoping for something magical to happen. It could be a half-eaten tasty cookie they found magically the other day exactly at this place. Magic can happen again.
Favorite Location
Sometimes they like certain areas to sit and spend time in, unfortunately they can’t say it aloud. So, they just stop or pull on the leash. Try to understand them. Sometimes they get swayed away with fragrance or birds or something like that. In some circumstances, they just want to meet another dog or person standing by, and won’t move until allowed to do so.
Some Dogs Hate Walk
Yes, it is true. You cannot force them, but you can lure them with a treat after the walk is over, so that they show interest in walking everyday. Also, try to keep the walk short, so that they don’t have to endure the suffering for too long. Sometimes, dogs are just tired; especially if they played or exercised too much before the walk.
Things To Do When Dog Is Pulling On Leash
- As you cannot have any conversation with them, start thinking like a detective. Observe their every move and find out what is happening exactly.
- Show more love to your dog, try to make him/her comfortable. If the problem is fear of the new surroundings, this will go away.
- Change the walking route, duration, etc. Maybe, they just want some change.
- Try luring with treats after they finish a walk.
- Just leave your dog where they are. You need a trustworthy person to try this, so they can look after the dog while you are leaving. Once your dog sees you leaving, it motivates them to come along.
How DuePet Mobile App Can Help
If your dog stops moving or pulls on leash every other day, you may consider making a record of the location, surroundings (if there is a particular dog, squirrel, bush, or anything like that where the dog stops), walking speed, number of pauses, etc. All these records can be maintained through DuePet mobile app.
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If you doubt that the dog is over-exercised, use the exercise tracker of the app and start tracking your dog’s exercise everyday with different intensities. You may figure out exactly how much exercise is comfortable for your dog.
There are many features in the DuePet app. Go through these features and find out yourself which one is suitable for your dog.
FAQs
Examine your dog carefully. If you don’t find any issue with nails or paws, just show them a treat in the direction that you want to move and treat them after the end of the walk.
Discomfort or stress in the present environment mostly causes this.
No, you should never drag or pick up the dog. Make sure that your dog doesn’t learn any wrong habit and then think of other creative ways to move ahead.
