Freezing on Walks. Help!

[roisinmca]

Hi everyone,  I am having  few issues walking our new family member Rosie a gorgeous 2 year old brindle rescue girl. She keeps freezing on our walks, especially at the entrance to the development where we live. I have tried throwing treats, jollying her along, crouching to her level and stroking, reassuring her. The morning and lunch walks, I need to do between school pick ups and between sniffing every hedge and stalling, the walks are taking up most of my time. She's so chilled out at home but there are quite a few cats around (she's very reactive as was a coursing dog). It takes a long time to leave our front garden for walks too. I want to do what's best for her and want walks to be pleasurable for everyone. She was great at the meet and greet and I sense she'd like the company of another great but with 6 passengers already we'd nee a bigger car!!!!!! Any advice for Rosie would be very welcome.


Many thanks

Roisin

[Glenn]

Hi,

I had something very similar with egor when we first got him. He would really not want to walk down a certain part of the walk to the point I had to carry him one day and decided we needed to change something.

I guess u can't try walking a different way if it is near where you live but maybe try turning around and walking in the other direction and then turn back again once she's walking ok.
Make a big fuss once she has walked past theproblem section and keep really praising her while she's walking nice abd maybe a few bite size treats so she doesn't have to stop to long to eat them try something really tasty like chicken or a square of cheese.

I found it helped to train around the house too. I did a lot of recall training and other bits and pieces so we built that trust.


Egor walks fine now. Not a problem at all but it did take time. We rescued two together but only egor had the problem I think it was a confidence issue.

[roisinmca]

Thanks so much, our girl has been through so much....trainer, pound,rescued, 2 foster homes and now her forever home with us. She suffers alot from seperation anxiety too although not left alone for more than an hour or so. I will try some training techniques from the Retired Racers book I have, she has very good recall at home in the garden. I guess it's early days and alot of patience and tlc required. Thanks for taking the time to reply!

Rois xx

[Glenn]

She sounds a lot like egor. It's so worth the hard work early on. Good luck, let us know how u get on

[roisinmca]

I will do ? I'd do anything to make sure she has a full and happy life. We all adore her. Took cheese cubes on my walk last night and that worked very well! The stinky gas afterwards, not so much lol!

[roisinmca]

Sorry...icons are doing strange things. That was a smiley!