Dog won't go out, have to drag

[dkreifus]

My dog has developed a laziness that I haven't imagined. He's never been a 'fetch' type of puppy, but this is just insane.  All he wants to do is lay around all day, be it on his bed or in the office. (both upstairs). He doesn't want to go out. Unless he's been crated or alone for a while, he refuses to go out.

As soon as I pick up the leash, he tries to hide. If he doesn't hide and I get him near the door and its open, he won't go out. And if we do get outside from a gentle nudge, he turns around and sits by the door to go in.

If I can pull him off the stoop, he pulls with all his might to go back to the door. I sometimes pick him up and drag or carry him a few feet. He'll take a few steps and then pull back.

I usually hold firm, letting him pull, but hes stubborn.(Imagine that). We'll get a bit of distance and sometimes he'll actually pee or poop.

For the last 2 weekday mornings, he refused to poop outside, then as soon as I leave for the day, we have a dogwalker come not even 3 hours later, and theres a mess in the crate.

After being asleep all night, I tried to take him out at 4:30 this morning. He fought the whole way, finally peed, and we went back in.

I'm lost and just getting frustrated.  Help!

[Susan & the bullies]

I feel your pain. When I take out my trio's harnesses for a walk they run and hide and look completely woeful.  It's typical.  I would make sure nothing is scaring him out there like a neighborhood kid or something.  Then I would cut up some Vienna sausages or some other treat he really flips over and keep them in a baggy in the fridge...bring out the bag and playfully call his name.  coax him outside with treats and make sure it is fun for him.  It might help !!! (but I'm not promising!!!)

[dkreifus]

You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that its not usual.This morning I had myself convinced that I shouldn't be a dog owner if my own dog doesn't even want to go out. I love Shaka, but he makes me doubt myself alot.

He is very stubborn with treats. If he is pissy, even his favorite treats are rejected.I'll try the vienna sausages. I have a feeling they'll go over well.

Thank you very much

[emmabull]

Emma Jean has displayed the same behavior since she was a small puppy. It is slowly getting worse. If it's dark out she will flat out refuse to move on the side walk. To get her started I throw treats in front of her. Once we get past a few houses she will start to walk. Sometimes I carry her for a while. I never have an issue with her walking back home it's just getting her moving. Sometimes I think she is just trying to control ME. She hides when she sees the leash. I will call out "I am going for a walk". I go outside and peek back in the window and she is always sitting at the door ready to go. But then she will not move after I get her outside. If I run with her she does better for some reason.

[DaBabaDoo]

I'm no expert, mind you, but I've heard that dogs can suffer from some of the same emotional disruptions as humans.  One in particular that dogs in studies have shown signs of is agoraphobia: fear of the outdoors.  Well, actually, it is a paranoid fear of being set out of place of comfortableness, and it does affect dogs especially if they have experienced something outdoors that may have distressed them during the "fear-stage" of puppyhood.  That's a natural phase that puppies go through when they start to explore the new world outside of their nest and their mother.  Things that would not seem unusual to us may seem extreme and scary to a puppy during this phase, and if they do not learn to overcome their fears, it will eventually manifest itself as an all-out paranoia. 

I don't think this is a qualified/validated study, but here's one website I found just with a quick google search...

http://www.seefido.com/dog-behavior/html/agoraphobia_.html

[ksdstny]

well i'm going to say.............be careful what you wish for.

i had same issues with harlow when she was little. i'd get a wooden spoon with peanut butter to coax her down the block. i'd even walk an EMPTY baby stroller since she moved better with it. i just kept going and now we walk 2 miles a day and she's had two leg surgeries. you'd never know it. she looks fabulous. she has always been mellow and loves to lay around but goes berserk if she sees a ball.

STEELER is the complete opposite from you're pup. he's 7 months old and full of piss n vinegar. he NEVER stops moving unless he's in his crate. he is really needy (and i dont mean that negatively, just who he is at the moment) will sit on my feet when i'm cooking. my calm house is a zoo. we are working with a trainer to defuse his RUDE behavior, lol)

they are who they are and we need either look at it as a challenge or a bother, it takes constant repetition to enforce a behavior and some just dont change. whats that they say about ............acceptance. they love us just the way we are, flawed and all so i look at it as i can work to shape his behavior as much as i can while not changing who he is. and bad n all he's my big ole lover boy.

good luck.

[dkreifus]

I appreciate everyones feedback. Sometimes it takes a bit of luring and he'll walk..sometimes it takes a bit of pulling, and he'll walk.

But the problem for me mostly is the bathroom issue. He won't go, and then he'll make a mess in the crate. Last week, I tried to walk him at 6:15 and he refused. So I left for work and the dog walker came at 9:30 (I called to have it bumped up) and there was a mess in the crate.

So I'm having my walker come asap this morning, but still...I'm at a loss as what to do.

[MissMolly]

I know when training you are not suppose to make it play time outside but it sounds like your having a real difficult time with getting her to go potty.  So I would actually try bringing a ball or squeaker out and get her to chase it a little.  Movement like that will stimulate her to pee/poo.  At times over the years when Molly has gotten that stubburn streak going for some reason I've done it and it works.

Also when we met with a trainer a couple times and she didn't want to walk while in training the trainer pulled out a little squeaky (they make little, little ones just for training) and it perked her up and she would walk.

[dkreifus]

I'll have to try that next. I had some grilled chicken,  but shaka actually spit it out when I tried to praise him. He's a very stubborn dog, with a heck of a personality.

I walked a couple laps around our block of townhomes, and as soon as we're in the back, close to the house, he starts pulling like his life depends on being on the nice warm blanket in the house.

[chuckandcharleen]

Sorry your dog is so stubborn.  Our Bubba loves to be outside (weather permiting)  We are getting spring like conditions here in NH and he would rather hang out outside in the sun.  The only time he doesn't like to go out is if it is raining, but if he really has "to go" he will.  Best of luck to you!

[dkreifus]

Thats the weird thing. Maybe it is weather related. Yesterday afternoon, I took him out. He lay on his back in the grass and was great. But when it came time to walk...no go.

[Susan & the bullies]

I've had to pick Violet up and carry her out to the pee patch many times. She will NOT go out and I know based on water intake and timing that she needs to go.  It usually doesn't work. She'll stand there and look at me but not pee. The only thing that works for me when she will not come out is to bring a yummy for her but she is very food motivated (obsessed  ) so it works in our case. 

I have spent untold weeks of my life (if you add it up) standing and begging, pleading, waiting for her to pee in rain, sun, snow, heat waves--   a lone woman willing her dog to urinate. I have cheered like a lunatic. I have scolded, praised and everything in between.  AND I still love the stubborn little bugger!!!! 

[stoney6]

I know exactly what you're going through!!!    We have had our dog for 6 months now and it has only got worse. It's so bad that my husband tells me on a daily basis, "GET RID OF THE DOG!" I don't know what to do. She can not be coaxed with food or toys. It's like she has blinders on when she goes out. She won't listen to anything we say and only cares about getting back to the house. She's pulled so hard that she's choked herself. Her eyes bulge out, her tongue turns purple and she starts foaming at the mouth. The only way to stop it is to let her off the leash. But I'm so afraid she'll get hit by a car. We are just at a loss. It's a daily battle. No one really understands how bad it is. You can not stop her from pulling. We've even tried a prong collar. Didn't phase her a bit. So if you find the solution please help me too. 

[dkreifus]

Hi Stoney...some insight.... I've had a lot in the last few days, and in general. I'm sure much of this applies to all dogs, but I'm gonna refer specifically to bulldogs.

They have to want to do something. And pulling/dragging/etc doesn't work. My dog has no problems going out 90 min later when my dogwalker takes him out. He may just not have been ready.

If he has just woken up, like the case with Shaka, he may not be ready to go out. He may be sleepy, so now I am going to walk him immediately when waking up, then if he doesn't go, I'll try again before I leave for work.

Dogs can sense our emotions. Unfortunately for someone like me, I get frustrated and irritated and Shaka senses it. My wife, not so much. So she has a better ability to draw him out.

I suggest reading "The Loved Dog". Its excellent for dog training. My failing was not sticking to it. Also, a trainer may help. It did for us, for the most part. The trick is to stick to the training, both human and dog.

Lastly, and this one is important...dogs only know the response to their last action. So if you find a mess in the morning, and you yell at them, they won't know why you're yelling. It has to be mid action. So, don't response to the mess they make in the house.  Just praise when they do good.

I know its tough. My dog isn't bribed by food or play things...but we can get through it.

[DwightsMom]

Oh man! I know exactly how you feel. Dwight HATED to go outside when he was a puppy. I tried a million things - all of which have already been suggested. In the end, it was a battle of wills. I eventually won, but it wasn't easy...Good luck to you and keep us posted. Ellen