Here are 5 reasons why dogs refuse to walk

Being able to take your dog for a walk is often one of the big reasons why people get a dog. But what happens when your dog keeps stopping on walks and they quickly turn into a nightmare? Whether it’s refusing to leave the driveway or stopping throughout your route, understanding why your dog is refusing to walk will help you create a plan to change things.

1. They’re in pain or discomfort

The first thing we should always look at when a dog’s behaviour changes is the medical side. It’s a big myth that you can easily tell if your dog is in pain or discomfort. Sometimes, a change in behaviour is the only obvious sign.

Aside from the obvious things like paw injuries, pain or discomfort from conditions such as arthritis and hip dysplasia can cause a dog to stop frequently or refuse to walk at all. And yes, your dog can still run around and play, even with such conditions, as their desire to chase a ball, for example, may override any pain they’re experiencing. It’s why the likes of runners will push through the pain to make it to the end of a race.

So your first step is to visit your vet and let them know that your dog keeps stopping on walks. They can then rule out any medical causes or contributors before you start any form of training.

It’s also helpful to film your dog on walks and while moving around the house so your vet can see how they usually move. Many dogs behave differently in the clinic, making it difficult for vets to assess what may be going on.

Also think about what your dog is wearing on walks. If they run away when you bring their collar or harness out or flinch when you put it on, there’s a good chance they may not be comfortable in it. That discomfort may then contribute to them stopping on walks.

Finally, consider the weather. Is it too cold? Too hot? Too wet? Too windy? All of these things can affect dogs.

2. They’re scared

Fear is another significant reason why dogs might stop walking and this can be linked to pain or discomfort. For example, if your dog experienced something painful like a twinge on a particular part of your walk, they may then associate this location with pain and develop a fear of pain. For some dogs, this can start branching out to wider and wider areas with them potentially refusing to turn past a certain point as they’re approaching the previously painful area. The pain may no longer be present but it’s hard to tell the brain it won’t happen again!

Similarly, if they experienced something scary on a walk, they can develop a negative association with that place or with the outside world in general. This could have been a frightening encounter with another dog or a loud noise.

For younger dogs like puppies, the outside world is an unfamiliar place so it can take some time for them to realise it’s not a threat. With these dogs, you’ll want to take things nicely and slowly, let them watch the world go by from a place where they’re comfortable, reward any bravery or curiosity they show, and play fun games outside. Over time, they’ll often develop the confidence to start branching out further.

With older dogs who may be showing signs of fear, it’s best to work with a behaviourist who can devise a personalised desensitisation and counter-conditioning plan to gradually expose your dog to their fear triggers and create strong positive associations with them over time.

3. They’re anxious

Fear and anxiety are often related but are two different emotions. Fear is a response to a particular trigger, such as if your dog shies away from a loud vehicle driving past. Anxiety is anticipating that something bad is going to happen.

We can see this in dogs who may be vigilant on walks, always looking, listening and smelling for potential threats – even when there’s nothing there. (Remember though that we may not be able to detect a trigger or think something is a big deal. However, our dogs can smell and hear different things to us and will decide if they think something is worrying or not.)

Sometimes, dogs can develop anxiety if they have a fear of something unpredictable like loud noises. Or they may show signs of being anxious if they have never experienced something before and are being thrown in at the deep end – for example, our dogs adopted from abroad who have never lived in a house or been on a walk on a lead before. Finally, some dogs can be anxious when away from a particular person. So if the behaviour is only happening with one particular person, then that may be a factor to consider.

4. They’ve learnt that stopping gets them what they want

Firstly, this doesn’t mean your dog is “stubborn”. It just means that we may accidentally have rewarded (or reinforced) our dogs for stopping and they have learnt that stopping is a behaviour that predicts a particular outcome.

We may see this where dogs prefer walking a particular route because it leads to the park and they get to have more fun there. Or maybe they found something amazing down a road one time and want to check if they’ll find it again. If every time they stop, you then direct the walk to that more fun place, you may have created an accidental behaviour chain.

We can also see this where a dog doesn’t get much interaction with their owner other than on walks. If their owner then fusses them and gives them lots of nice things when they stop, they may learn that they get the attention they’re craving by stopping.

With cases like this, it’s important to try to create a routine that meets your dog’s needs. You can make street walks more fun by playing sniffing games during them and ensure that you give your dog attention at other times of day so the chain is broken. Many people assume this is the reason their dog is stopping on walks. But it’s often more complex than that so working with a behaviourist who can assess what’s going on is a good first step.

5. They’re tired

A really simple one but if your dog is tired, they may not want to walk any further. Again, this can more commonly occur with puppies or elderly dogs. So be prepared to carry them if they’re young and small enough, use a dog carrier or dog pram if needed, or plan your walking route to avoid such fatigue.

How to help your dog keep walking

There’s no one size fits all for dogs who keep stopping on walks. Every dog will require a different plan. But here are some tips to help get you started:

🐶 Visit your vet: With any behaviour change, you need to rule out medical causes or contributors before doing anything else. If something is going on inside your dog’s body and it’s not identified, you will struggle to see progress and potentially make the problem worse in the long run.

🐶 Ensure their walking equipment is comfortable: With puppies or new rescue dogs, spend some time building positive associations with things they’re going to wear on walks. Avoid anything that restricts your dog’s movement or is designed to tighten, such as no pull harnesses, prong collars and slip leads.

🐶 Keep a diary: If you’re struggling to figure out why your dog is behaving in a certain way, keeping a diary can help you and any professionals you work with determine any patterns.

🐶 Avoid exposing them to things they’re scared of: The more you keep putting them in scary situations, the more any fear or anxiety may be strengthened. While you’re waiting to work with a behaviourist, find less stressful places or times to walk your dog. You can even skip walks on some days and play games indoors instead.

🐶 Find things that they love: Whether you work with a professional or are going it alone, understanding what your dog loves will help you figure out what you can use to help create more positive associations and help them feel more comfortable in the outside world. So have fun and experiment at home!