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November 22, 2022

My 14 week old puppy is afraid to go for walks and just tries to run back inside, how can I help her get used to being outside?

Full Question:

Hi there. My 14-week-old pitbull puppy is terrified of going for walks. She is super rambunctious inside, wanting to play and bark and run around with the other dogs, but once we try to go outside she slams on the brakes and tries to go back inside. We tried luring her with treats to help her move forward but she is just fixated on getting back in. How can I help her get used to being outside for play and walks?

Cindy's Answer:

This is a fairly common phase of puppy development at this age. I actually have a puppy right now that's just slightly older than yours and she went through the same thing. I don't force them to walk around outside or leave home but I might carry her a slight distance away, reward her and then walk back home.

Do you have a calm, confident adult dog that you can take outside with her? That helps some puppies as they will look to the older dog and follow their lead. You don't want to let them spend too much time only with the other dogs but I have a couple of older dogs that give my puppy some "emotional support" when she's feeling nervous. If I had a reactive or nervous adult dog I would NOT let my puppy spend too much time around them as they might mirror the nervous adults' behavior.

User Response:

Thanks for the reply! I do have a calm older dog who can try walking with us. I’ll give it a shot. Thanks again for the suggestions.

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