My pup who has just turned 4 months has begun to just plop down on other peoples yards while we are out on walks. Usually, he finds something like a stick, or some bark and wants to lie down and chew on it.

I've been letting him do it because I didn't want to over exercise him, but now I don't believe it's because he is tired. Rather, he is just not that in to going on walks. It seems like he would rather just play in the yard instead.

On a similar note, we've been giving him more supervised out of crate time and he has, consequently, developed a habit of lying down (almost in protest) when it is time to put him in the crate. I have to coerce him with treats, pop him with a leash (flat collar), or sometimes I have to pick him up. I am wondering if this habit is going to get worse and become a struggle when he gets bigger.

Any thoughts?

How long are your walks? When Krieger was about that age he wanted to pick up everything but I don't recall him actually wanting to lay down with it. He just wanted to carry it with him.

They vary from 3-4 blocks to a mile or so, but he has started doing this on short walks, or right at the beginning of a walk. There are different reasons as well. The first house we pass is my neighbors who have a 5 month pitbull pup that he likes to play with so he will stop and whine and want to go play with him. Once I get him to come along he will do it again a block or 2 later.

It could be a heat thing as well. As it is starting to hit in the 80s here in LA county. And this started just as it started to get warmer? But most of our walks are well shaded by trees. The spot he picks to laydown is alway in the shade and never in the sun, but low 80s is not that hot!!

He also likes to pick things up and trot off with them. He starts to trot with ears back and head held high and proud. He loves to play keep away with anything he finds, but I have been discouraging that because I am worried it will lead to recall problems.

What breed is your puppy? I ask because he may be already testing you at only 4 months. My male akita was already trying to be boss at that age. As far as the crate goes the treats are a good idea, it keeps things positive. One trick that worked for me was I would play with my pup by throwing one of her favorite toys in her crate and let her go in and get it and bring it out. Then at night or in the morinng I would toss the toy in and shut the gate behind her. This kept the crate a positive exp. When I would throw the toy in I would say "go in your crate" now I don't have to do that trick..I just say go in your crate and she goes in. I make sure to praise her everytime. Your walking issue sounds like your pup is trying to tell you what to do and giving in and letting him win unfortunately I think will pro long the problem. If just pulling doesn't remedy the situation you might want to try something similar to what I recommended for the crate. If he loves chewing on sticks I would keep a little stick in your pocket and when he plops down show him the stick to coax him to get up and keep walking....my akita tried the same stuff but just pulling him until he walked corrected that problem for me.

He's a German working line GSD. I'll try those suggestions. He's crazy about sticks so that will probably work well.

I play games where I tell him crate and he runs in and then I give him a treat and make him stay in there until I say OK. He loves it, but somehow seems to sense when I want to put him in the crate and keep him in their.

You always hear advice about how if you introduce your dog to a crate at an early age (which I did) that he will love it and often want to go there to relax, rest, etc. I can say that is not so for my pup. He tolerates it and doesn't whine, but he would still always rather be out of the crate.

Guess I have to just keep working on him.

I agree with you Matt. I have crate trained every dog I have ever owned from day one and they all end up tolerating it and not whining but I've never had one that has just taken it upon themselves to go in there on their own when they could be outside instead. When my male Akita was around the same age of yours he would also start to sense when it was time to go in at night and wouldn't get up. Sometimes I would be pushing him across the kitchen floor to get him in there. By the time I would get to the crate I would have tears in my eyes from laughing so hysterically because he would just be like dead weight. He definitely knew what he was doing!! lolol