Hi,
I have a little pug who is almost 4 months old now. We live in New York City, so she is just starting to go outside now that she's had all her shots. I had been training her around the house on the leash and she has no problem with it, but when we step outside, (if she even gets that far) she puts her paws out and lies down refusing to move. I think that she is afraid, but I'm not sure how to alleviate that fear.

The first time she refused to budge, i tried dragging her, and after some dragging she'd start walking but when she reached a corner she'd stop again. She was so stubborn when we got home I saw that her hind paw was bleeding from dragging on the sidewalk (felt very guilty - no more dragging after that)

How can I best get her used to going outside for walks? Is it bad to pick her up and carry her around outside? I'm bringing her outside and just letting her sit there, giving her treats when she comes to me from the leash.

How long do these fears typically take to go away? She seems pretty stubborn <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Don't drag. Never ever ever drag.

Walk. Your pup will not walk with you, correct? Stop just so the leash is obviously tight and looks uncomfortable. Then wait. Whistle for a bit, daydream, etc., until she decides that the only way she can have a nice time is to walk beside you. When you see her walk towards you praise her, encourage her, perhaps give her some treats. Just do it each and every time she doesn't want to walk. Don't drag, just stop and let her figure it out for herself.

If she starts to pull forward I've always had success going the other way and doing the above again. Always let the dog figure it out, that way she gets to enjoy it more.

I used to do what Kay does and sometimes it works, but I usually don't have all day, so I carry or drive my dog to a park with some nice green soft grass and take my dog for walk. I calmly walk at a normal pace, looking ahead not at her, and if she doesn't walk, then she gets dragged through the nice soft grass until she decides she doesn't like to be drug. She hops a few times then will take a few steps, then hops, trys to resist and then walks again. Yeah! (Lots of praise when she walks on her own.) Be positive and don't get frustrated- but don't give in either. After about 5 minutes of hopping she's walking all by herself! No chipped, bleeding toenails.

Now that she's walking on the leash, you should take her everywhere you go so she can get socialized. It was the lack of socialization that caused this problem in the first place.
* <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />Oh yeah- you'll look and feel really wierd if you do this around other people. They'll stare and wander what your doing. Find a nice quiet place in the park. Less people and distractions also mean your dog will be less afraid and start walking on her own sooner during the training session.

Alison Voore

She's still pretty young so I would try a more motivational approach. A quiet area in the park is a good place for this. Put her down, walk to the end of the leash and call her in a happy voice. When she comes to you praise her in a happy voice and then move away again. Keep repeating this until she gets used to walking outside on a leash. If she has a favorite toy you may want to use that to tempt her to move.

I forgot to mention--if it seems like your dog is afraid, the only way you can alleviate it is with confidence. The dog looks up to you for leadership and by showing confidence you are showing him everything's alright. Petting and pampering him will only lead him to thinking it's okay to be afraid--so pet him only when he starts to show signs he's getting over his fear.