Why does my dog dislike walks?

[Lisa]

Dear Trish:

We have 2, 7 year old German Shephards and live on a quiet, dead end street. One of them (Lucy) will only leave the house if EVERYONE is going and even then, she pulls on the leash to go home. She's only happy if she can walk along off leash. She never runs away, but doesn't always keep up. Our neighbors aren't thrilled about an off leash German Shepard. The only way to get Lucy to walk on leash is to drive away her from our neighborhood for the walk. What's up with that?

Thanks!

Lisa

[Trish McMillan]

Hi Lisa,

I have no idea why Lucy doesn't like walks - have you had her since she was a puppy and did you take her to puppy classes and socialize her well? Have you ever had a trainer come and check this out in person? What kind of walking equipment have you tried on her?

When she's on a leash, does she panic and try to back out of the collar or is she just gently pulling back toward the house? Does she seem fearful of noises in general or while outside? Will she take treats when she's outside? Are there any toys she likes to play with outside?

In order to give more concrete advice, I'd have to know a lot more about this dog- this behavior could have many causes and solutions. All behavior can be improved though, so this one might be worth getting a trainer out to help with.

Trish