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Dog problems

JRogers

talks too much
Mar 19, 2002
3,785
1
Claremont, CA
So, my dog turned into a douche. Basically, he often wants to go only one particular way during walks. He'll just stop (usually at intersections, but not always) and usually not move unless you physically force him by pulling the leash or you go the way he wants. Once in a while, he just sits down, but usually just stops standing up.

This is a relatively new thing. He's about 4 years old and used to do this once in a while (not nearly every walk) a few months ago. Since then, we moved to a different house in the same town and he now does it constantly. Sometimes things like luring him with a treat or acting really excited or getting on his level and calling him or making him look you in the eye or letting him sniff something or pee will work- but often those do not snap him out of it and he just sits there indefinitely. It has nothing to do with being in an unfamiliar area (he does it more now than when we moved here; seems to go through phases or bouts of it) or being tired. We can find no overall reason or pattern to when he does this. It could be right outside the house or 2 miles away.

This annoys the crap out of me and my wife. I try not to pull him along with force- first because that isn't a good idea for training or walking and second because he's an Akita and very strong at around 100 lbs. I really like walking him around the neighborhood for around 1-2 hours at a time and this is a huge pain. We've looked around and tried different things and nothing has worked so far. It might be easier if I didn't kind of acquire this dog through marriage...

Any ideas?
 

daisycutter

Turbo Monkey
Apr 8, 2006
1,651
124
New York City
Don't feed him very much so when he goes on walks he is hungry, bring treats and reward good behavior. If he refuses to move take out that bacon and egg sandwich and eat it in front of him.
 

HardtailHack

used an iron once
Jan 20, 2009
6,637
5,453
Divorce?

My sisters dog is a rat like creature and it does the same and a friend had a Cattle Dog that did exactly what your dog was doing but got more and more picky as time went on. It ended up only walking in a counter clockwise direction and would at times just lay flat on the ground then bolt for home, it ended up going to a farmer as it got a bit crazy, pretty sure the farmer would have ended up shooting it.

Have you tried walking it whilst on the bike? Maybe some speed would make the dog forget what it has been doing previously. Someone on here will no doubt be a dog whisperer so you should get some better answers than mine, my dog barked at every visitor we ever had, he knew he was doing the wrong thing but I couldn't stop him he would just hide and let out a muffled bark, bastard!
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,241
20,023
Sleazattle
What kind of dog is it? This does not sound normal, I agree with the vet visit, might be a health issue. My pup goes in any direction I point him with extreme enthusiasm. Even at 12 y/o his biggest problem is extreme enthusiasm .
 

dan-o

Turbo Monkey
Jun 30, 2004
6,499
2,805
Vet visit aside, try one of the muzzle leads (Gentle Leader, or something like that).
Works like a horse halter, isnt a 'muzzle' like you would use for an aggressive dog.
I demo'd one on my shepherd, who's way to strong for my kids to walk, and my 5yo could walk her easily with it.
 

kickstand

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2009
3,441
392
Fenton, MI
So, my dog turned into a douche. Basically, he often wants to go only one particular way during walks. He'll just stop (usually at intersections, but not always) and usually not move unless you physically force him by pulling the leash or you go the way he wants. Once in a while, he just sits down, but usually just stops standing up.

This is a relatively new thing. He's about 4 years old and used to do this once in a while (not nearly every walk) a few months ago. Since then, we moved to a different house in the same town and he now does it constantly. Sometimes things like luring him with a treat or acting really excited or getting on his level and calling him or making him look you in the eye or letting him sniff something or pee will work- but often those do not snap him out of it and he just sits there indefinitely. It has nothing to do with being in an unfamiliar area (he does it more now than when we moved here; seems to go through phases or bouts of it) or being tired. We can find no overall reason or pattern to when he does this. It could be right outside the house or 2 miles away.

This annoys the crap out of me and my wife. I try not to pull him along with force- first because that isn't a good idea for training or walking and second because he's an Akita and very strong at around 100 lbs. I really like walking him around the neighborhood for around 1-2 hours at a time and this is a huge pain. We've looked around and tried different things and nothing has worked so far. It might be easier if I didn't kind of acquire this dog through marriage...

Any ideas?
[/U]What kind of dog is it? This does not sound normal, I agree with the vet visit, might be a health issue. My pup goes in any direction I point him with extreme enthusiasm. Even at 12 y/o his biggest problem is extreme enthusiasm .


sometimes I find that reading is difficult as well.

Akita are a very strong willed breed. You say you aquired this dog through marriage and he has also recently moved to a new house?

Sounds to me like the dog doesn't respect you and you have not shown him who the pack leader is.
 

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
Don't feed him very much so when he goes on walks he is hungry, bring treats and reward good behavior. .

This...... take the dog for a walk before you feed.... as in feed twice a day, only enough that they can finish their food in about five mintues or less.... Feed in the morning.... later take for a run, wait a good half hour to fourtyfive before feeding whenyou get home.

Time for a trip to a veterinarian?
But you want to do this first... Could be a health or physical issue IE Hip problems that are just startting up.





If vet checks out, and feeding schedule doesnt work..... get a second lease, and hook it on his tail about a 1/3 of the way from his ass. I know that sound really weird, but it works well.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,573
24,192
media blackout
are you using a traditional collar with the leash? Liz's mom used to have a similar issue. We switched to using a harness that goes in front of and behind the legs and across the sternum, the dog is MUCH better behaved on the leash.
 

IH8Rice

I'm Mr. Negative! I Fail!
Aug 2, 2008
24,524
494
Im over here now
Vet visit aside, try one of the muzzle leads (Gentle Leader, or something like that).
Works like a horse halter, isnt a 'muzzle' like you would use for an aggressive dog.
I demo'd one on my shepherd, who's way to strong for my kids to walk, and my 5yo could walk her easily with it.
this.
i had a similar problem with one of our dogs and when i switched to a harness, he now walks very well with us and the other two dogs. i tried a muzzle lead but he freaked out whenever i lead him with it and pulled it off sometimes.


If vet checks out, and feeding schedule doesnt work..... get a second lease, and hook it on his tail about a 1/3 of the way from his ass. I know that sound really weird, but it works well.
hahah what?
not only does that sound weird, it also sounds cruel
 

llkoolkeg

Ranger LL
Sep 5, 2001
4,329
5
in da shed, mon, in da shed
are you using a traditional collar with the leash? Liz's mom used to have a similar issue. We switched to using a harness that goes in front of and behind the legs and across the sternum, the dog is MUCH better behaved on the leash.
That just might work...or just ditch the leash altogether and walk him with a rawhide bootlace slipknotted around his twig-n-berries.
 

I Are Baboon

The Full Dopey
Aug 6, 2001
32,383
9,290
MTB New England
It's called "statuing" and both of my dogs do it. They are strong willed and have incredible patience. Indeed it's annoying, so I stopped taking them for walks. I just let them tear around in their pen for a while. If I try taking them for walks, they'll get all excited to go outside, then slam on their brakes as soon as I get to the end of the driveway.

Good doggies.
 

aixelsyd

Chimp
May 16, 2007
82
0
A regular harness might work in your case as it creates the resisitence that triggers something in the dog to want to pull. We got the Gentle Leader Harness beacause our Lab would drag us around on any walk we went on with a regular harness. Now he only goes where I want him to and when I want him to.
 

JRogers

talks too much
Mar 19, 2002
3,785
1
Claremont, CA
Yeah, I think it is time to try a harness or a muzzle lead deal. My wife brought that up as an option, so I think we will have to try that. I really don't think this has to do with a medical problem; I do not notice much change in his behavior overall (just on walks) and he isn't refusing to move as if he doesn't want to go further- sometimes he clearly doesn't want to go home.

As far as the dog not knowing who the leader is...well that certainly is an issue. Akitas tend to have that problem; they are also willful and get bored easily. The dog was originally my in-laws and for the first 2-3 years he was kept entirely outside at their house, probably did not get walked quite as much as he should have and did not get a whole lot in the way of training. We moved in with them for about a year and when we left (as I said, we're still in the same town) we took the dog. So he is very gentle with people and has never shown any signs of real aggression towards people or other dogs, but he also doesn't listen very well. We're trying to correct that. The wife is certainly more patient than me, but maybe sometimes a bit too gentle/permissive with him. She loves this dog like a spoiled son; I see him more like a lazy roommate that doesn't pay rent, leaves hair on the carpet and eats my food.
 

skibunny24

Enthusiastic Receiver of Reputation
Jun 16, 2010
3,281
585
Renton, WA
Read "Merle's Door". Then, I agree with the lead collars. I still have to use a pinch collar on both of my dogs for walks. One pulls and the other is super lazy and would rather hang out and sniff every plant we pass, but they even out with the pinch collars, and they respond to a gentle tug if they are being onry.
 

boogenman

Turbo Monkey
Nov 3, 2004
4,290
973
BUFFALO
Have some big dude that speaks some odd language put a leash around your neck and take you for a 'walk' and see how you respond.


+1 kill it with fire

Sorry for being a dick
 

DirtyMike

Turbo Fluffer
Aug 8, 2005
14,437
1,017
My own world inside my head
Yeah, I think it is time to try a harness or a muzzle lead deal. My wife brought that up as an option, so I think we will have to try that. I really don't think this has to do with a medical problem; I do not notice much change in his behavior overall (just on walks) and he isn't refusing to move as if he doesn't want to go further- sometimes he clearly doesn't want to go home.

As far as the dog not knowing who the leader is...well that certainly is an issue. Akitas tend to have that problem; they are also willful and get bored easily. The dog was originally my in-laws and for the first 2-3 years he was kept entirely outside at their house, probably did not get walked quite as much as he should have and did not get a whole lot in the way of training. We moved in with them for about a year and when we left (as I said, we're still in the same town) we took the dog. So he is very gentle with people and has never shown any signs of real aggression towards people or other dogs, but he also doesn't listen very well. We're trying to correct that. The wife is certainly more patient than me, but maybe sometimes a bit too gentle/permissive with him. She loves this dog like a spoiled son; I see him more like a lazy roommate that doesn't pay rent, leaves hair on the carpet and eats my food.
Underlined two parts.... First is why I think it may indeed be a medical problem, thats exactly the behavior our lab/antique sharpei mix acted when she got her frist bone spur/degredation in her hips. As that starts you need to know it. You see the dogs want to stop walking due to an unexplainable pain that is not stopping them alltogether, its not sever but enough to chage their attitude, yet there will tells them they want to explore and be out so they dont want to go home......

Second I udnerlined because with a dog like this, you cannot be patient, you need to be a bit agressive and instead of waiting for the dog, you have to be a certain level of demanding of the dog.

Harness like photo'd, maybe a pinch collar with it, that takes two leashes one for holding one for steering.... Watch the tail... does the tail drop, does it stay hi and free........... if they are tucking a bit tahts a bad thing, serios on what I posted earlier, a small lead to help hold the tail up and in control will do wonders while walking/running your dog.
 

BIGHITR

WINNING!
Nov 14, 2007
1,084
0
Maryland, east coast.
You said, "he often wants to go only one particular way during walks." Do you mean he only wants to go in one direction? Or by particular way do you mean how he walks? If it's direction, yer dog could have heard something like a car back fire down the street that scared him and every time you want to walk in that direction, he get's scared and doesn't want to go that particular way because he remembers whatever it was that upset him last time you took him down that way. A bad memory would make him not want to go that direction. If it's particular way meaning how he walks, then hip problems sounds like what it is, or he could have arthritis.
 
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blahblahblah

Chimp
Sep 30, 2005
20
0
So, my dog turned into a douche. Basically, he often wants to go only one particular way during walks. He'll just stop (usually at intersections, but not always) and usually not move unless you physically force him by pulling the leash or you go the way he wants. Once in a while, he just sits down, but usually just stops standing up.

This is a relatively new thing. He's about 4 years old and used to do this once in a while (not nearly every walk) a few months ago. Since then, we moved to a different house in the same town and he now does it constantly. Sometimes things like luring him with a treat or acting really excited or getting on his level and calling him or making him look you in the eye or letting him sniff something or pee will work- but often those do not snap him out of it and he just sits there indefinitely. It has nothing to do with being in an unfamiliar area (he does it more now than when we moved here; seems to go through phases or bouts of it) or being tired. We can find no overall reason or pattern to when he does this. It could be right outside the house or 2 miles away.

This annoys the crap out of me and my wife. I try not to pull him along with force- first because that isn't a good idea for training or walking and second because he's an Akita and very strong at around 100 lbs. I really like walking him around the neighborhood for around 1-2 hours at a time and this is a huge pain. We've looked around and tried different things and nothing has worked so far. It might be easier if I didn't kind of acquire this dog through marriage...

Any ideas?
The dog doesn't respect you as the pack leader. There is no magic trick to make a dog do the right thing on a walk. The walk is an important symbol of hierarchy. You are not at the top of the pack. The dog will do what it wants to do when it doesn't respect you as the pack leader. Watch as much Ceaser Milan Dog Whisperer video as you can. That guy is awesome. A dog like an Akita is alot of work and not recommended for beginners. You need to be in control with the dog all the time. If you mess up once... It wins... You will need a prong collar and you need to take alot of walks where you are in control. Don't even think about a harness or gentle leader or any of that nonsense. The problem is you and your wife. The dog is not a douche. You are the douche.
 

lovebunny

can i lick your balls?
Dec 14, 2003
7,310
209
San Diego, California, United States
the dog doesn't respect you as the pack leader. There is no magic trick to make a dog do the right thing on a walk. The walk is an important symbol of hierarchy. You are not at the top of the pack. The dog will do what it wants to do when it doesn't respect you as the pack leader. Watch as much ceaser milan dog whisperer video as you can. That guy is awesome. A dog like an akita is alot of work and not recommended for beginners. You need to be in control with the dog all the time. If you mess up once... It wins... You will need a prong collar and you need to take alot of walks where you are in control. Don't even think about a harness or gentle leader or any of that nonsense. The problem is you and your wife. The dog is not a douche. You are the douche.
lol!!
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
Sure about that, genius?
He's full of sh*t. Ceasar Milan is a moron, his misguided techniques have little to no support in modern animal behavior research. No respected professional puts any faith his methods, only the clueless reality TV watchers. Here is a good article on the subject:

Thoughts about Cesar Millan « Doggerel

One of my main issues with Millan’s philosophy is that he is constantly comparing dogs in America to dogs in Mexico. Dogs in Mexico roamed free in packs, leash-less, without any training. I don’t deny that that sounds like an ideal life for any dog, but that kind of lifestyle is simply not feasible for canines in 21st-century America. We have leash laws. Dogs need to be neutered. They need to be trained how to walk on streets and greet people in public. Millan’s Dog Psychology Center in California is a nice idea, but it is thoroughly unhelpful to anyone who doesn’t live with a roaming pack of 30 dogs (which I imagine is most people). It’s nice that he’s able to make the dogs get along in a massive pack, but that is not how those dogs will be living on a daily basis when they get back home. Trying to make American dogs into Mexican dogs is not the solution. But that is what it seems that Millan keeps trying to do.

My second issue with Millan is his unabashed use and promotion of negative reinforcement training and physical punishments. In Cesar’s Way, he acknowledges that he is unpopular among positive trainers for his reliance on these dated methods, but he insists that they are effective. He even devotes a section of the book that recommends doing an “alpha roll” on a dominant dog, which absolutely floored me. I thought this medieval form of punishment had disappeared in the dark ages of dog training, but apparently not. This is one of the real dangers of Millan’s popularity, in my opinion. I’m not the only one who thinks so. Dr. Nicholas Dodman, famed veterinarian and writer, had this to say about Cesar Millan:

Cesar Millan’s methods are based on flooding and punishment. The results, though immediate, will be only transitory. His methods are misguided, outmoded, in some cases dangerous, and often inhumane. You would not want to be a dog under his sphere of influence. The sad thing is that the public does not recognize the error of his ways. My college thinks it is a travesty. We’ve written to National Geographic Channel and told them they have put dog training back 20 years.

– Dr. Nicholas Dodman, director of the Behavioral Clinic at Tufts University, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine
Another issue I have with Millan is his reliance on the old-fashioned paradigm of dominance and pack mentality. Millan would have us believe that our dogs are out to get us and always looking for an opportunity to usurp us. I simply don’t believe this is true, and I’m not the only one. Cognitive researcher and animal behaviorist Temple Grandin wrote directly about how Millan’s techniques are outdated and simply wrong in her book Animals Make Us Human. Dogs do not live in packs, Grandin points out, and it’s a misinformed way to think about a dog’s social unit. Rather, like wolves, dogs live in families where parents care for the pups in a partnership. Treating dogs like they are obsessed with dominance is a grave injustice to our canine companions. For more on this, I highly recommend an article published in 2006 in the New York Times by author Mark Derr, “Pack of Lies.”

The good thing I will say about Millan is that he has been successful in raising awareness of how we have failed our dogs in training and teaching. The bad thing is that the methods he advocates are archaic, cruel, and generally unhelpful to most people. But don’t just take my word for it: See a collection of qualified opinions about how we need to move away from this “Dog Whisperer” at the website Beyond Cesar Millan.
 
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I'm inclined to be suspicious of researcher's assessments of animal or human behavior. In particular, I'm not convinced that behavioral science qualifies as science. It's like the "science" of economics - lots of opinion and jargon, questionable substance.

I have spent some time working with difficult and aggressive dogs and have found that patience, repetition and gentleness go a long way.

The reason I suggested seeing a veterinarian is that if the dog is in physical discomfort you can "train" until your ass falls off and get nowhere.
 

syadasti

i heart mac
Apr 15, 2002
12,690
290
VT
I'm inclined to be suspicious of researcher's assessments of animal or human behavior. In particular, I'm not convinced that behavioral science qualifies as science. It's like the "science" of economics - lots of opinion and jargon, questionable substance.
Its easier to discount subjective findings from individuals or animal trainers (especially celebrities) compared research based in the scientific method with peer review.