Newbie with a Staffie who freezes when on a walk. Help please!

Hi all

I hope someone can help. Our family rescued a Staffie at the beginning of November.

He is definitely scared of fireworks and reacts badly to bird scarers but in addition to this he keeps freezing when we are out on walks.

We thought this would get better as he settled down but it doesnt seem to be. He just stops! Sometimes if I pull him a bit he will start walking again bit otherwise I have to go back the way we came. He absolutely knows his way home and will only go in that direction. I resorted to picking him up the other day and walking a few steps but thats really not a practical solution.

Its soooo frustrating as I often walk my son to school and sometimes he just won't budge which means that I will have to stop taking him at that time and he will lose out on a walk.

Interestingly, if I take him out in the car and then walk him somewhere else we don't seem to have the same problem but I really need him to walk reliably in our own village.

He is about 18mth-2 years old and is such a lovely dog, but we are very outdoor people, camping, biking, etc etc and we need to try and help him with this so that he enjoys our family life.

Would be grateful for any tips.

Thank you

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Hi and welcome to the forum from Flo & me

I've moved your post to New Member Intro's seeing as you wrote such a nice introduction, hope you don't mind

I have had exactly the same as you. Out in the car fine but outside in my street Flo can become a boulder !!

My OH and myself have overcome this by being resolute and not giving in, as far as my Flo is concerned, if we are out for a walk then that is exactly what we will do. It's been a battle of wills sometimes and like you I have even resorted to picking her up, walking 20 meters putting her down and all is then ok.

My way round this was to be firm and not give in but you could try some high value treats or something else we tried was walking a little way in the opposite direction and crossing the road. (We can't go far in the opposite direction as we live in a Cul de Sac)

I'm sure others will be along soon to offer there suggestions.

Hiya from me and Vinnie

Hi , try a long line and tempt with treats and praisal, my puppy was bad for this haha but with persistance we got there now she loves walking

Welcome from Iza and me

hia from me and sasha well done you on rescuing Timmy ,being a rescue you can never be sure what they have been through and what might scare them,like you said fireworks and loud noises are some of them,my girl is just them same,we could'nt even have crackers at xmas this year because of the bangs,does he have a squeeky toy that he loves that would attract his attention when he refuses to walk?

Thank you for your messages. Hoping for other good tips like these. I haven't tried a squeaky toy so will try that. As for treats, I do use them and he will take a step or two but no more. I have also tried a change in direction and it works sometimes but other times he will only go towards home. Today I couldn't even get him out of our driveway! He's such a funny, lovely boy but I can feel myself getting impatient which isn't fair on him.

The most important thing is keeping ur voice calm, even relax your arms and take a nice treat and favourite toy with u. The dog will sense your Anxiety even.through the lead. I once resorted to squeaky voices and sticks to get a pup to walk

Hi and welcome from us and Suki

Hi and welcome to the forum from me and the zoo xx

I have the exact same issue with Knox. He is petrified of pigeon scarers and fireworks. From October to around March he is a nightmare to walk. The only time he will actually walk and enjoy himself is when we have a run and play over the field. But as I come home from work each lunch to walk him and the field is churned up I don't get chance at the lunch time to spend with him over the field

This probably sounds awful but I just make him walk. I stand behind him and pretty much push him forwards by walking behind him and tapping his butt with my hand or the lead handle lol poor beggar! It's only at certain points he seems scared though and like some of you guys if we're out somewhere else, he's a dream to walk.

Such funny little souls xxx

Hiya! Have you tried jogging in the direction that you want to go, and using excited, happy tones to encourage him to keep going? Bug freezes when she sees other dogs, and if safe to, this is how we keep her going. We usually just go through a "where am I going, c'mon catch up, c'mon little monkey" happy excited minute or so and then high value treat and chat to her for the first few minutes that she's walking happily. I probably look bonkers but it works for us, used to do similar to get dogs into kennels at the shelter when they put the breaks on. Stay confident, but happy! He will pick up on your getting frustrated. As Ian mentioned, my first few months after rescuing Bug was a battle of wills - she still occasionally decides that she wants to go one way and if I want to go the other we're stuck! But the silly voice usually distracts her

Hi and welcome to the forum from Rocky and me

Hello and welcome to the forum

Nikita and Sheara

Hi from us too! Some great advice above, I'd do what Rachel does, lots of treats and fun. Does he have a toy he loves? If so, have you tried playing with him out on walks and then throwing the toy for him to run forwards to?

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Bethan & Harley

Hi and welcome from Oz and me, Rachel always gives great advice as well as everyone Else if course, please let us know how you get on

Hi from me and Leia, and welcome to the forum.

Well done rescuing Timmy I have rescued a couple of Staffies in the past. and they to turned out to be amazing dogs, so please dont let, any baggage they might have put you off, the fact you are here asking questions speaks volumes about the bond you will have with Timmy and judging from your post is already quite strong.

I haven't been on this forum for very long, but its a great place, with lots of info and friendly advice.

My Leia is only 13 weeks old and I was counting down the days to be able to take her out, and give her some exercise, and tire her out, and I thought she would love it, she had been around the garden on the lead and she was fine, but come the day she was aloud to venture she really didnt want to.

Her first day out she froze solid on the last step out of our garden, I picked her up and put her on the path and she was just pulling back and trying to go home I eventually got her to the end of the road (about 25mtrs) and we went back, my 10 year old son was gutted, he had big plans of walking her to school everyday the week after, as for me it was another night of her biting my hands and trying to tire her out in my kitchen

I bought her a coat thinking she might have been cold, that didnt work, so i started leaving it on the radiator, so it was nice and warm when she put it on, no change and eventually she destroyed it, but it might work for Timmy

What does seem to work for us is building up the walks, she was going for up to six very short walks a day, just going a litter further every day, I was focusing on time out of the house rather than distance.

what I am trying to say is break things down as much as you can for him.

I think the fact you say he is fine if you take him out in the car first is important and could have something to do with his past.

Why not try this a few times put him in the car and drive round the block get out of the car and just walk around the street you live in, if that works, just walk him around the same street without the car journey first, then build it up.

I know this may not be possible with work and Kids and life, but he will defo be worth the effort.

I hope this helps, even if only a little bit.

EDIT TO ADD: We like pictures ! get some pictures of Timmy, and post them.
Leia's Diary

Have the same thing with my boy just randomly stopping on a walk. I lured him along with corned beef when he was very little, or I did the fake out of crossing the road to go back home and then going up a different road. Now I've trained him to start walking with the command "Move!" Used it in the flat because he kept getting under my feet whilst walking backwards and it seems to work ok for outdoors now.