Hating his walk

What on earth is going through Milo's mind ? If only I knew. He used to willingly go for his walks, never with great excitement like some dogs but he'd walk with me happily but now - for the past 4-5 weeks he's like almost agoraphobic. He's okay with OH who takes him in the mornings but is a flaming nightmare in the afternoon when I take him. He walks in front of me looking up at me & going round and round me - if I stand still he jumps up as if he wants me to pick him up. If I'm firm with him ie - saying in strong voice NO ! he gets very jumpy and frightened almost and starts trying to bolt with ears back and tail under & gets nippy. When I turn for home he immediately starts pulling really hard and ignores all my coaxing to 'heel'...I feel quite angry-ish and frustrated with it all but try so hard not to let him sense it but I know that dogs pick up on things like that.

I even resorted to having a dog walker take him out for an hour last week and he was the same with her at first but then calmed down eventually but still jumpy and pulled her all the way home.

All I can think of is when an extremely noisy motorbike roared past us about 2 months ago and that scared him but it didn't seem to put him off his walks at that time.

How old is he now? I ask because it could be he is going through the teenage phase. If not it sounds like you are doing the right thing.

Hey! I would get a vet check as this is quite excessive, new behaviour and go from there.

Gizmo went through a sudden phase of not wanting his second walk and it turned out to be he'd hurt his shoulder and the extra walk was too much for him tat that point.

If it wasn't for the epic rain, I'd ask if his feet were sore from the pavement being hot.

Hmmm sounds a little familiar. I agree with the others, ensure he isn't in pain from something in the first instance but if all's fine then I think your just going to have to be firm and lay the law down.

My Flo went through a phase like this and she's an older girl but having figured that there was nothing physically wrong with her we toughened up and didn't give in. She will refuse point blank to walk with my youngest but that's down to the fact that she knows he will give in. Oddly, when she get to the park or is taken somewhere in the car she is absolutely fine!

With the jumping and circling I'd go back to basics. It will make walks a lot longer but I think you need to reinforce those walking rules to show your not a push over.

Mmm food for thought - many thanks all ....Mile will be 2 years old on 14th Sept. He's fine for the morning walk as I say but not the afternoon. Milo does have this funny waggle walk where he moves his legs parallel to each other so he sways. One woman I met said he could well have hip dysplasia and another said he could have pain in his back !! I need to check that out again with the vet. When we first had him at 7 months I mentioned about this and she examined him and she couldn't feel anything amiss but to keep my eye n him. I will ask when I take him for his booster. We're away for the week tomorrow and have a dog walker coming in to walk him twice a day - that will be interesting to see how he goes with her for he week.

Knox used to do this coming up to September, October time. It was like he associated this time of year with bangs of fireworks or the pigeon scarers. He was noise sensitive with both these things. It would be like he would be listening and waiting for one to go off. In the mornings he would be fine with my other half but afternoons and evenings he was a nightmare! Shaking, tail between his legs, and like you say bolting for home if you let him. We never really had to have him on a lead as he walked so well but we'd have to put him on his lead around this time of year as quite often we'd be walking and look around and he's be trotting back off home lol

Double check, like the others have said, about the pain thing but I reckon you'll have to be a real mean mummy and make him walk xx

Mia sometimes can be stubborn i jist yelp excitedly and she follows me doesnt seem keen dnt think she likes me squealing with delight in the street . As above if the vet rules out anything medical go back to basics with his training he could well be going through the teenage phase and will be testing the boundaries . Best wishes for the vet milo

We went away for a week and had a lovely lady come in twice a day to walk him etc and he was fine with her. When I got back he actually was a pleasure to walk for a while but today (3 days later) he's gone back to being a silly lad again. It must be me, and I wish i knew what it was.