why My dog refuse to go outside ?

 Sometimes, while walking the dog, it may stop and no longer want to walk. In other cases, the dog may even refuse to leave the house. Don't panic! You are certainly not the only person to whom this happens, many people go through this situation.

The fact that the dog doesn't want to walk in the street can be indicative of several factors, that's why in this article from The Pretty Pets, "My dog doesn't want to go out in the street anymore", we help you find practical and effective solutions that will guide you in solving this problem. Read our article to the end!

1-Why doesn't my dog want to go outside anymore?

Whether our dog stops in the middle of the street or doesn't want to leave the house anymore can have many different reasons and it is our duty to observe our animal's behaviour to find out what is happening and why he is behaving this way.

If you can't identify the reasons why your dog doesn't want to go out anymore, at The Pretty Pets, we help you identify the most common causes:

- Your dog is learning to walk

- The dog did not learn to walk properly.

- The dog suffers from stress and does not relax while walking (sniffing the ground, feces, etc. is an indicator of relaxation).

- The dog is afraid (of dogs, bicycles, cars or people)

- The dog has sore paws

- The dog is suffering from another type of pain

- It's an old dog

- You don't take the breaks the dog needs.

- He is distracted

Once you have identified the cause of this sudden change in the dog's behaviour, you must take action. To do so, read the rest of "My dog doesn't want to go out on the street anymore" for practical solutions in each of these cases.

2-The dog learns to walk

If you have a puppy discovering the street for the first time, it is normal that he does not want to go out yet or that he stops from time to time in the middle of a walk. Your dog is socializing, getting to know his environment, other animals and people, in which he wants and needs to discover everything around him.

It is essential that you allow him to do what he likes, at least outside the house, so that he understands that walking is a time dedicated to his entertainment, fun and relaxation. You must allow him to stop, sniff and spend time discovering everything around him. Remember, however, that you must remain attentive at all times to prevent your dog from having a bad experience that could lead to trauma in the future.

As far as walking time for the puppy is concerned, this will vary depending on the age of the puppy in question. If, for example, the dog is between 2 and 3 months old, the puppy's walking time should be 10 to 15 minutes several times a day. Between 3 and 6 months of age, the puppy should be walked for 15 to 30 minutes several times a day, and after 6 months of age the dog should be walked for at least 30 minutes, once or several times a day.

To prevent your puppy from stopping constantly, you can use an older dog as a guide to stimulate him and teach him to behave naturally in the street. You can also use treats to get his attention, make him walk and reward appropriate behaviour while the dog is walking.

3-The dog has not learned to walk properly

There are adult dogs that, due to poor socialization or incomplete learning process, do not know how to walk or walk properly: they seem to be unaccustomed to walking. This segment usually includes abandoned dogs that have not received sufficient attention in the most important stages of their lives.

To do this, we can use a system similar to the previous one and have another dog accompany us who has already assumed walking in the street as a natural act. Having another dog that walks normally and is relaxed during the walk is beneficial for the dog that does not know how to walk properly because this other pet can help him/her to relax and make him/her understand the habits of walking in the street. Dogs are social animals that live together in a pack, so it's not surprising that they use each other as examples, as a dog can be trained even as an adult.

In order to prevent him from stopping if he does not want to walk, it is essential to teach him to walk again little by little, by reshaping his behaviour on the street. We recommend using calm and relaxed environments, rewarding good behaviour and guiding him calmly through the street. Do not scold or punish him, you will only make the situation worse.

4-The dog suffers from stress or is afraid

"Why is my dog shaking and having trouble walking," you may ask yourself. Among other causes, dogs that do not benefit from the 5 freedoms of animal welfare are more sensitive to stress and fear, especially if they are abandoned dogs, have been bitten by other dogs or have suffered some kind of accident (bicycle, car, motorcycle...).

In these cases it is necessary to seek therapy from a specialized ethologist because it is not just a problem of lack of learning, your dog is suffering and having a bad time during the walk. Before going to the professional, it is essential that you notice if your dog is afraid or stressed, bearing in mind that the more you know, the better you can help him. The causes of your dog's discomfort can be diverse and will depend on the dog and its history.

You can try to improve the situation by walking the dog in a quieter environment, taking time to exercise with your pet and rewarding him.

5-The dog is hurting somewhere

Some health problems of the dog are easily identifiable thanks to several clear symptoms: fever, tumors, blood... But on the other hand, there are some diseases that go unnoticed and are only noticed after a while.

It is important that we devote at least half an hour to the regular examination of our animal. This examination consists of palpating the whole body of the dog to detect a possible tumor, checking that the ears and eyes are not infected, making sure that the dog does not have a fever, checking that the pads are not damaged, etc.

If we do this regularly, we can anticipate a serious illness and in this case, for example, identify a worn pad, a broken nail or a slight fracture.

6-The dog is old

Older dogs are pets that have very special and specific needs. If your dog starts to age, he may begin to suffer from senile dementia or common age-related problems:

- Tumors

- Deafness

- Blindness

- Anemia

- Heavy

- Dehydration

- Obesity

- Muscle aches and pains

- Apathy

If your dog is older, it is important to visit the veterinarian more regularly than for adult dogs (at least every 6 months) and to have a blood test taken just as often to rule out anemia. Once the veterinarian has identified the particular case, the guardian can then understand why his dog, who has always walked well, suddenly stops in the street or turns around: it's because the dog is getting older.

To better walk an older dog, remember to adapt to its pace and never walk for more than 30 minutes. Try to always go to the same places to avoid disorientation and make sure that he doesn't hit anything. Finally, we recommend that you never pull or push him, as this can only make him uncomfortable.

7-How to walk your dog properly?

In many websites, there is a typology of very general phrases such as: "don't let your dog walk you, it is you who should walk him", "he is a very dominant dog" or "make him walk beside you".

At The Pretty Pets, we believe that all these statements do not take into account positive training, the dog's needs and basic tips for a good walk. It is important to take the time and educate yourself on how many times a dog should be walked each day and what the minimum requirements are for our pet to be comfortable and relaxed.

In order for a walk to go well, we must leave our pet free to sniff and pee in a relaxed manner, and it is important to reward tranquility. In addition, we must act if we know that our dog has a high energy level, by regularly practicing a sporting activity with him.

We should not pull on his leash or push him if his behaviour is not what we want, it is better to reward him when he reacts as we want him to, to encourage him to go ahead, obey us, etc. It is also important for the dog to be able to meet and play with other walking dogs.

8- The dog is distracted

Finally, we'll talk about the last reason why your dog may no longer want to go out on the street or stop in the middle of a walk: your dog is easily distracted. This may be due to eye contact with other dogs, people who attract his attention, food displays, etc.

As we have commented several times on The Pretty Pets, it is important to give our dog some freedom when walking. If he needs to interact, what's wrong with that? Don't forget that the dog spends time alone, he can't see his "friends" when he feels like it, he can only do it during the walk. This is why it is important to be indulgent and to understand that walking is a special moment where the dog is the protagonist. Let him distract himself if he feels like it!