My 4 year old dog was abused as a puppy and has tons of anxiety problems. One including, walking on a lead. She’ll do it fine in the house, but as soon as we try to walk her passed the driveway she shuts down. She’ll flatten out and roll on her back and do anything to get out of her leash. She’ll walk fine if we take her in the car and go somewhere else. She comes to the petstore and trots around like a pro and she’ll walk around the trails at the dog park, only because they’re away from home.
So we’ve hired three dog trainers to help us, and each one said to drag out dog along until she submits and walks. This worked fine for a little bit, except she was beginning to dread walking and training at all. She was really frightened and I didn’t like having to drag her along every time she had an anxiety attack.
So what I have been doing for the passed few days, is having someone drop me off at the park with my dog, then we walk home together. She walks fine as long as she’s not leaving home, so it’s been working pretty well. I’ve been having her sit at every corner so I can give her treats and lots of cuddles, hoping to put walking in her mind as something fun.
I was wondering what any fellow dog trainers think of this technique. I’m hoping to start being dropped off closer and closer to home, until the point where we can just leave the house and have a normal walk.
Thanks for any advice!! 
@Greek God AKA Greekman…my dog WAS abused. This is a fact, she and her litter were taken away from someone charged WITH ANIMAL ABUSE against my dog. So please don’t tell me otherwise.
I don’t KNOW. The shelter she was from told me all I know, that she and her litter were abused and the city pound took them in, and she was going to be euthanized because their time was up so the rescue I adopted her from took the litter in to save them, like many rescues do. I was concerned because I didn’t want to have a chance that my dog might be agressive once she grows up, she’s my first dog and I didn’t want to adopt someone who needs an experienced handler. so I asked the rescue if they knew what she endured. The woman helping me said she wasn’t sure, something about the dogs tied up in someones yard through the winter. Like I said the rescue didn’t directly take the dogs, the city pound did.
Please stop telling me all you seem to know about /my/ dog.
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