Hi again, another question about our rescue dog we are fostering and potentially adopting. A recap: She is skittish and has a lot of fear issues. She is not overly food motivated. She does like chicken a lot, but doesn't respond to other treats very much. She has made improvements since I last posted - she's better IN the house but regressing OUT of the house - cars and garbage cans (stationary ones at that) scare her more now, I think.
When we walk sometimes she gets stubborn when she is sniffing something and doesn't want to keep walking. I don't know how to react to this. We don't have her on a choke chain because I'm not sure if that's appropriate for a fearful dog or not.
When she gets stubborn like that and refuses to move, what should we do? I have tried crouching down since she is less fearful that way than if I'm standing. I've tried calling her to me, but she doesn't come. Sometimes if I catch her before she really digs in, and say, "Come on, let's go!!!" and give her a little tug on the leash, she snaps out of it and keeps going. But if I don't catch her in time, she's glue. I have tried just keeping walking and dragging her for a few steps, which works, but then the rest of the walk is not very good - it's like she lost her trust and refuses to look at me, she is just nervous the whole way home, whereas before that, she was perky and sniffing and having a good time.
What's the best way to resolve this in the short term, while we are working on obedience and getting her to trust and respect us? She sits for us at home (with chicken) but on the walk I've tried to get her to sit after she's gotten nervous, to give her something to focus on, but she can't even look at me or listen.
Advice?
When we walk sometimes she gets stubborn when she is sniffing something and doesn't want to keep walking. I don't know how to react to this. We don't have her on a choke chain because I'm not sure if that's appropriate for a fearful dog or not.
When she gets stubborn like that and refuses to move, what should we do? I have tried crouching down since she is less fearful that way than if I'm standing. I've tried calling her to me, but she doesn't come. Sometimes if I catch her before she really digs in, and say, "Come on, let's go!!!" and give her a little tug on the leash, she snaps out of it and keeps going. But if I don't catch her in time, she's glue. I have tried just keeping walking and dragging her for a few steps, which works, but then the rest of the walk is not very good - it's like she lost her trust and refuses to look at me, she is just nervous the whole way home, whereas before that, she was perky and sniffing and having a good time.
What's the best way to resolve this in the short term, while we are working on obedience and getting her to trust and respect us? She sits for us at home (with chicken) but on the walk I've tried to get her to sit after she's gotten nervous, to give her something to focus on, but she can't even look at me or listen.
Advice?
