Cocker spaniel won’t walk.

[Dotty.]

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Hi everyone, our Three year old show cocker spaniel has started to refuse to walk. Our vet has examined her and found no underlying problems.
Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[arealhuman]

Hello and welcome to the forum. How is she otherwise, indoors and outdoors? Is there something, perhaps, that has scared her such as a noise, another dog, that is causing her to shut down as it were? Did your vet look beyond the obvious external signs, considering neurological problems for example?

I'm sorry to come back with so many questions, but it might help narrow things down so those with some/any similar experience might be bale to assist.

 

[Dotty.]

Hello and welcome to the forum. How is she otherwise, indoors and outdoors? Is there something, perhaps, that has scared her such as a noise, another dog, that is causing her to shut down as it were? Did your vet look beyond the obvious external signs, considering neurological problems for example?

I'm sorry to come back with so many questions, but it might help narrow things down so those with some/any similar experience might be bale to assist.

 

[Dotty.]

Hi, many thanks for your reply. She seems fine all round, we’ve been away in the Welsh county side, she has run around like a puppy. Once we were back to our accommodation and it was walk/ toilet time she was back not wanting to walk.

 

[JudyN]

Are you back home from Wales now? If so, how long have you been back home for and did she start refusing to walk as soon as you got back home? Had she started refusing walks before you went on holidays?

What is she like in your garden - happy to run and play?

 

[Dotty.]

Hi Judy, back today, refusing to walk straight away and just sits in the garden looking at the house. Has been refusing to walk for about three months.

 

[JudyN]

What is it like outside your house? e.g. Busy road? Do you normally take her to a park, and do you often meet other dogs and people? What is she like with dogs & people in general? What if you drive her somewhere in the car - is she happy to walk then?

I'm thinking if she was fine in Wales, it must be something in the environment, so we need to do a bit of detective work.

 

[Waggy Tales Blog]

I had a rescue dog with the same problem. He was so protective of his home he refused to walk once the house was out of sight. He would just lie down and refuse to move but was happy to walk back home. I found that taking him on a short car journey (as Judy suggested) worked really well. Also, vary her walking route. New sight, smells and sounds should distract from her anxiety.

 

[Dotty.]

Dot is exactly the same, won't walk from the house but if driven somewhere she will walk fine.
Luckily there's a park a few minutes drive away so that could be the answer.
Thanks.

 

[JoanneF]

Will she walk back to the house if you get dropped off at the end of your street? I'm still thinking Judy's point about it being something to do with the environment sounds likely and pinpointing that would give you a big clue to what it is, and therefore how to solve the problem.

 

[Dotty.]

Yes, she will happily walk back to the house.
I'm beginning to think she may just be a lazy girl who just wants to be at home with her toys and comfy bed.

 

[Hemlock]

No this is not laziness. Something in her world is very wrong, and it's our job as humans to find out what it is and make the situation more acceptable for her. This will be a bonding exercise for both of you.

 

[JoanneF]

I'd agree, not laziness. If that's what it was, you would see her do the same in other places, and you have said she doesn't. Does it start before you leave the door? Or the garden gate?

 

[mark91]

Hi apologies to jump in the thread after a year, but I am having the same problem with my Cocker. He’s 6 y/o. Will walk fine if driven to go for a walk, however from the house, refuses. When putting the lead on will go and get on his bed. Will walk / drag me back to the house but will not go further away. Help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance

 

[JoanneF]

Can you give a bit more detail please?

Does he appear worried, did anything happen outside your house? What's the environment like? If you get dropped at the end of your road, would he be desperate to rush back to the house, or just walk back calmly?

 

[mark91]

Nothing has ever happened outside the home.

We look over fields however are on the edge of an estate. There is a footpath we walk down that means we are away from busy main roads but still along the side of the estate. If he knows we are going over the fields, he will be keen to go and pull to get there, however if we walk past the turning to the fields his demeaner changes, tail between legs, not much wagging if at all. Often hangs back rather than pull.

If dropped at the end of the road to the estate, he would be pulling to get back home.

Could it be something to do with leaving the house, almost like a protection thing, where if he is not in the house, who is going to protect it?

 

[JoanneF]

Could it be something to do with leaving the house, almost like a protection thing

If he is keen to go to to the field, I think that's less likely than that there's something 'wrong' about the route after the turning to the field. It may be something happened, something you didn't even notice (like someone put a rubbish bin in the wrong place or got a new household appliance that makes a noise you can't hear). Or maybe that walk is just boring for him. Do you need to go that way?

 

[Flobo]

If he's 6 years old, has he always done this or is it a new behaviour? Is he a rescue or have you had him from a pup?

 

[crazycockerowner]

Has someone on the estate got one of those sonar device that deters cats going in gardens, maybe