[PRIYERZ]

At first I thought it was because he was just shy ... but I think my puppy is very nervous / shy outside of my house. Sorry this might be drawn out, but I'm really concerned about him being scared of the outside.

Every time I take him outside to walk on leash or even off leash... he refuses to leave my plot of land (which is VERY small). When I finally get him off of it (usually by carrying him or realllly almost forcing him) he whines the entire way. Pauses almost ever 12 feet to whine and jtus sits down.

His tail is always down and he doesn't seem to enjoy being outside. He doesn't midn the leash because he doesn't midn it inside the house at all. I htink he is nrevous / shy when it comes to the outdoors.

He is Great meeting new people, kids, adults, men , women, whatever. He is OK meeting new dogs (he shys awayf rom them a little). I think he is a submissive puppy because he pretty much listens to whatever i say, doesn't fight me on anything if i am playing with him, and stops whatever he is doing if I go "HEY!" in a low loud voice and knows that means he's chewing on the wrong thing.

He is eating well, pooping, peeing, has almost learned sit... so he seems like he's a really good boy in every department except being outside of the house.

What methods should I try to get this resolved? I take him outside daily for practice. It takes about na hour to get around the block (including me carrying him past points that he's been whimpering at for over 10 minutes.

His tail went up when he started digging somwhere so i let him dig fo ra while and he was upbeat for a good 3 minutes of walking but then reverted back to being whiney. Someone told me just drag him along til he gets it but that doesn'tseem like it will resolve anything and when he is 60 lbs he'll not be "draggable" anymore. I brought treats along, his tennis ball, noone of it really has worked at all. Maybe just perssistence and eventaully he'll think its fun??? HELP!

[Todd]

He sounds like a submissive pup. He's probably not sure what lies in the outside world because he's so young. You def. want to introduce him to the outside world starting as soon as you can to prevent any social problems when he grows older. Take him out every day. Even if you have to carry him outside at first do it. Make sure everytime he goes outside he gets TONS of positive reinforcement. You want him to associate going outside to rewards and positive reinforcement. Has he ever had a traumatic experience outside or is it just that he's a shy dog and unsure what awaits? When you take him out give him plenty of praise and also plenty of yummt treats and toys. Try and make every experience as stress free and positive as possible. Be patient though. Don't rush things. You don't want too many set-backs. Let him meet dogs and other people. Even setting up situations yourself with friends or family members will help. For example, let's say you have a neighbor who loves dogs. Walk or even carry your dog over at first and when you go inside have your neighbor praiuse your dog and give him a toy or treat. This way walking outside is associated with reward in your dog's mind. Eventually he'll walk gladly on leash with you without a problem! He'll get more and more comfortable. Use verbbal praise, treats, and toys to both of your advantages. He's still a pup so your job is going to be much easier than dealing with an adult dog. Get started right away.

Good luck!

[PRIYERZ]

It's not that he's afraid of people, he's mostly just afraid of being outside with areas he's not familiar with. He did well one day when I took him on a trail he only stopped a couple times. Today he was having a terrible time. I will just be persistent. I tried giving him treats but he loses his appetite when he's in unsure situations. he does work for the "good boy" bit so maybe that will be enough for now and he'll slowly progress.

[Todd]

Originally Posted by PRIYERZ

It's not that he's afraid of people, he's mostly just afraid of being outside with areas he's not familiar with. He did well one day when I took him on a trail he only stopped a couple times. Today he was having a terrible time. I will just be persistent. I tried giving him treats but he loses his appetite when he's in unsure situations. he does work for the "good boy" bit so maybe that will be enough for now and he'll slowly progress.

if he loves to meet friendly people try and make it a point to meet dog lovers who will praise him when he's out walking. this way it will make him excited to go out because he will expect to see people.

[PRIYERZ]

Yes this is a good idea. Seeing new people takes his mind off of the streets. I will give this a shot for the next week or two and let you guys know how it goes!

[Todd]

Originally Posted by PRIYERZ

Yes this is a good idea. Seeing new people takes his mind off of the streets. I will give this a shot for the next week or two and let you guys know how it goes!

OK great!

Good luck to the both of you!

[CorkyMax]

Just one question---The surface that you are trying to get him to walk on--Is it new to him--like gravel or cement/concrete? You said he had been living on a farm before you got him.

[Todd]

Originally Posted by Corky/Max

Just one question---The surface that you are trying to get him to walk on--Is it new to him--like gravel or cement/concrete? You said he had been living on a farm before you got him.

Now that u bring it up, some of the fear of going outside may be due to previously living on a farm where there may not have been a lot of noise from traffic and such. r u living in a busy city now> if so this could be a brand new experience 4 her.

[CorkyMax]

Originally Posted by Todd

Now that u bring it up, some of the fear of going outside may be due to previously living on a farm where there may not have been a lot of noise from traffic and such. r u living in a busy city now> if so this could be a brand new experience 4 her.

Hey! That's a good catch too, Todd! Lol, just hit me --have a new title for you---'Pet Detective!' HA! HA!:mrgreen:

[PRIYERZ]

Yes maybe that's what it is! HE was on a farm and now I live in the city where there are trucks, cars, bikes, etc. He came further than usual out of my yard today. He isn't that fast yet so I let him explore off leash so it's on his own terms while I stand further away and he slowly makes his way towards me while sniffing. I think it makes him feel safe because he looks up for me every couple minutes, lets out a little noise, then goes back to sniffing. If a car or something comes by he either moves toward the door to go back in or toward me or between my legs.

I don't think the surface bothers him much because I took him on rocks, cement, grass, dirt, and he reacts the same to it all.

Maybe he just needs to get used to the city sounds / happenings! As long as he's not afraid of people I am pretty content because then I'd be worried about how he would react with new people and such. This seems fixable with practice!

[Todd]

Originally Posted by PRIYERZ

Yes maybe that's what it is! HE was on a farm and now I live in the city where there are trucks, cars, bikes, etc. He came further than usual out of my yard today. He isn't that fast yet so I let him explore off leash so it's on his own terms while I stand further away and he slowly makes his way towards me while sniffing. I think it makes him feel safe because he looks up for me every couple minutes, lets out a little noise, then goes back to sniffing. If a car or something comes by he either moves toward the door to go back in or toward me or between my legs.

I don't think the surface bothers him much because I took him on rocks, cement, grass, dirt, and he reacts the same to it all.

Maybe he just needs to get used to the city sounds / happenings! As long as he's not afraid of people I am pretty content because then I'd be worried about how he would react with new people and such. This seems fixable with practice!

Yep. sounds like the isue to me. Just be patient and consistant with new explorations every day and I'm sure everything will turn out just fine. Keep us updated on his progress!

Good luck to the both of you!

[bpwriter47]

Sounds like he is just getting use to the noises of the city.

You may also want to consider sitting somewhere with him in your lap where there are cars etc. (maybe park bench near street or outside cafe) and just making sure you are not also nervous because he'll pick up on that. If he relaxes and even maybe falls asleep a bit, he could learn quickly that these noises aren't there to hurt him.

My 2 puppies are also having problems with noise and bicycles, so we are working on that.

good luck.