Help! My Dog Keeps Stopping on Walks – Causes and Solutions

Okay, so lemme tell you about this weird thing my dog's been doing. For the past couple of weeks, during our walks, he just... stops. Like, dead stop. No rhyme or reason. It was driving me nuts!

First thing I did, obviously, was check for physical stuff. I mean, is he limping? Are his paws okay? Anything stuck in his pads? Nope, nothing obvious. I poked and prodded him (gently!), and he didn't seem to be in any pain.

Next up: Environment check. Was he scared of something? Loud noises? Other dogs? Kids on scooters? I started paying super close attention to our surroundings whenever he'd freeze. Sometimes there was something – a garbage truck, a particularly aggressive squirrel – but other times, it was just a normal, quiet street.

Then, I started thinking about the route we were taking. Maybe he was just bored? We usually walked the same loop every day. So, I tried switching things up. Different streets, different parks, even just going in the opposite direction. It helped a little, but the stopping still happened.

• I tried carrying high-value treats to lure him onward. Sometimes that worked, sometimes he'd take the treat and then just... stay put.
• I also experimented with different leashes and harnesses. Maybe something was uncomfortable? But that didn't seem to be the issue either.

At this point, I was getting frustrated. I mean, walks are supposed to be fun! For both of us! So, I decided to try a completely different approach: ignoring the behavior. When he stopped, I'd just stand there, quietly. No pulling, no coaxing, no talking. Just waiting.

And you know what? That actually seemed to help the most! After a few minutes (which felt like forever!), he'd usually get bored and start walking again. I’d immediately praise him and keep moving. I think maybe he was just testing me, or maybe he was looking for attention. By ignoring the stopping, I was essentially removing the reward.

What I learned:

It's probably a combo of things. Boredom, testing boundaries, maybe a little bit of anxiety. But the biggest takeaway for me was that overreacting made it worse. Staying calm and consistent, and just waiting him out, seemed to be the key. We still have occasional stops, but they're much less frequent, and he recovers much quicker. Still a work in progress, but hey, we're getting there!

One last thing I started doing: I added in some short training sessions during our walks. Quick sits, downs, recalls – just to keep him engaged and mentally stimulated. That also seems to have helped. Keeps his brain busy, I guess!