5 month Am Staff puppy doesn't like walks

Layla 3 mos

I have never owned an Am Staff before, but my 5 month old Layla really hates to go for walks. She gets terrified by the sounds of cars, and would turn and run back to the yard if I let her. I've tried bringing my 2 yr old Shiba along, but she still hates it.

It's not the issue of disliking the leash or the pack-leader, she just wants to be on the OTHER side of the fence, in her own back yard.

What is the best way to work with this? Gradual exposure to walks? Daily short walks? It's been cold in Vermont this winter, and she was pretty sick (rescue puppy), so whenever she went out to potty, she would shiver like crazy.

I postponed leash walking/training because of this, but now I wonder if she'll always hate it. Just brought her to vet for 3rd distemper, and completely forgot to ask her...





Hi
It sounds as though your pup doesn't dislike the leash or the walks, but gets anxious around strange places, noises, people etc.

This is probably because she hasn't been socialized as much as she should have been during her first few months of life. If she's a rescue you may not know a whole lot about her background, but chances are she's been missing out on interaction with people, places, pets and so on.

Luckily she's plenty young enough to overcome this problem but it will take patience and understanding on your part and also time.

I have several pages on my website that are designed to help you to socialize your puppy properly.

Amstaffs puppies are just puppies and they're not especially shy or anxious, but as adults they're not necessarily friendly to everyone the way a Labrador Retriever may be. As your pup will grow up to be a big, strong dog, it's important to get this sorted out now while she's young.

If you follow the advice on the page I've linked to above you should be able to get her back on track without too much trouble. Do take it slowly though and don't rush her into situations where she's not comfortable. Let her do things at her own pace with just loving encouragement and moral support from you.

She looks like a lovely little girl and I'm sure you will be able to help her overcome this. Best of luck with her.