Puppy scared on walks, pulls home. Will she outgrow it or how to help?

Poor pup! It sounds like you both would benefit from a basic training class for working on some leash manners, and to work with a trainer about desensitizing your dog to fearful things (such as cars on the road.) A harness such as an Easy-Walk no pull harness or a Gentle Leader is also a good idea so that she can't pull or tug you places or get herself injured. Starting walking on quieter trails that are low distraction and gradually increasing the amount of distraction and noise on walks can help as well, but it will take time. If she becomes too scared, going back to the walking bath she was less fearful on and working up from there is best.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sometimes dogs can get scared even when there does not appear to be anything scary in sight. Remember that they can hear and sense much better than us so he may be perceiving something that is near which you may not. This can improve but it can certainly become a bit difficult at times. I recommend that you start taking him out for longer periods but very slowly over the next several weeks. Encourage him to stay out with treats and positive words. Also, in the beginning just take him out without walking initially just to get him used to his surroundings. Eventually little by little he will learn that going outside equals getting treats and attention and will improve with time but it does require time and patience. You can consider using the Thunder shirt for him which you may find online and can help a lot in these cases. Good luck and have a great day!

Take her out as much as possible for fun things, playing ball, running swimming, etc. Make going out an event by showing her the leash and telling her that you will go out to play with her. Get her excited, This should get her to associate going out with fun, rather than with fear. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!

3. WalkingtheOtherWay In order to reinforce a dog’s natural tendency to follow, once your dog pulls out in front, you should turn quickly and walk the other way. Reward once you feel slack on the collar. This can cause a walk to go no more than a few feet at the beginning, so be patient. The pull back should only be strong enough to get your dog’s attention. Excessive force, especially when using choke chains, may cause neck trauma. For more information, please contact your veterinarian or a trainer who uses humane training methods.

Dogs are situational learners and can sometimes make some very weird connections. I recommend to start clicker training her. You will also need some very high value treats or a high value toy. Whichever she thinks is better. Basically start in the house near the doorway with you and reward her for coming near you. Gradually work your way out the door. What you are trying to do is produce a positive association. It is very important that you remain calm and try not to get frustrated her as she will pick up on negative energy. You can also start feeding her in the back yard or playing out there to continue the positive association. Also give her positive reinforcement for looking at you frequently or when she is afraid. This will teach her to look to you for action. This will be a slow process. Be patient and keep her on the medication for now. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Adorable picture! It sounds like he is scared. So you want to take it slowly. Use treats and your other dog to help him. Coax him to go short distances with the treats. he could be afraid of loud noises or cars. If this doesn't work it sound like a severe phobia and you should hire a veterinary behaviorist or trainer. I and most vets are not fans of extendable leashes. I would get a regular to help gently pull him Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Some dogs just do not enjoy going outside too much and it takes some encouragement to get them to go outside. Most of the time this is something that happens when they are scared or nervous about their surroundings. This is certainly not uncommon. A few things that you can try are going very slowly and reward progress. As your dog makes progress going outside, go ahead and reward Petrus with praise and also treats. Try to find fun things to do outside that your dog may like such as playing ball so that he associates going outside with something good. Before you know it he will get used to being outside. Good luck!