We've had Evie since Saturday and all is well. The only thing we've had a slight problem with is that sometimes she just refuses to go on a walk.:suspect: She's fine in the morning, then she comes to work with us in the day time, so she is quite active as she follows me everywhere, and people play with her during the day.

I don't think she's been played with in the past as we are having to teach her how to play, but she's picked up 'fetch' already. And loves it. I also don't think she's been used to going on long walks. We were out for an hour with her on Saturday and that was enough for her.

But it's the evening walk after work that she won't go on. She's happy to go in the garden for a wee, but just freezes when she gets outside the back door with the lead on!

Is she just tired? What can I do to encourage her? Will she come round in time when she got more used to going on walks? I want her to get good excersize, particularly as she needs to loose a bit of weight.

We've had Evie since Saturday and all is well. The only thing we've had a slight problem with is that sometimes she just refuses to go on a walk.:suspect: She's fine in the morning, then she comes to work with us in the day time, so she is quite active as she follows me everywhere, and people play with her during the day.

I don't think she's been played with in the past as we are having to teach her how to play, but she's picked up 'fetch' already. And loves it. I also don't think she's been used to going on long walks. We were out for an hour with her on Saturday and that was enough for her.

But it's the evening walk after work that she won't go on. She's happy to go in the garden for a wee, but just freezes when she gets outside the back door with the lead on!

Is she just tired? What can I do to encourage her? Will she come round in time when she got more used to going on walks? I want her to get good excersize, particularly as she needs to loose a bit of weight.


When I started researching MSs, before I got Maisey, I read on one site that they hardly need walking because they get all the exercise they need following you round all day. I don't necessarily agree with that because I think walks are important but if she's up and down after you all day and playing fetch she's still getting a lot of exercise.

We've had problems with Maisey bucking when we don't go in the direction she wants. All we've been able to do is walk through it (ie. ignore it) but its not easy. She pulled so bad on the lead she made herself cough so we got a harness, which she escaped from. Now she's no a different sort of harness that tightens (not chokes) when she tried to get out. You're welcome to try it on Evie on Saturday.

She's great on the lead when she wants to go for a walk, she walks lovely. But it's getting her going in the evenings that's the problem. I think it's cos she's tired. Her dad tried to take her last night, but it's like her feet are glued to the floor! The we let her out in the garden (cos she'd not had a wee since dinnertime) and she did wee, so she obviously wanted to wee, but without the walk attached.

The problem is that you don't know what exercise she's used to, and there's every possibility that if she's been in kennels she's rather unfit and so needs to work up to the level of exercise that you were planning for her, on top of the fact that she may just not like having as many walks.

She's great on the lead when she wants to go for a walk, she walks lovely. But it's getting her going in the evenings that's the problem. I think it's cos she's tired. Her dad tried to take her last night, but it's like her feet are glued to the floor! The we let her out in the garden (cos she'd not had a wee since dinnertime) and she did wee, so she obviously wanted to wee, but without the walk attached.

Ah right, could be tired or just willfull. Ours has been known to have a long walk and still want to go out into the garden after and do her business!

Have you tried carrying her through the door then putting down once the walk has started? My OH has had some success with this when she's point blank stopped in the street?

I do suspect that she's not been walked much previously. So I guess its OK to carry on with her as we are and build up the walk times and length? When she gets home with me after work she crashes out in her bed for most of the night, so I guess she's tired.


The problem is that you don't know what exercise she's used to, and there's every possibility that if she's been in kennels she's rather unfit and so needs to work up to the level of exercise that you were planning for her, on top of the fact that she may just not like having as many walks.

Ah right, could be tired or just willfull. Ours has been known to have a long walk and still want to go out into the garden after and do her business!

Have you tried carrying her through the door then putting down once the walk has started? My OH has had some success with this when she's point blank stopped in the street?

Yes I've tried carry her through the door, but then she just freezes once she's put down!!

I've tried walking her as soon as we get home (ie not going in the house) this was successful on one night. The following night she refused to go. Once she gets in the house and has her tea, she takes to her bed for the evening!!

As for whether she's going to develop into going for another walk I can't answer, but there's a possibility that you're just not going to need to take her for that extra walk.

As long as she's getting fitter and is healthy I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Yes I've tried carry her through the door, but then she just freezes once she's put down!!

I've tried walking her as soon as we get home (ie not going in the house) this was successful on one night. The following night she refused to go. Once she gets in the house and has her tea, she takes to her bed for the evening!!

You're probably spot on with her being tired. Sorry, I'm so used to madam training me that I forget that sometimes they do actually just get tired. I forget she sleeps all afternoon whilst we're out.

it sounds like she's come from the sort of environment (possibly) where evenings are like Beirut! Or she may have had a nasty shock from fireworks at some point

Don't push her for now, or you could take her a step backwards

if she's as unfit as you say she is then perhaps an hour walk is too much for her and you should build up to it - and massage her when you get home and after she's been sleeping as that's when she'll have stiffened up

if she's not keen on being outside of an evening, try paying with her in the garden for a few mins and build that up gradually, and when she has a couple of people she's particularly attached to, she should be happier to venture further

It seems we just need to carry on as we are then, that's fine. Just wanted to check with more experienced dog owners we were doing the right thing.

it sounds like she's come from the sort of environment (possibly) where evenings are like Beirut! Or she may have had a nasty shock from fireworks at some point

Don't push her for now, or you could take her a step backwards

if she's as unfit as you say she is then perhaps an hour walk is too much for her and you should build up to it - and massage her when you get home and after she's been sleeping as that's when she'll have stiffened up

if she's not keen on being outside of an evening, try paying with her in the garden for a few mins and build that up gradually, and when she has a couple of people she's particularly attached to, she should be happier to venture further

Thanks for that, will try the massage thing and for now not worry too much about the evening walk. We'll stick to letting her out in the garden and perhaps 5 mins play too, if she wants to.

one of my dogs when she first came was unfit and at first she used to enjoy her first walk but her second shes drag all the way behind me, we couldnt even get her around the small 10min walk, we persisted, just taking her out and walking slowley until she can now do an hours walk every day and loves every min of it. anna.x.

one of my dogs when she first came was unfit and at first she used to enjoy her first walk but her second shes drag all the way behind me, we couldnt even get her around the small 10min walk, we persisted, just taking her out and walking slowley until she can now do an hours walk every day and loves every min of it. anna.x.

Thanks Anna, think thats what we need to do, take it slow.

My parents dog is like that, she's fine in the day time, but at night time she refuses to walk and if someone mentions 'walk' to her, she goes and hides under the table or behind something!
She's a bit of a scaredy cat though! She wont walk at night time because it's dark. And that's coz of stupid fireworks/random bangs! She's fine for a few months, then she hears a bang/firework and gets scared and after that can't go out in the dark anymore. She wont even go in the garden she gets that scared! Like, if she heard a firework/bang one night, then she wouldn't go out in the dark for weeks afterwards! But she's fine in the day!

Yes - i think you are right to give it time too. Once she understands the routine with you all - and family life will be very different to kennel life - she may get used to it.
Saying that tho - my english bulls like to hibernate about october time, and re-emerge around May when the sun picks up. they hate the cold.

One thing also to watch is that if she hasn't done much walking - her little paddy paws may be getting sore - which again - will toughen up over time.

This morning, madam decided that instead of turning right at the bottom of our road, to go our usual route, she didn't want to go that way! Refused point blank. So we had to go left instead, which meant walking up a big hill at the end of the walk, instead of down it at the beginning!!:hihi:

At least she did walk though cos I thought she was going to try the I'm not walking thing in the morning too!

Now we've found out that she doesn't like the rain. Absolutely would not go out this morning!! I've managed to take her round the car park at work and she's done a wee, but it had stopped raining then. I would have thought she'd have been desperate to go out after going through the whole night. But I guess she'd go if she really really needed to. My eye are on her today:suspect:

Some of the dogs I used to walk had a look that said 'OK, I've been to the loo so now can we go home?' whenever it was raining. They would rather just go back to the car than play with their ball or whatever- yet give them a river to play in and they're happy as a pig in muck to get in there!

I wouldn't have been so bothered if she had at least had a wee, but no nothing. It seems she'd rather be bursting for a wee than go out in the rain!! She kind of does this shuffling thing with her feet whilst looking up at you with 'the eyes'.:roll:

Have you thought she may be frightend of the dark!!! i have 2 here like that so we have to make do with a garden let out before bed , i must point out both badger and Mojo are out walking lots!!!!

Yes I have thought that Teeny, so I try and take her straight from work, just before it gets dark. But also she will not go out in the rain! Refuses point blank. Yesterday morning she wouldn't even have a wee in the garden. I'm not sure how to overcome this one, if anyone has any advice I'd appreciate it. Does anyone think it would be worth me getting her a harness? So I can pull her a bit but it doesn't pull on her neck?

Well would you like to sit out in the garden in just a T shirt for a wee? bet you would want to wait as well :hihi:
Seriously though I have had dogs just the same, would rather cross their legs than go out in the nasty rain :D
I honestly think that you are still getting to know Evie and her you, just relax and enjoy her she will come out of her shell in time.
Summer is coming up and I think that she will like being out a lot more then and then you will be able to work on her energy levels a bit...just concentrate on letting Evie relax and settle for now and don't make a big issue about the walks for a while.

Thanks Moonbird. Shes a fantastic little dog, we adore her and it seems like shes been with us forever.

The not going out in the rain worries me more for her, I mean, she must be desperate for the toilet when she's gone all night. I know its the first thing I want in a morning. And I just keep thinking if we had 2 days of solid rain, would she just not go out for 2 days?! I don't mind so much about her not walking sometimes. We are building up her walking levels. But she won't even go in the garden for a wee in the rain, as we discovered the other morning! It was all OK as she comes to work and I took her out later when it had stopped, but what if we were going out and this happened.

It may well be that in her previous home Evie didn't get taken out in adverse conditions and so she's just not used to it. A friend rehomed a middle aged shihtzu recently and he does everything from hiding for hours when the police helicopter passes overhead to lying in a panicking, panting heap when it thunders. Taking him out for a walk is the least of their worries during those times!

If Evie doesn't like going out in the rain, how about a waterproof coat that covers as much of her as possible? I know that for many dogs who don't like going out in the rain, it's their ears and eyes that they don't like the rain on, but it's worth a try, or if you keep a big umbrella on her when she goes out in the garden that's worth trying just for a wee too.

If Evie doesn't like going out in the rain, how about a waterproof coat that covers as much of her as possible? I know that for many dogs who don't like going out in the rain, it's their ears and eyes that they don't like the rain on, but it's worth a try, or if you keep a big umbrella on her when she goes out in the garden that's worth trying just for a wee too.

I think the umbrella is a good idea not sure about the coat as I think its often the pounding effect of rain that they don't like as much as the wetness of it, the umbrella might work, I know that when I have had dogs like that I have had to go out with them otherwise no way would they go.
JC I know what you mean about the 2 days of solid rain I don't think that anyone could wait that long either :hihi: some dogs though seem to be able to wait forever, our Meg used to when she was younger....not so much now though, thats another story though :help:

She's got a lovely coat that I put on her if it's raining, but we still get the old stiff legs! I'll try the big umbrella, thats definitely worth a go.


It may well be that in her previous home Evie didn't get taken out in adverse conditions and so she's just not used to it. A friend rehomed a middle aged shihtzu recently and he does everything from hiding for hours when the police helicopter passes overhead to lying in a panicking, panting heap when it thunders. Taking him out for a walk is the least of their worries during those times!

If Evie doesn't like going out in the rain, how about a waterproof coat that covers as much of her as possible? I know that for many dogs who don't like going out in the rain, it's their ears and eyes that they don't like the rain on, but it's worth a try, or if you keep a big umbrella on her when she goes out in the garden that's worth trying just for a wee too.