Question:
igby, my three year old bulldog, has started crying on walks.
i was bad about walking him for a while (we have a yard) and just started again.
he had never cried on walks before, though his hair sometimes went up and he sometimes acted overly alert and almost on guard.
now his hair stands up and he starts crying really loud when we walk past a house with a barking dog. I think he is really afraid.

i know the obvious answer is exposure... taking him on walks regularly to condition him and let him get more used to it... but is there anything else i can do to put him more at ease? is there a way i can make him feel more confident or secure?
i also have a 5 yr. old newfie (asher) and my daughter and i have been walking them together - her taking igby's leash cause he's smaller.
i would think asher's presence would make him feel more secure... but does anyone think he'd do better on a solo walk?
or, perhaps, if i handled his leash instead of my daughter?

any ideas, info, advice would be very much appreciated

Answer:
I don't think he's afraid. The raised hair usually means "on alert" probably because he's not used to seeing other dogs anymore. The crying could mean excitement.

What do you do when he cries? You must not comfort him in any way, or he'll see it as praise for acting like that.

Take him out by yourself so you can work on this. When you come to a house with a barking dog (and if you're sure the dog cannot approach you) have your dog sit and then just wait. If he becomes agitated, just give a little tug on the leash, just enough to get his attention and break his concentration. Say "Shhhh!" or "hey!" If he breaks his "sit", correct him and make him sit again. Stand there until he gets bored and stops crying, then casually move on. Each time you can get closer to the other dog and repeat until your dog stops reacting.

I don't know how old your daughter is, but if she's small I wouldn't let her walk this dog. If he decides to charge another dog she couldn't hold him back.

It's important to take him for a walk every day. A yard cannot give a dog the stimulation, exposure and exercise he needs.

Answer:
Never heard of a dog crying on a walk or due to being afraid?

Dogs usually cry only when in pain, confined and unable to get out, left alone.

Answer:
Originally Posted by Soroush
Never heard of a dog crying on a walk or due to being afraid?

Dogs usually cry only when in pain, confined and unable to get out, left alone.

yeah,... it is, admittedly, strange. though he is not the only dog i have heard of doing this. my sister has a little pug/rat terrier mix and she cries the whole time you walk her - but they really coddle her.

he is definitly not in any pain.
he is wearing a new harness, though, which inhibits his ability to pull his walker - which may be a source of frustration for him. perhaps some of his cry is due to feeling constrained... i am just not sure.

Answer:
Originally Posted by Lucky Rescue
I don't think he's afraid. The raised hair usually means "on alert" probably because he's not used to seeing other dogs anymore. The crying could mean excitement.

What do you do when he cries? You must not comfort him in any way, or he'll see it as praise for acting like that.

Take him out by yourself so you can work on this. When you come to a house with a barking dog (and if you're sure the dog cannot approach you) have your dog sit and then just wait. If he becomes agitated, just give a little tug on the leash, just enough to get his attention and break his concentration. Say "Shhhh!" or "hey!" If he breaks his "sit", correct him and make him sit again. Stand there until he gets bored and stops crying, then casually move on. Each time you can get closer to the other dog and repeat until your dog stops reacting.

excitement definitly did not occur to me - it is just not that sort of cry.

i did, at one point during the walk, stop and try to comfort him. i definitly, now, see the error of my way.

i like your idea of having him sit and wait untill he is calm enough to move on. thanks for the advice!
i will definitly give that technique a try.

Answer:
Never heard of a dog crying on a walk or due to being afraid?
Bull breeds - pit bulls, bull dogs - may whine, groan or moan with excitement when they want to get to another dog but it's not fear. It isn't uncommon.

like your idea of having him sit and wait untill he is calm enough to move on
When he sits quietly with relaxed posture, you can give him a quiet "good boy" or a little treat (something special he gets ONLY when he is calm in the presence of other dogs)but no excited voice or that may get him going again.

Answer:
We dont have any that 'cry' during walks...but do have a Beagle that 'beys' the whole time wanting to track this or that, or wants to play with something. She even gets excited in the show ring and beys the whole way around the ring...lol

Answer:
Dale sometimes cries when we are on a walk and he sees another dog , hestarts pulling on his leash and whining cause he wants to get over so he can play. I just firmly tell him no and I continue to walk, if he keeps doing it I stop, and pull him in close to me. He then knows he must sit and look at me before we can keep going. I take it as more him being excited then anything else.
Dale's Mom

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