Moxie is just over a year old, and she's never been great on walks. We've improved her walking a lot by always carrying high-value treats and rewarding her when she walks well. However, we can't figure out how to solve her worst walking habit: stopping every time she sees another dog.
Our neighborhood and the nearby park are full of dogs. When we walk Moxie, and she sees another dog, she always stops. Usually she will lay down in a sort of crouching position, but sometimes she'll just sit or stand. Sometimes she does the "stalking" movement first. She waits until the dog approaches, refusing to move, and then she pounces playfully when they come up and tries to engage in some playtime. This wouldn't be a huge deal but (1) we see a lot of dogs on our walks and (2) she will stop even if the dog is very far away. So if we see a dog in the far distance, she'll stop and refuse to walk until the dog approaches or disappears from sight.
This often makes our walks tedious, slow, and embarrassing. Also, sometimes she scares other dogs/owners who think she's unfriendly and trying to attack. She never seems scared or angry, just excited and playful.
So far I've just been trying to get her attention before she does it by saying "Look at me" and then rewarding her with a treat if she focuses on me. But too often, this doesn't work at all. Does anyone have any tips for how I can address this behavior? It makes walks feel like a stressful chore instead of the relaxing outings they should be.
If it's important, Moxie is about 50 pounds, a mutt with Bluetick Coonhound and German Shepherd (amongst other breeds) in her.
Our neighborhood and the nearby park are full of dogs. When we walk Moxie, and she sees another dog, she always stops. Usually she will lay down in a sort of crouching position, but sometimes she'll just sit or stand. Sometimes she does the "stalking" movement first. She waits until the dog approaches, refusing to move, and then she pounces playfully when they come up and tries to engage in some playtime. This wouldn't be a huge deal but (1) we see a lot of dogs on our walks and (2) she will stop even if the dog is very far away. So if we see a dog in the far distance, she'll stop and refuse to walk until the dog approaches or disappears from sight.
This often makes our walks tedious, slow, and embarrassing. Also, sometimes she scares other dogs/owners who think she's unfriendly and trying to attack. She never seems scared or angry, just excited and playful.
So far I've just been trying to get her attention before she does it by saying "Look at me" and then rewarding her with a treat if she focuses on me. But too often, this doesn't work at all. Does anyone have any tips for how I can address this behavior? It makes walks feel like a stressful chore instead of the relaxing outings they should be.
If it's important, Moxie is about 50 pounds, a mutt with Bluetick Coonhound and German Shepherd (amongst other breeds) in her.