Is my dog just telling me her preferences, or is she becoming stubborn/bratty?

[pixey]

Recently when I’ve tried to take my dog for a walk, she will walk up to my car in the driveway and want to get in but when we walk by it, occasionally she will turnaround and say no. Like she isn’t going to go on a regular walk.

Car = dog park (3x per week)
Park/hike/trail = (3x per week)

So just about everyday,yes my dog goes on some type of adventure for fun for her, but the rest of the time I just want a regular walk around the neighborhood another 3-4 times per day, and she’s becoming increasingly stubborn. When she indicates not wanting to walk should I turn around ? How do I not enable her? Is this behavior her being stubborn or just telling me she doesn’t want to walk? Do I listen to her or force the walk?

I got my dog a year ago from the shelter. She was a stray dog before I adopted her. The first few months she was definitely still in her shell and it was a huge adjustment. Because of this, there’s a part of me that is happy she’s sharing her preferences and being stubborn but I don’t want her to become bratty. Seen dogs have full control over their owner.

I’m a first time single dog mom, any advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[jaboi]

@pixey What do you do after she stops? My dog used to just lie on the grass as a pup and I would just start talking in a really high excited voice, I would quickly tug on the leash but not continuously. More like a ‘pop’, and pull him towards me and he would just continue walking.

The only time I turned around was when he would start struggling against me, refusing to move, when I tried to pull him he moved backwards to the point where I was worried the collar would slip off. He only ever does this if he’s scared of something (it was a garbage truck). We then worked on building some confidence around large trucks.

You can also make your daily walks more exciting, maybe bring some treats? Or a toy? Take some time to play with her on your walks too. This will make your daily walks Exciting and fun.