[Miracle1986]

My husband and I have a dog named Sugar.
She is Spitz-mix.
We adopted her from a shelter like 4 months or so ago.
The shelter they picked her up as a stray.

This dog is terrified of the leash.
We put the leash on her, and start walking, she PLANTS her paws in the ground and will not move,
and if we try to tug on it (just gentlely...just not hard enough to hurt her) she will pull back against
us and yelp bloody murder like we are choking her to death... I ain't never heard a dog yelp like her before!!!!!!
She actually makes me want to cry when she does it. That and it makes my poor ears hurts.

Anyone know of anywhy I can get her over her fear of the leash?

[(JD)]

Use a harness instead?

Does she get to play in a fenced back yard at all? You could put a short rope on her and let her go out and play, then play with her in the yard with it still on.

Use a term like "getting dressed" and put the collar with the leash attached already, on her. Just for doing that, she gets a treat. Then let her walk about the home with the leash dragging OR make it so whenever she gets to do something outside she loves to do (or go riding in the car?) talk about getting dressed and give her a treat and go do it...

Obviously she has fears of being dragged into the shelter or about the shelter, with a leash. She can get over that, but won't by force.

Lots of love and treats will eventually work for anything, imo.
If she's small enough, put the leash on her and carry her on the "walk." Maybe she'll begin to enjoy it enough she'll want to get down and run a bit or sniff.

[Miracle1986]

Originally Posted by _Sky

Use a harness instead?

Does she get to play in a fenced back yard at all?

we have tried a harness. She does the same exact thing.
And no, she can't play in a fenced back yard. We live in an apartment complex.