Maris needs advice about her Golden Retriever:
“I have a 2 yr old golden retriever, female, who weighs 80 lbs. she is generally very well-behaved, but I try and take her for long walks each day. Where we live the walks are usually limited to the same 2 or 3 places. And she also has an affinity for other animal’s feces. Through either attempting to get at animal feces along our walk, or just for no apparent reason – she will decide to just stop walking and no treat or command will prompt her to continue. any suggestions? She’s too heavy to really ‘nudge’ along very far.”
Just to be on the safe side, I would ask the vet to take a look at her just to ensure there is no underlying medical condition contributing to her behavior, though I am sure she will be just fine. Golden’s do like poop and, given a chance, will happily roll around in it all day. The key is to find something she likes more, such as a favorite toy or an extra tasty treat.
In an earlier post, I mentioned that one of the best treats for even the most difficult to please dogs is pilchard (sardine) cake, though tuna cake and liver cake can be just as effective. You can make these at home, but they do stink. I have seen them on Ebay, so you could search and buy it ready made. Find what she cannot resist and use it to lure her away from the poop or to get her moving again.
Also, try and vary the walks. I know you mentioned there are only two or three places, but you can vary the route each time and change the day you go to each. It really can make a difference