When a player is holding an appropriate item, the animal mob will follow for several seconds then lose interest, even if the player has remained close and walked slowly. Animals are following very poorly compared to prior versions and easily lose interest at close range, taking quite a while to regain interest.
Animals that are close do not all regain interest simultaneously as they have in prior versions.
This makes it very difficult to lure pigs, cows, and sheep from the wild into pens. Have not tested chickens
Are you in creative mode?