· By Minou Tpain
Author: Denise Partlow
Instagram: @modernk9 Carolinas
When your dog is ready and has shown progress indoors, then it’s time to start bringing them to new environments. Having a plan in mind is great but always be prepared for that plan to change, you cannot predict how your dog will handle it, nor can you predict what the environment will provide.
Start with an environment that is not too overwhelming, meaning there’s not as many people or dogs or noises and work your way up to busier environments. For some dogs this may be your front yard.
I personally would not be asking the dog to be holding place in an environment like this just yet. I probably wouldn’t even focus on any obedience in the beginning. When it comes to dogs, emotion always trumps obedience, so even if your dog has the best obedience, their emotional state will always take over.
I would start with giving the dog the opportunity to sniff around. When your dog seems to be really stressed around certain stimuli find ways to increase the distance so they can observe it from an area where they feel safe. Forcing them to just deal with it when they’re not ready will actually have negative effects. Exposing them to the things they are nervous around is important but it has to be in small doses. Think of it this way, somebody that is scared to swim will have a much more positive experience if you let them get their feet wet and gradually go deeper rather than just throwing them in the deep end.
Keep the session short and try to revisit the same location several more times, making sure each visit is a positive experience for your dog. Once your dog is showing progress, he is comfortable in this environment, then move on to another.
Nervous dogs need obedience training too but that’s something separate that you can work on indoors first. When it comes to a nervous dog you have a whole other component of training to incorporate and it’s all about helping your dog to feel confident and secure around different stimuli.
*check out my “fearful dog” story highlights on my profile page to see how I do this with my foster dog.
