Baby Andi has started her public access work! As little as a week ago it would have been impossible to walk this reactive, barky kiddo ANYWHERE new, without being embarrassed about her behavior.
We’ve been working hard on conditioning Andi to defer to her human, and look to the person that’s holding the leash for guidance. Tuning out the world and listening to her person are critical in developing a stable state of mind. This process has involved a comprehensive program based in PERMISSION ONLY ACTIVITY, where every step and choice she’s made, has been managed and dictated by me. This has slowed down Andi’s issues with processing, creating a bit more self awareness!
We headed to Lowes today to start solidifying her obedience out in the real world. Lowes is loaded with things a dog has never seen, heard, or smelled! And for this pup, unfamiliar sounds and sudden movements can have her flip to an unhealthy headspace.
Working around a ton of distraction like this desensitizes Andi to the unfamiliar, and helps her learn to defer to her person when confronted with triggers that concern her. Having a Leader to guide her through the experience, while also holding her accountable for any panic or irrationality, is key. She then learns to look to her person instead of being overly concerned about everything else around us.
Nice job sweet girl!