How To Teach Your Highly Reactive Dog To Walk Politely On Leash In Less Than 9 Minutes

Basil, the Doodle here to address his reactivity towards strangers and other dogs while on leash, had a HUGE Day 1 today learning all things Permission Based! And we started it all with our walk!
Heeling your dog is about so much more then just the position! It’s more about your dog’s State of Mind! When you have a dog that is completely tuned out on your walks, you are sure to find really bad behavior - most especially pulling, and in Basil’s case, barking!
Each sniff, mark, and scan loads like a sling shot to a constant state of arousal and anxiety, resulting in some sort of unfavorable behavior - pulling on leash to greet strangers, or any level of reactivity. With your dog slightly behind you, he is able to truly relax and enjoy the freedom of knowing that his HANDLER has everything under control, rather than feeling the pressure to do it all on his own.
Fearful, anxious dogs NEED constant direction and guidance when faced with new experiences. They aren’t born with the innate ability to make healthy, good choices. That’s why it’s so important to lay your foundation early so that we are preventative rather than reactive to our dog’s behavior.
The walk is a good starting point for what will become a respectful, balanced, and healthy relationship. Everything else from this point will lead from this activity.