About 7 years ago I had the exact same problem, and literally couldn’t figure out why my dog wouldn’t listen no matter what. It seemed like inside, he got everything - he was well behaved, had a great temperament, and wasn’t too difficult to control…

The moment we stepped outside - he wouldn’t listen. Pulling on the leash. Running towards other dogs. Not coming when I called… until I almost by accident stumbled upon the solution.

I’ve spent over 5 years learning the ins and outs of canine behavior, and something I realized (from hundreds of hours spent with, studying and training dogs), is that you can’t teach the dog the behavior you want, in a chaotic environment.

You see, for your dog, being outside is extremely stimulating.

Especially for a younger dog.

There’s thousands of smells, countless little movements and sounds, and an entire world to explore and interact with - this can be overwhelming, and then your dog will react (in a way that gets you frustrated, like I was).

Try this… If you want your dog to learn to listen, behave, and be smart and great while out of the house - you need to slow things down.

Start by preventing your dog from getting access to what they want.

I’ve ran a specific exercise with over 50 clients and their dogs in the last 12 months and it’s had a near 100% success rate… and you can try it too.

Next time you’re out with your dog, do this exercise - I call it “Low Excitement Rewarding”.

Let’s say that your dog wants to go to another dog while out and gets into that “I’m going to pull on the leash and get there” - you instantly make her relax and go down.

Hold the leash tight, stop all movement, and get her to calm down and CHILL. The moment she does this and HOLDS it - reward her with a “very good” and a great treat.

This associates that “when I’m calm and I listen, good things happen”.

Most owners try to rush through this, and it will NEVER work. You need to keep it nice and slow for your dog to actually care to follow what you want.

Go out and try this exercise the next time you walk your dog and see what happens.

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