Extremely Skittish Australian Shepherd Practices Obedience At 1st Time Visit To Lowes

Via has finally started her exposure to the public! As little as a week ago it would have been impossible to walk this super nervous, impulsive, insecure girl, ANYWHERE, let alone a store, without her panicking, becoming completely unhinged at a distant sound, trying to run away, or spooking at a sudden shift in movement!
We’ve been working hard on conditioning Via to defer to her human, and look to the person that’s holding the leash with the most value, instead of reverting to her unhealthy reflexes. Tuning out the world and listening to her person are critical in shifting Via into a healthier state of mind. Knowing her place and role within the relationship is key to our success. This shift was result of a comprehensive program based in PERMISSION ONLY ACTIVITY, where every step and choice Via has made, has been managed and dictated by THE HUMAN. This has slowed down her processing, creating a bit more self awareness!
We headed to Lowes to start solidifying her obedience in an all new atmosphere. This place is loaded with things a dog has never seen! And for these girl, unfamiliar sounds can have her flip to an extremely unhinged, unhealthy headspace.
Working around a ton of distraction like this desensitizes Via to the unfamiliar, and helps her defer to her person when confronted with triggers that concern her. Having a Leader to guide Via through the experience, while also holding her accountable for any disconnect, 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! We’ve got some work to do!