Fear Reactive Golden Doodle Start Public Access Exposure

Miss Charli has finally started her public access work after laying down a solid understanding of what’s acceptable behavior and what is not! As little as a week ago it would have been impossible to walk this super nervous, impulsive, & insecure kiddo ANYWHERE, let alone a store, without her irrationally reacting.
We’ve been working hard on conditioning Charli 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 is critical in developing a more stable state of mind. This process has involved a comprehensive program based in PERMISSION ONLY ACTIVITY, where every step and choice Charli has made, has been managed and dictated by me. This has slowed down her issues with emotional processing, creating a bit more self awareness and control!
We headed to Lowes yesterday 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 kiddo, unfamiliar sounds, strangers, and moving objects can have her flip to an unhealthy headspace.
Working around a ton of distraction like this desensitizes Charli 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. Charli then learns to look to her person instead of being overly concerned about everything else around us.
Nice job sweet lady!