Echo at 15

Echo is making slow but steady progress. Here’s where he’s at after 15 sessions:

— Where he was showing high anxiety and fear when going past his front yard, he is now showing eagerness not only to go outside, but to explore. He can now go to both corners of his street without becoming the slightest bit anxious – and he’s even shown an eagerness to go further.
— Where he was rushing the door, crowding, and jumping up to greet, he is now greeting much more calmly. He is still going down to the door and crowding, but he is quick to back up and give space when asked.
— He is no longer jumping up to greet.
— He is starting to check in with me when we’re walking, and he is learning to defer to me when we encounter strangers rather than lunging to greet them.
— Where he was very tense and tended to keep his tail very low outside, his body is now stretched out and relaxed and he no longer holds his tail tight to the back of his legs.
— He is still pulling, but the intensity has decreased significantly. He seems to be starting to become more attuned to leash pressure, and how to release it when he pulls.
— He is learning to wait for permission [“okay”] to do something he wants to do.

While Echo is no longer anxious about being outside, his excitement still needs a lot of work. I have begun working him on the “sit” command and encouraging him to focus on me. In the next session, I will be adding a short traffic lead to start teaching him to walk nicely beside me. This will help him learn rules for the walk, and it will turn sniffing time into a big reward for him. Echo is very highly food motivated and he’ll happily accept treats, but sniffing everything means much more to him.

Overall, Echo is and has been making progress. Since his recent breakthrough, he is much happier about being outside, and he now looks forward to his walks. When I arrive for his training session, he greets me, and then he heads for the door. This is a huge leap of progress for him. He still has a long way to go, but it’s so heartwarming to see the change in him from fearfulness to eagerness.