Dogs are wildly intuitive and pick up on our signals based on our posture, movements, energy and emotions. Be a confident leader for your dog! Dogs look to their owners for guidance on how to behave, react, and navigate the world. By projecting confidence and remaining calm, you can give your dog a sense of security and assurance. This, in turn, will help your dog make good decisions and follow your lead. 

If you find yourself in a situation that causes your dog to become distracted, do your best to find calm composure. This will take practice, so don’t beat yourself up if you notice you’re tensing up a little bit in situations that didn’t go so great the last time. We recommend taking a few seconds to notice your feet on the ground, take a deep breath and relax your body. If you’re tightening your dog’s leash at all, relax it. If you need to turn around and avoid the situation, that’s okay too! Being mindful of how you are guiding your dog will not only build a stronger connection with them, but it will improve mindfullness of how your body reacts in stressful vs. relaxing situations.