In today’s episode of Confessions of a Dog Trainer, I’m bringing you behind the scenes with Hazel - a sweet, houndy little “Bambi body” dog who’s fearful of people and famous for one frustrating walk habit: putting on the brakes and refusing to move.

I’m sharing what I expected when she arrived, what I actually saw, and the biggest game-changer in her training so far - including why the dial-up method on the e-collar didn’t work for her the way it usually does, and why a prong collar ended up being the missing piece to help her stop freezing and start moving forward.

We’ll also talk about one of my favorite confidence-building frameworks for nervous dogs: job + exposure (and exactly what that looked like for Hazel this week), how my dog Johnny helped her warm up to my husband without anyone forcing an interaction, and what “real progress” looks like when you’re living with a fearful dog (hint: it’s usually subtle - and easy to miss if you don’t know what to watch for).

Plus, I answer Hazel’s owner’s questions about measuring progress at home, nervous pooping, and whether running with a dog like Hazel is a good idea - and I touch briefly on Azula’s update, including why tools aren’t about “correcting dogs all over the place,” but about clear communication and safer, calmer outings.

If you have a nervous dog and you’ve ever wondered, Am I doing this right? - this one’s for you.

Products & Resources

• Book: ⁠⁠Dear Owner⁠⁠ (⁠⁠Amazon link⁠⁠)

• ⁠⁠Dog Diary Desk Calendar ⁠⁠

• ⁠⁠E-Collar Starter Guide ⁠⁠

  ⁠E Collar Video Library ⁠

  ⁠Brick device - get 10% off code⁠

  ⁠Find me on Instagram @walkingdogtraining