Hello, Do you have a screen on your front door? If so, I would start by leaving the main door open and the screen where he can’t get out but can see outside to expose him to sight and sounds in that part of the yard, putting treats by that door often to encourage him to look out it. If bugs aren’t too bad where you are, you can also turn off your air conditioning for a while, and attach pup to a thirty foot leash ties to something secure like a column and simply leave the door wide open while you are supervising, for an hour at a time often, to get pup used to the outside yard and curious without him running off or having to brave it all at once. Once he is okay looking outside, simply spend time on the porch without expecting him to go on a walk. Spend an hour outside at a time doing a calm activity. He may not want treats at first due to stress, but as he gets more used to those sights and sounds, play simply treat games with things like kongs and hiding a treat under a small bowl, or have him do easy tricks he knows to earn treats – to distract and help him associate being outside with good things. Staying on the porch and doing this often over a longer period of time is key. If you expect him to move too far past his home too fast he is likely to shut down. As he gets used to the porch, take a lawn chair and move to the bottom of the porch steps for your daily sits, then gradually more and move into the yard, until you are at the curb. Have him on a fifteen to twenty foot secure leash and harness attached to something secure so that he can have space to explore but can’t bolt if he gets spooked. Once he is comfortable with you sitting in any part of the yard, then begin your heel training in your front yard using treats to lure him – once comfortable with the leash and yard he should be more open to treats and training by this point. Keep the walks in your own yard, positive and upbeat energy, short, and with treats and rewards. When he is great in the yard and body language is relaxed and happy doing it, then begin going a few feet more at a time past your driveway and toward your neighbors home. Keep these treks so minimal that pup doesn’t even notice you are venturing further and further, and turn around while he is still curious and happy before you get to the point where he is nervous and shutting down – the goal is not just to be able to walk further but to change his emotions about being outside to overcome the fear – which will in turn allow you to go even more places later. If you are stuck, I recommend hiring a professional trainer who has a lot of experience with fear and counter conditioning and desensitization. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
June 20, 2023