I recently spoke with a club member who was struggling with her dog’s behaviour in new environments. Every time she took her dog somewhere new, he would pull intensely, refuse treats, and completely ignore her from the moment they stepped out of the car. She asked me for advice and wanted to understand why this was happening.

The reasons behind a dog’s stress in new places can vary. Some dogs become so excited by unfamiliar smells and sights that their stress levels skyrocket. Once that stress cup overflows, your dog’s brain can no longer process learning, and even their favourite treats might be ignored.

Other dogs find the world intimidating, and their stress cup overflows due to fear, leading to the same outcome. When a dog is truly frightened, they might freeze or shut down, which can be mistaken for calmness. This is particularly common in very busy environments.

Whether your dog is excited or scared, it’s important to introduce new environments in a way that builds calmness and confidence. After reading this blog post, you will have a step-by-step guide to how to introduce your dog to new environments in a calm way.  

Here’s my 3-step plan for making those introductions smoother and calmer for both of you!

1. Start in the Car

If you’re taking your dog to a new place, I assume you have a car. If not, you can do this just outside your home or even in your hallway. The goal is to get your dog comfortable with glimpses of the new environment and to teach them that calmness is what we want. 

Begin with the car doors closed, offering your dog a lick mat or Kong while they listen to and maybe see a little of the new place. When they’re comfortable with this set up, you can open the front door to let in more sound, and eventually, the boot so they can see what’s happening around them. When the Kong/lick mat is done, close the doors and drive away. 

Top Tip: Park with the boot facing the calmest part of the area, like bushes or a wall, rather than the busy car park. 

This step might take some time, so make it a habit to hang out in different environments for 5–10 minutes whenever you take your dog in the car.

2. Getting Out of the Car 

Once your dog is calm in the car with the boot open and facing away from foot traffic, it’s time to up the challenge. When you get to your location, have your dog in the car for 5 minutes with a lick mat/kong just as before. This is great for their flexibility and if your dog is excited to go somewhere, having a pause in the car before they get to jump out is key to manage their stress levels. Also, nervous dogs might need a moment to take in the place from the comfort of their car before coming out.

When your dog is nearing the end of their Kong / lick mat, scatter a handful of treats on the ground and give them a release cue. Stand behind the car, using it as a visual blocker to control the difficulty level. Start with no view and gradually increase the distance from the car by expanding your scatter feeding area, letting your dog see more of the environment as they eat.

If your dog is getting stressed or stops eating, you can call your dog back to the safe space behind the car. You can also use the back and forth game found in my mini course HERE.

3. Get Walking

Now that your dog is calm while standing still, it’s time to introduce movement. The sniff-and-walk game is perfect for this. You can find this game and the back-and-forth game in my FREE MINI COURSE.

After your dog has spent 5–10 minutes chilling in the car and 5 minutes outside the car scatter feeding, start the sniff-and-walk game. Begin by tossing treats in front of you, encouraging your dog to sniff and stay calm while walking. Initially, it might just be a quick walk around the car and back, but when your dog is ready, extend the walk using the sniff-and-walk game until they’re relaxed and happy.

Conclusion

There you have it! My 3-step plan to help you introduce your dog to new environments calmly. 

Many dog owners skip the first two steps, which can make their walking experience more stressful. By incorporating these steps into your routine, you can transform how your dog responds to new environments, leading to more relaxed and enjoyable walks.

Ready to try out the back-and-forth game and the sniff-and-walk game? Click here to get my free 5-day mini-course!

For more dog training tips, including how to train your dog to be calm in the garden, click here.