08/14/2026
“Why does my dog listen perfectly at home but forget everything outside?”
This is one of the most common things we hear. The truth is, your dog isn’t being stubborn! They’re learning that skills have to be practiced in different environments with different levels of distractions.
This is Dash, who is extremely fearful. You can see how his environmental confidence diminishes as the environment changes. We used to not be able to get him on a leash at all!
He has built a strong foundation indoors, like in our classroom or at home, where things are predictable and familiar. But when we move into the lobby, then outside, new sights, sounds, people, and movement make the skill much harder.
That’s why we don’t skip steps. We build from low distractions to higher distractions so dogs can be successful along the way. A behavior that looks great inside still needs practice in the real world before we can expect it to hold up everywhere.
Training is so much more than just teaching the behavior! It's also about teaching your dog how to use that behavior no matter where they are!
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