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Originally Posted by ckb  That all sounds great, I'll feel a but guilty though making him think he's going for a walk if he isn't.... I'm too soft I think. I just want a happy dog. |
Don't feel guilty! You are using his own canine nature to help him. He'll learn in time that excitement doesn't work that well and just because all the usual things happen, no walk ensues every time and it will help him learn how to control that awful excitement you described, especially at his age. He's a mature dog at 9 years and needs to be able to gain self-control, which this method will teach him how to slowly do it. Slowly exposing a dog a little bit at a time to things that excite or scare them is how to help them learn to react differently and become a better companion to you.