"Confidence Building" is one of those trendy phrases in dog training right now. But what types of activities actually build confidence and expand your dog's emotional capacity? I believe our dogs need physical challenges that come with real risks and rewards, as opposed to contrived challenges in controlled settings.
What better way to give your dog a therapy session than to do some actual confidence building out in nature? Then you get the added bonus of some much needed forest bathing outside of the city, while providing small but real obstacles for them to conquer!
Every time we go to the creek we hike a little bit further, and overcome different types of challenges that involve climbing, jumping, scrambling over boulders, and traversing water. This slowly but surely has increased my dog's confidence, self-esteem, and emotional capacity.
To see some real life examples of this, watch the video: Mimi at the Creek
