Dominant Puppies

If this behaviour is "sudden" in an older dog please take the dog for a checkup at the vets to ensure there are no medical problems causing the behavior. A dog in pain can be unusually agressive. Otherwise, practicing dominant behaviour is completely normal in a young dog. You must however be consistant in your behaviour towards the dog including directing all "play" so that there is no doubt at any time who is in charge. Your dog will explore boundaries just like children do but it is especially important at this age to get those boundaries right.

If you watch dogs in a group you will see this behaviour demonstrated with all ages. In a dog's mind, there has to be an "Alpha"- a top dog - the boss. Various strategies are used by the dogs to establish who this will be using dominating behaviour ranging from  nipping, growling and rough and tumble wrestling to "humping". The establishment of an Alpha can take a while sometimes but then relative positions in the group are then up for grabs using the same techniques.

A dog who is unsure of his position in the pack is an unhappy dog and may display unpredictable behaviour. This is dangerous especially with children. You must ensure that your dog sees you as its Alpha and any other family members as higher in the "pack". The easiest way to do this is by mimicking what other dogs would do in a group.

Continue to interact and play with your dog but set yourself a limit as to what the dog can get away with. When the dog steps over this boundary you must display dominant "doggy" behaviour every time:

Grab the loose skin and fur around the back of the neck in both hands and shake the dog from side to side lifting it slightly off its front paws. This won't hurt the dog at all. Make a growling noise and put on a fierce face as you do this and then say "NO" loudly (This mimicks what a female would do to a young puppy over stepping the mark) Leave the dog immediately afterwards and go and sit down as if disinterested by the whole thing. After a few times doing this, you should find that the dog will then come slinking up to you ears down, repentant. The dog may even turn on its back, legs in the air as if it wants its tummy rubbed - this is the ultimate submission gesture. You must give praise and love now, lots of it but not too excitable.

Something else to do at another time is get on all fours and put your chin over the back of your dog's neck / upper back. They hate this ! It is the ultimate dominant gesture. This is what male dogs do to female dogs just before they mount them! Male and female dogs do this to each other all the time just to reinforce who is boss. You may ony be able to do it for a second at first but persist and eventually you will be able to do it for longer. It's all play really, but in a language the pup can understand quite clearly.

Other things to bear in mind which give out signals as to who is boss are:

1. If you feed the dog before you eat yourself you are unconsciously telling the dog he is superior to you. (At a kill, a pack of wild dogs will let the Alpha eat first)

2. If you let the dog go through a door before you, you are giving way your space to him and he feels more important.

3. If you let the dog sit at the same level as you (ie. on the sofa or on the bed) it thinks it is as important as you.

Practice the above advice consistantly as the puppy matures and make sure he is obedience trained, either through classes in your area or just by basic household rules and manners. The most confusing thing for a dog is inconsistency:- He is allowed on the sofa one day but not the next - he doesn't know that today it's raining and he's muddy, he just thinks he has a leader who can't be bothered to enforce the rules. Laying down rules and teaching good manners need not take up a lot of time. Just insist on a "sit and stay" before his dinner is put down, a "down" before you open the door, a "wait" before he chases a ball or a "down stay" while you eat family dinner.

 

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Dominance in Older Dogs

If this behaviour is "sudden" in an older dog please take the dog for a checkup at the vets to ensure there are no medical problems causing the behavior. A dog in pain can be unusually and understandably aggressive if disturbed.

As your dog grows older (and larger) be very careful about enforcing your dominance, especially if you have not had the dog from puppyhood and have not been following the guidelines above outlined in puppy dominance. In a mature dog, DO NOT enforce your dominance with aggression or loud shouting. You are asking to be bitten! if a dog is a confident, mature dominant dog who is suddenly being challenged by his owner he may well attack to defend his pack position. If, on the other hand, a dog feels fear, cowers, puts his ears back, curls up his lip to show his teeth and feels backed into a corner with no escape, he is also likely to attack (a fight or flight reaction). If your dog displays this behaviour regularly for what seems no real provocation / reason then your dog is likely to be suffering from fear aggression not dominance based aggression and you would be better off reading this article on fear aggression.

Many people confuse dominance and aggression, feeling that because their dog displays aggression then it must be a confident, dominant dog. This is NOT TRUE!  Many, many "aggressive" dogs are actually badly bred, poor weak nerved dogs reacting out of pure fear. Such dogs tend to react to everything with aggressive snarling / growling / barking. A truly confident, dominant, alpha dog will actually not find the need to react to very much with aggression because he feels comfortable with his abilities and himself. He has strong nerves. He will only attack to defend himself or to protect his pack position. Such a dog tends to have quite a high defence threashold meaning that he won't perceive many things to be a threat. I prefer this type of dog because he will not perceive a threat in a noisy child waving a toy in his face whereas the weak nerved, fear aggressive dog would "unexpectedly" deliver a bite straight to the child's face.

There are also dogs, who, whilst not fear aggressive, or naturally dominant find themselves in the alpha position. The position has been foistered upon them by over indulgent owners who then scratch their heads at their dog's strange unpredictable (sometimes unusually dominant) behaviour. Such a dog may then begin to display signs of fear aggression and / or dominance whilst still being completely safe / comfortable around children with wierd toys for example. The poor dog looking to his humans for direction and leadership and, finding none, shoulders the burden of leader and pack protector himself. Ill equipt for this task, he begins to over react to situations, perceiving threats where there are none, becoming depressed and driving his owners to despair with his barking. This type of dog often responds really quickly once human leadership has been (re)established.

A confident, dominant dog may then be prefered BUT no dog must be allowed to think he is the alpha in the pack because ultimately we want the dog to obay us and follow our rules not make up his own. With a dog whose background you do not know, or with a dog who has previously enjoyed being king of the castle in the house, the following suggestions based on general obedience are recommended to (re)establish leadership:

Being the pack leader (Alpha)

1. If you feed the dog before you eat yourself you are unconsciously telling the dog he is superior to you. (At a kill, a pack of wild dogs will let the Alpha eat first)

2. If you let the dog go through a door before you, you are giving way your space to him and he feels more important.

3. If you let the dog sit at the same level as you (ie. on the sofa or on the bed) it thinks it is as important as you.

4. The dog must earn everything he gets (an obedience command must be obayed before getting food, going out, etc)

5. The dog must not be exposed to situations where another dog (perhaps running loose) could attack him.

6. Obedience training is a must and should be practiced several times a week

7. All familiy members should stick to the same consistent rules for behaving with the dog

8. The dog's toys are YOURS and you let him play with them sometimes. After play, the toys are put away again.

9. If the dog is laying in a doorway, he must move for you to pass - do not step over him

10. The dog must not demand attention and receive it. Attention should be given at a time of YOUR choice and the dog must be called to you to come for petting / play etc. In a pack situation, the top ranking dogs can demand attention from the lower ranking ones, not the other way around. When you give your dog attention on demand you're telling her that she has more status in the pack than you do.

11. If the dog demands attention, IGNORE him or, if this proves difficult, remove him from the room for 4-5 minutes and keep doing so until he gets the idea.

12. Do not let the dog sit on your lap, climb on your knees. NO he isn't cuddling you! This is a dominant position restricting your movement.

  

 

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Delicate Stomachs

Many GSDs have a tendancy to a delicate stomach. Always consult a vet if your dog is vomiting and or has diarrhoea for longer than 24 hours. If you have tried various commercial diets claiming to cater for delicate stomachs and the problem still persists then use the following steps:

1. Take the dog for a visit to the vets anyway for a check over to make sure there are no underlying problems. Ensure all vaccination, worming and flea treatments are up to date.

2. If the dog currently has diarrhoea then impose a fast for 24 hours ensuring the dog has constant access to fresh clean water.

3. When the fast is over, prepare plain boiled rice and plain boiled or roasted chicken pieces (ensuring no bones are present) This can be put in the freezer in portions for later use. Mix the rice and chicken well (shred/cut the chicken into small bits). Give a portion which resembles the dogs usual quantity. Feed this diet for a week or so until you feel the dog's stomach has settled well down.

4. Introduce any new foods gradually. Do this by adding a small amount of the new diet to the dogs usual feed and increase this amount slowly over a period of a few weeks. If you have been following the chicken and rice diet in step 3 then add the new diet slowly to this.

5. Ensure that there is no opportunity for the dog to scavenge either from rubbish bins or from items dropped in the park for example.

6. Do not feed titbits in between meals.

7. Give meals in smaller, more frequent intervals. Start by having 2 meals a day instead of one but keep the total quantity of food given in a day the same. If you are already giving 2 meals a day then try giving 3 instead.

8. Keep the dog's bowls as clean as you would your own and change the water frequently (Change the water not just top it up)

If this advice fails to improve the condition then you may want to consider feeding the chicken and rice diet on a full time basis. If you do this you can add a handfull of dog biscuit for extra crunch and also should add a complete vitamin/mineral supplement (usually a powder) to mix in.

Dogs can also be given homeopathic remedies. Dose as for a child. Chamomile is good for the stomach!

We have found that tuna fish with rice is a good occasional variation on the chicken. Again, introduce slowly. Tuna has a perticularly beneficial effect on coat condition because of the fish oils.

You will eventually find a diet which suits your dog through careful experimentation and observation.

 

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Travel Sickness

Dear Advice provider, My 8 year old dog LOVES to go places but she gets car sick. I have no problem getting her in the car. If the car door is open, she jumps right in and starts wagging her tail. If she doesn't eat for a few hours before we go, she usually just vomets up a little foam. But if she does eat she brings up food as well. When we reach the vet or park, she jumps right out and gets really excited and wags her tail. She has no problem getting in the car or anything but she gets sick. She has been doing this all her life. The first time she was in a car she got sick. That was when she was a puppy. How can I cure this? Please help!

It doesn't sound like your dog has a problem with the car itself which is good! It sounds more to me as if she is experiencing travel sickness as humans do possibly coupled with excitement because she knows she will be going somewhere fun. 8 years old could be a bit late to change things but this is what I would do:

1. Do not feed the dog for 2 hours before a car journey

2. Don't make car journeys (or preparations for them) a big fuss.

3. Practice getting in the car, driving a little way (before the time when she normally becomes sick) and then coming straight back home. No excitement or fuss or attention. Do this lots of times over a period of 2-3 months. Gradually extend the length of the journey. After this time, resume normal car journeys to the park etc but ensure no fuss or excitement (from you). Every so often do another round trip where nothing happens. She will never know which trip is going to be an exciting one and which one will be a boring one. Overall this should quench the sense of anticipation (butterflies in stomach feeling)

4. Give a toy or bone to play with in the car

5. Cover the back windows so she can't see outside (scenery rushing by could make her feel giddy)

6. Use a crate so that she feels secure

7. Drive carefully to ensure least possible throwing around

8. Use a human homeopathic travel sickness remedy - dose as for a child under 12.

 

For dogs who seem to be nervous of the car itself and appear worried even before the car starts moving:

Car sickness is a common problem in all breeds. In most cases it can be cured or considerably improved. There seem to be two types of car sickness: Nervous sickness and genuine motion sickness (same as humans). Luckily the most common one is nervous sickness which is easier to cure.

Nervous sickness. This is when the dog is nervous of travelling in the car and becomes worried and sometimes even sick before the car sets off. The dog may sit in the car with ears back and a pathetic look on it's face. The only solution to this is retraining. The dog must be trained to relise that journeying in the car is a pleasant experience with a reward at the end.

1. Stop all car journeys for the time being.

2. Put the dog's food bowl in the car next to a nice soft comfortable blanket.

3. Let the dog see his bowl in the car and give him some time to get used to the idea that it is there.

4. The following day, repeat the above at mealtime and see whether he will jump in the car for his feed of his own will. It may take a while, don't put any pressure on him.

5. Continue to feed the dog in the car for a few days or so until you feel he has the idea that being in the car is good and rewarding. While he is eating, sit in the drivers seat. When he is finished, give lots of praise, get him out of the car and have a quick game with him.

6. When you feel ready for this next step, go to the car with the bowl but this time put the dinner in a seperate sealed container. Make sure you are about 10 minutes early for his feed. Put the bowl in the car as usual. The dog should jump expectantly into the car. This time though, turn on the engine - make sure you are outside as the fumes in a garage could make him sick at once. Sit with him in the car for a while - say 5 mins with the engine running. Then switch off the engine and feed him as normal with lots of praise and a game at the end as usual.

7. Gradually increase the amount of time he is in the car with the engine running until you feel he is not worried by this and sees it as normal

8. Graduate to actually driving along for 5 mins before you feed him and slowly increase the time spent driving.

9. Soon the dog should be happy traveling in the car.

 

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Ear Infections

All dogs with erect ears are prone to ear conditions as you describe. If they have very furry ears it isn't as bad as the fur prevents foreign bodies entering the ear and helps to keep them clean.

If the dog has smelly ears or any sign of discharge take him to the vet who may give drops to put in them.

Sometimes this only seems to resolve the problem temporarily. In this case it is possible that a small grass seed or similar object has entered the ear and become stuck, creating an infection which can seem to get better but just lurk in the background only to emerge again at a later date. Take the dogs back to the vet who will probably try and flush the ear out (Like us when we go for our ears syringing at the doctors!) Antibiotics may be prescribed to clear any infection. Most dogs have an anasthetic for this procedure because they don't like it very much.

To help prevent this happening in the future, ensure ears are checked every day, especially after a walk. If you have more than one dog, encourage them to clean each others ears but also make sure you clean them too. Use a soft cloth not cotton buds as this may push any obstruction deeper into the ear.

 

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Dogs "humping" visitors :-)

Don't worry, this annoying little habit can be controlled but it takes some time and effort and all the family to join in. This behaviour is very common - your dog is possibly going through puberty and just like human beings can feel urges when his hormones get going. His behaviour is instinctual and feels nice to him. He needs to be trained out of it. Another reason for this behaviour is that the dog is putting on a display of dominance. He obviously feels he must let the visitor know who is in charge here. This is what you do:

 

1. Give him a pillow or blanket that he can "hump" to his hearts content and don't tell him off when he humps this.

2. Stop giving any treats at the normal times you would give them (for now)

3. Have some of his favourite treats always close by

4. When he starts to "hump" someone, they must ignore him completely. Someone else must quickly clap their hands as loud as possible a couple of times saying "NO" loudly.

5. Then the person clapping must quickly get a treat and wave it in front of his nose, gently encouraging him to come to them for more treats.

6. Everyone in the family and friends too must join in and be prepared to do this EVERY TIME. There must be no laughing or mayhem or jumping around while you do this - it will only confuse him.

7. Faster results will happen if the person doing the clapping etc is the dogs "alpha" - person he looks up to the most. If you are unsure what being an "alpha" is all about then read this.

You should find that after a couple of weeks doing this his behaviour improves considerably towards visitors.

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A nasty dog attacked my dog when he was a puppy and now he is aggressive to all other dogs.

This is a very common problem. Following this kind of situation, the dog has commonly developed fear aggression as a result of his unpleasant experience with the dog(s) who attacked him. He now thinks that he must get in there first to protect himself in similar circumstances (i.e. whenever another dog comes up to sniff him).

It is possible he has lost confidence in your leadership in his pack (because you allowed him to get hurt before) so he thinks it is up to him to take control of the situation. Some re-establishing of your alpha position may help.

This problem will only get worse as he grows older and it will be harder to solve the longer it goes on. Basically it is a bad idea for anyone to let a young puppy be exposed to a situation where it may get hurt. The owner is supposed to be the dogs leader and protector. Sometimes this is easier said than done because other dog owners will let their dogs run loose. It is better to try and avoid other dogs when the pup is still young unless it is in a controlled situation such as obedience classes or a friend's well known dog.

What you need to do now is :

1. Take the dog to an obedience class where the trainer can help you and your dog overcome his anxiety. They will also show you how to use positive reinforcement to teach him not to react to other dogs. Slowly he will come to accept the other dogs in the class and feel them less of a threat. If he gets loads of attention and treats for not reacting to other dogs then he will eventually extend this to dogs outside the class. Do not give him ANY attention (even a scolding) for reacting negatively.

2. Make sure the dog knows that you are the leader in the pack. Do this by practicing obedience with him at every opportunity. He must sit before he goes out, you must go out of doors before him, he must not be allowed on the furniture / beds, you must eat before him, he must sit before he gets his dinner, etc, etc.

3. When you meet another dog outside, do not let the other dog sniff him. turn away so that your body is between the other dog and him and say briskly "come on" and carry on walking the opposite way. Do not unduly tighten up the leash in anticipation of trouble and try your best to remain calm, cheery and matter of fact. Dogs pick up so much emotion from our body language! He will eventually pick up that other dogs are no big deal and that you are in control of the situation so he need not worry. Good luck with all this. It will take some time to sort out so don't expect results overnight. Consistency and perseverance are the keys here!

 

 

Fear Aggression

Aggressive to other dogs?

To cure a fearful dog of this problem, you must be sure that he knows you are the alpha leader, the boss, and you look after all his interests. His world begins and ends with you and you take care of everything - including protecting him.

You must not inadvertantly reward his behaviour by petting and "trying to calm him" by stroking when he starts barking and lunging. He will think that you are praising him for his behaviour and do it all the more.

If he has been in doubt who is the leader then he may have been trying to assume this role himself. It isn't a good role for a dog - most don't like being in this position. In this position they think that if a strange dog approaches, it is they who must make a decision about whether the other dog is ok. If your dog is stressed by this he may just decide, well, if I keep all dogs away by barking and lunging at them then everything will be ok.

Once you have established your leadership then find someone with a placid dog to go out to a park / beach etc with. Reward your dog with treats or toy games for not reacting to the other dog. Make sure your body language is relaxed, don't hold the lead tensely etc. Much of the cure here involves positive rewarding things.

If your dog is simply dominant and not fearful, then again he needs to be generally reminded of who's the boss but he must also be reprimanded for the behaviour. It is better that you do not try to deal with this by tugging and pulling at his collar. You could damage his neck and we don't want him to attack you next do we? If the dog's general obedience is good then try to anticipate when the bad behaviour will happen and instead, give an obedience command and have treats / toys etc ready for a reward. Here you are trying distraction techniques to divert the bad behaviour and he gets a reward for the obedience rather than a self reward for barking at the dog. If he breaks off his obedience to lunge at the dog, say "NO" or "BAD" in a very firm voice and turn and walk the other way. Stop and resume your obedience commands game. Repeat and repeat until he is doing his commands for his treat rather than going for the dog.

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Questions about buying a GSD puppy

We will be getting a new puppy next week (10 weeks old). I have been advised to get him checked by the veterinarian for congenital problems. Could you tell me what kind of problems a German Shepherd puppy is typically likely to suffer from and how a vet would check for congenital problems? Also when would we be able to tell if there were any signs of Hip Dysplasia?

A vet will not be able to tell anything from a 10 week old puppy apart from obvious signs of ill health such as worms, fleas, eye infection etc.

Your choice of breeder and the information that breeder provides you with are the safest ways of ensuring you get a pup with the least possible problems.

A good breeder will be able to show you proof of the pups parents hip scores, which should be preferably a-normal (German rating) or less than 19/106 in total (which is the current breed average) for the UK rating. The breeder should also be able to show you proof of a negative haemophillia test for the sire of the litter.

The breeder should also be able to explain his breeding program and philosophy to you. i.e. why he has specifically bred these 2 animals. If the breeder can not show you these things then you should walk away!! Don't forget, the cute pup you purchase will be your responsibility for the next 10-15+ years.

You should be able to see at least the Dam of the litter if not the Sire too. Do not be fobbed off by breeders. If the dam of the litter is crouching warily in the corner and will not approach you happily then she has poor temperament. There are no reasons to do with having pups to excuse this behaviour. This type of mother will most definately transfer elements of this temperament to the pups during the crucial last 2 week window that the pups are with her. This is called imprinting. A dam who is agressive towards visitors when her pups are 7/8 weeks old is also exhibiting poor temperament and is a sign that the pups have not been sufficiently handled by humans.

Possible problems for GSDs:

A good German Shepherd Puppy should be suffering from no problems at all and should be lively, nippy, curious, smell sweet, clear eyes. Rigorously check out the breeder, it is your best chance of getting a well bred pup with no problems and be prepared to walk away from that cute pup if the breeder doesn't come up to standard!!

 

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Questions about choosing a GSD Puppy

We will soon be going to choose a new puppy. How do we choose which one is right for us?

Depending on the bloodlines, the Sire and Dam used and on the pup's position in the hierarchy of the litter, a pup can inherit and/or acquire varying temperaments / characteristics which can then be shaped by appropriate training.

To make it easier, you need to consider the following basic types:

1. Alpha: top pup in the litter, confident, outgoing, dominating, aloof, used to getting his own way with other pups, more difficult to train due to downright refusal but hugely rewarding when a bond is made through correct training. Usually a one or max. two person dog. Suitable for all types of work, especially schutzhund, protection training. Owners MUST establish pack leadership! This kind of dog WILL definately protect humans / house / car from intruders.

2. Submissive: (don't mean fearful here) usually intelligent, wants a quieter life, avoids conflict, submits to dominant dogs and humans, bonds easily with most humans, easy to train, good with children and other animals, beware of using too strong corrections! Suitable for obedience work, support work, tracking, search & rescue. This kind of dog will have an impressive bark but if an intruder came in the house would probably not engage him.

3. High drive (could also be the alpha): High energy, always on the go, loves to chase objects / small animals! High excitability, usually quite vocal. Usually dominant but may not push the point. Training becomes easier as dog matures but is difficult initially due to excitability. Will pull hard on lead! Will do very well in schutzhund / protection work, herding, agility, search & rescue. Active, energetic owners who can understand drives and direct them in training will develop an enormously rewarding dog! this kind of dog WILL probably engage an intruder if his training has been good.

You can have various combinations of the above but this will serve as a simple breakdown. Think about your lifestyle and the training you will be able to give the dog. What role will the dog play in your lives?

Also see our page on choosing pups: Here

 

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Dog pulling on the lead

This is such a common problem - the first thing you should realise is that you are not alone!

The second thing to bear in mind is that in an older dog this behaviour is well established and is not going to change quickly.

The third thing to always remember is that although the remedy is boring and repetitive and it seems you are getting nowhere, this method does work in the end!

What you should do is firstly ensure that in the general day to day living with the dog you are the boss and he knows it. There should be no sitting on sofas, treats from the table, commands that sometimes don't have to be obayed. Spend 5 mins 8 times a day reinforcing obedience commands: sit, down, stay, come. Praise and give treats for good work. All this is about stepping up the importance of you as his leader.

Using a short lead more or less immediately means it will be a tight lead and he will have become habituated to pulling as soon as he feels the pressure through the collar. Use a longer lead and hold it loose. A different lead would also be good from an association point of view : new lead - new way of walking with this lead!

When it comes to walks you must give him no option to pull. Do not go for ANY walks outside on lead until you have mastered the technique that follows in the house / garden for several days. If you can drive his somewhere where he can exercise safely without the lead then that would be ok.

Practice this in the house first and then in the garden. :

1: If you have been trying to use a command like "heel" to get him to heel in the past, ditch this now and choose a new one: "with me" is good as we are not aiming for the obedience championships here!

2. Stand still with the lead attached loosely to his collar. If he starts to pull off in a direction just keep standing still and refuse to move. You can attract his attention with a treat and say "good boy", "good with me" as you give him a treat. Get used to carrying lots of tiny treats in your pocket and have a handful of treats in your left hand before you begin. Hold the lead loosely in your right hand with the dog on your left and practice holding your left arm straight down your left side and "dispensing" treats
from your fist using thumb and forefinger.

3. Once you have his attention, have praised / treated him and have said "with me" "good with me", you can move off very slowly, keeping your left hand with the treats in it down by your side and dispensing treats as you go along, whilst reinforcing the "with me" command and talking to him all the
time saying "good boy, good with me" etc.

4. Do this in sessions lasting no longer than 5 mins but make sure you do plenty of them each day. If he starts to pull, change the direction you are walking in, saying "with me". This will confuse him as he thought he knew where you were going and that he would take the lead again! If he pulls all
the more, stop still and just ignore him but refuse to move at all. Give it a minute and then attract his attention again and start over. If you can just achieve 5 paces before he pulls then stop and give lots of praise letting him see how pleased you are with him. If he enjoys a ball or tug toy then whip it out and have a 2 minute game with him as anothe reward. You can slowly build up to 10 paces then 20 paces etc. The idea is that he has to keep an eye on you as you may suddenly change direction or you may be going to stop and have a game with him. His world should revolve around what he and you are going to do next, not what great fun he is going to have in the park!

Some people find that their dog loves the ball so much that they choose not to use treats. If your dog is like this you can let him see that you have a (tennis ball sized) ball and then tuck this under your left armpit. Use the same techniques as above but after 5 or so paces lift your arm slightly so that the ball drops and the dog is allowed to get it. Then just increase the number of paces until you drop the ball. You can achieve a perfect heel with this technique if the dog wants the ball badly enough!

5. Graduate to trying this out in the street but crucially, don't go in the same direction you always used to go in when you went for walks before. We don't want old routines kicking in! Try at first going to more unfamiliar places before you finally return to your old walks.