Last shots - First Walk

Wednesday was our Charlie's last set of vaccinations and yesterday he was free to begin to venture beyond our yard. This is him after yesterday! Exhausted! 

When we started our walk, I could tell by his gait, light airy and quick, that he was excited venturing past his yard and usual block.  Though excited, he was still cautious and alert with a quick freeze stance with every unexpected sound. It was entertaining to watch. 

There were many things on our stroll that made him react in interesting and unexpected ways. I had no idea that my role on our first walk would be one of a great supporter and reinforcer. So many different things stirred a reaction.
When we came to a wooden bridge in our path it surprisingly gave him a start. He stopped short and wouldn't budge. After much coaxing and reinforcement, he crouched low and slowly managed to creep across. When we met walkers along the path, he'd stand still and begin his bark and was uber cautious about letting them approach to greet him. We came across no other dogs on our travels so am curious to know his reaction. 

I did manage to bring myself a small bag of treats for reinforcing correct behaviour on our walk (thinking commands like come and stay) but had no idea the amount of reactions that he would have to some of the most mundane things that would require support. I realized quick that on future walks I should be armed with a larger bag of treats to calm, correct and reinforce.