When Carter's owners called me in to help them get him acquainted with their household and family, I was very excited to teach them some basic structures. Carter is a shepherd mix who has a medium level of energy and is very submissive. I worked with the owners and their daughter to walk him and introduce him to the bike for outdoor exercise, and everyone did great with him! 

We also worked on indoor rules so that Carter could learn his place in his family. Whenever I get to work with a dog who is adjusting into a new home, I'm always excited to share the importance of balanced methods with rewarding and correcting. Carter was hesitant to some things, and so we worked together to build positive experiences, but he still needed correction in some ways, and it's okay to correct a hesitant dog. Even dogs who are unsure of their environment need to have clear boundaries, but they also need the proper reward at the proper moment in order to sort through what behaviors are acceptable and which ones aren't. 

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