Poppy, a large Weimaraner cross, was a high-energy dog with reactivity issues. Managing her excitability was challenging. Before I trained as a dog behaviorist, I believed that giving Poppy a lot of exercise would give her the energy release to calm her.
At the start of our walks, we crossed a 15-acre field with two giant hills. I'd let Poppy off the lead at the top of one hill, and in a second, she'd race to the end of the field until she was a black dot on the horizon. I used to give her a five-minute free pass because I knew I'd have no chance of a recall if I didn't let her get the energy out of her system.
