When bad days happen with my highly anxious and reactive dog

We started our Friday morning with a very messy walk. Lucky was so much more sensitive and nervous than usual. She did not listen to me or respond to my leash pressure; she was just so anxious and wanted to drag me away from everything, even in the empty park. It was so stressful, with her pulling, walking in different directions, changing sides, and walking in circles, etc. I tried not to get mad at her, it was not her fault, she was simply extra scared today. Still, as you can hear from my voice, I was super frustrated. I’m sharing this because, like everyone, I have moments of impatience and frustration. We all have our bad days. To make these bad days less bad and to avoid myself from exploding, I do the following:

• Take more breaks, stopping to calm down and breathe 😮‍💨
• Engage in calmer activities, e.g., just sitting on a bench in a quieter area to simply rest and observe 🧘‍♀️
• Make the walks shorter 😌
• Think about a little self-care for when I get home, perhaps a nice breakfast or a nap 🥞😴
• Remind myself that the most stressful part of the day will probably end after the walk 🥳

Here’s hoping all of you find your moments of peace today. Wishing everyone a lovely weekend!