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Advice or good book on training 9 yrs stressed dog

Agree wholeheartedly with JudyN. Remember, the dog is closer to the warm ground.
 
If it is humid, panting is less efficient at cooling the dog than at other times too - there's less evaporation. So that could contribute too.
 
Going back to what consititues a 'good' walk, I was thinking back to some of Jasper's (indulge me - I do like to reminisce about him:oops:). When he was older, particularly on warm days, he would choose to walk all of about 50 yards to the grassy verge on the roundabout, and settle down for a snooze. Which was absolutely fine, though I did have to explain to people stopping their cars to ask if he was OK or if he had suddenly expired! And if the dog 2 doors up was in season, we'd get as far as her drive where he'd hang around for ages looking longingly up the drive and imploringly at me, and eventually decide that if he couldn't get to see her me might just as well go home again.

Either of these were fine - no need to stress, no need to badger him into doing what I thought made for a 'good' walk. Biddie will have her own individual foibles - and they're fine too:)
 
I do think this is the key. Occasionally when I'm just hanging around with one of mine I do seem to get funny looks or the usual 'who's in charge you or the dog?' to which I usually respond 'the dog of course, it's his/her walk!' or 'what's the rush, it's his/her walk'...(always spoken with a smile I should add, no angry retorts needed):) Generally people get it but you do get some that still think you should just make them walk... ( usually people that don't even have a dog I expect!)
 
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