I have a 7-month-old dog that loves meeting people and other dogs, but novel environments are her kryptonite. A trainer that I was working with regarding this once suggested carrying her through area that she is afraid of (like through the doorway) and setting her down inside. I've had moderate success with that.

It recently occured to me that if I could take her to new enviorments in a backpack that she is comfortable in, and feed her an obscene amount of high value treats that she ONLY gets in new enviorments, then maybe she might begin to develop a positive association with new enviorments. Maybe set her down after two or three visits in a new area for a few months until she's more confident. I don't know -- I have to play it by ear with her and go at her pace.

As a side note, my dog isn't reactive. She doesn't have an aggressive bone in her body. She just goes into meltdown panic mode and shuts down. Trembles, flees, lays down in place when fleeing isn't an option (away from potential cover like a bush).

Any thoughts? Is this a bad idea?