Why do we continue to push them?
Distressed barking in carparks because they would be "bored" at home.
Sitting in bars while they cower under a table to "help them become exposed to life".
Walking around busy hardware stores where they're confronted by machinery, people, dogs and smells and they're completely overwhelmed.
So why do we persist?
We've seen (or think we have seen) a glimmer of relaxation in that chaos.

We crave fast results and visible “progress”.
We take the smallest piece of calmness and stillness as a positive.
Those glimpses of coping aren’t always comfort.

Far from it for many.

We've often misread just how comfortable they are and we think that's enough of a signal to push them far more.

It's not.

So how long do you have to do the bars, cafes and stores before they just accept new environments?
For many in just those scenarios, pushed that much, they may never accept them.
You'll be doing the same in 2 months and still doing it in 2 years.
Or, their world will quickly become much smaller because their reactions will be stronger to the point they will screech, lunge or feel they have no choice but to use their mouth.

We need to stop throwing them in the deep end when they can barely cope "paddling" around.
They need careful exposure, not just exposure.

It's the old "they can, but should they" debate.
Not much of a debate for me.