Training basics to teach your dog – how to teach your dog to settle

1st August 2022

0 Shares

Some dogs, like people, struggle to wind down or decompress when they need to. Many dogs get bursts of energy or spend more time jumping around the couches in the evening time when everyone else in the family is trying to relax. It can become a real issue for some households.

Remember, for young, active dog breeds it can be difficult for them to know how to unwind. It’s important during any training time, to be mindful of not asking too much of them so they are not overstimulated. For excessively energetic dogs or if you feel your dog is particularly wound up during particular parts of the day, it can sometimes be because your dog hasnt burned any excess energy that day or sometimes for high drive dog breeds that are bred to work off of adrenaline all day long, not settling in the evening times could be because there has not been any downtime that day and they are highly stimulated.

When your won’t unwind with you whether it be on the couch or in the evenings, it would be beneficial to look at their routine. Has your dog had too much time on their own today? Have they any mental stimulation time or have they spent most of the time looking out the window searching for birds to bark at and now they can’t unwind? Have they had enough physical exercise?

Take a look at adjusting their routine and how you’re interacting with your dog. Do you usually greet them while theyre jumping up or barking when you come home full of excitement? If you usually match your dogs energy levels when they’re excited, they may have inadvertently learned that this is how to get attention. Spend some time with your dog practicing calm behavior by petting and giving attention when they have all four paws on the ground and are behaving calmly but ignore excitable or jumpy behavior. Only turning back and giving attention when your dog is calm again. Then practice and repeat when interacting with your dog and be consistent. This will teach your dog that calm behavior is more rewarding and gets more attention than being bouncy and over excitable.

When your dog is hyper or unable to settle, try redirect them into something more positive. Enrichment toys like a lickimat, snuffle mat or offering something, like a chew toy to unwind is a positive, natural dog behavior that is an outlet for excess energy and acts as a stress relieving activity for your dog when you feel your dog can’t settle.

If your dog struggles to unwind or settle in the evenings. Try to structure your dog’s routine and teaching them how to unwind, like this:

1. walk – if your dog is prone to over excitement, try strolling with a loose lead to allow for a sniff and calm explore around the garden or outside the house, nothing too exciting in an area, just loose or trailing leash

2. something to lick / chew in the evenings- reserve the kongs, puzzles and snake toys to day time and use lickimats and snuffle mats for a calm exercise to drain her brain and tire her out without over stimulating her or getting her too excited.

3. Practice short self-control training, which is quite tiring for the brain – so “place” training or have a “stay”/”wait” practice around the living room to do some training that works on staying in one place and having patience awaiting your release cue.

4.avoid activities related to dog instincts where she’ll get over excited. NO tug toys, NO balls, NO fetching as this will allow her adrenaline levels to pump and get her excited and want to jump on the furniture.

5. Be sure to make sure all her physical and emotional needs have been met that day so you can be in a better position to manage her energy and activity levels and also predict your dog’s behaviours.

This will help teach your dog how to unwind and de stress during a busy day

0 Shares