Back to Blog
Can You Train Your Dog To Be Calm?8/9/2019 Tiring your dog out can be exhausting, especially after a long day at work. It seems the more tired you are, the more wound up your dog is. Ever wondered what some low-impact, minimal interference, super tiring games for your dog are? Well look no further, here are five scientifically backed ways to benefit both you and your dog. NoseworkThis is one of the most well known and common ways to tire out dog while also testing their intelligence. And yet, not many pet owners seem to be taking up this fun hobby! It’s easiest to start with a high-value treat like chicken, or liver, but eventually weaning them down to finding their food by scavenging will show near instant improvements in the average dog. Puzzle toys work well too, but require less physical exercise and more thinking! Homemade ones can be used to test out which one your dog seems to respond best to. Structured WalksThis is another one that often gets overlooked. Structured walks are when your dog is on their best behavior, a pretty heel, focused on you and not the cat down the street (he’s looking at you funny!) It may seem daunting, especially if your dog is an avid puller on walks, but it is possible! And not only will it be more enjoyable for you, but they will be more tired when you get back, then if you let them pull you left and right. Flexibility TricksThese are tricks that require your dog to use new, neglected muscles. Most people focus on tricks like sit, stay, and come, but switching to something more physically demanding could be just the change of pace your dog needs. Things like sit pretty, bow, or even a rebound can really build a bond between you and your dog, and help relieve pent up energy. But make sure to take it slow with this one. Using new muscles can hold a high probability for injury if not slowly incorporated. Best to contact us, or a local trainer to assist you in how to safely do more advanced trick training. Teach Them CalmThis one might seem a bit counter intuitive, but this is an important one. If your dog is getting more than enough exercise for their breed, size, and food intake, the last thing they need is MORE exercise. More likely the root issue is overstimulation, when a dog is so over-threshold that they go nuts. In this case, the real prescription should be some crate time, and a ‘settle’ command. This isn’t something that will come natural to some dogs, especially high drive breeds (border collie, german shepherd, etc) so this is best worked on with an experienced trainer. Free ShapingThis is my personal favorite one, and is a huge relationship booster. Free shaping is capturing behaviors your dog offers, with minimal (or no) input from you. You can learn more about your dog’s thought process, and encourage chain thinking in your dog.
And best of all, it doesn’t have to take long. Even just ten minutes spent free shaping can tire out a small dog, as long as it’s kept stress free and casual. You want your dog to walk away feeling that they’ve won the whole world, not frustrated and confused at you. With these steps, and some input from a trainer, even the most highly strung dogs can be transformed into laid back lap dogs! If that’s what you want for your dog, make sure to contact us for further help in achieving it!
1 Comment
Read More
Leave a Reply. |