Even though you are focused on my instructions and making these shifts, try not to get tense because you dog will respond to that. Want your dog to be calm? It starts with you. Like putting a second grader in high school, they are destined to fail. If you don’t have the practice of calming down in your routine, trying to get it at the park when other dogs are around is medium hopeless and ultimately unfair to your dog.
![settle hand signal for dog settle hand signal for dog](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/94/c5/f4/94c5f437f2246676bf15a6b4d76fa3b4.png)
The more you practice pausing in excited moments - and staying still until you get a full shift to a calm energy, the faster your dog will be able to navigate that internal process in truly exciting moments out in public with lots of novelty and stimulation. The ability to go down those internal stairs quickly is contingent on how often down regulation is practiced. I want a dog that is surrendered, one who is okay if we do, okay if we don’t, okay now, and okay later. I don’t want a dog that is submissive, that’s no fun. When my dog lands at the bottom stair of calm, I call what I’m looking for a surrendered state, which is very soft and peaceful. An impulsive, pushy, jumping, whining, fidgeting excited dog is one who is going to ignore my light cues and might end up getting yelled at. Once I see my dog start to ask questions, it means their thinking brain is online and now I have a dog I can work with. Luckily dogs are very present so this doesn’t take too long. I want to wait until my dog starts asking ‘are we ever going to go? Are we going to live at this threshold for the rest of eternity? I want to wait until I can feel or see a noticeable shift in my dog’s energy. I don’t want to wait for a perfunctory three seconds until my dog pauses long enough for me to feel I’ve checked the training box then hurry on to the task before they break the wait because they weren’t really calm. When my dog is excited, instead of continuing what we are doing, I pause and embody the calm energy I want them to join me in. It builds the relationship we want with the dog we want and opens doors to the expanse of their experience as they will be able to move through the world with you comfortably.ĭown regulation is the process by which we go from an excited state to a calmer one, usually incrementally, as if going down a flight of stairs, step by step. Here are the scenarios I use a ‘wait’ command and it does so so much more than just make the activity involved easier.
![settle hand signal for dog settle hand signal for dog](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/63/82/90/638290c2ca3308500a82345f49c5511d.jpg)
Reinforces the mindset a good teammate would have, one that is patient and considerate, like how if we were going somewhere together and I asked you to wait, I’m sure you could happily pause for a moment for me unless you are very self centered or a toddler. Helps them build self control so they have a stockpile for when you really need it in more exciting situations. Reminds your dog that activities and privileges happen on your terms and you aren’t a butler who exists just to cater to them. Teaches your dog to down regulate - to go from an excited state to a calm one.īuilds the understanding that your dog needs to ‘calm down’ in order to get what they want.
![settle hand signal for dog settle hand signal for dog](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/01/e0/67/01e06734e3fbdcfbd5a02d0fbad5f73b.png)
It means ‘pause until further instructions.’ Not only is this command insanely useful, it does a few important things for your dog’s mentality. One of the absolutely most important things to teach a dog is the ‘wait’ command.