Train Your Puppy to Be Calm: 4 Ways to Teach Your Dog (2024)

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Are you struggling to teach your puppy to be calm? Don’t worry, it’s not as difficult as you may think! With the right methods and plenty of patience, you can easily train your pup to regulate their energy levels.

In this article, we will explore four ways to teach your puppy calming techniques and help them become more relaxed in different situations. From physical exercise to obedience training, learn how these simple steps can make a world of difference for both you and your pup.

Why Teach a Puppy to Calm Down?

It’s important to teach your puppy how to be calm, not only for their safety but also so they can develop the skills and behaviors needed for a long, healthy life. One anecdote that exemplifies this is an owner who taught her pup impulse control through tethering him to a mat and rewarding him when he remained still.

Puppy calming strategies, such as positive reinforcement training classes, can provide guidance on how best to teach your pup the necessary skills of relaxation. For instance, using calming techniques like Tellington Touch or providing physical exercise paired with mental stimulation will help keep overstimulation at bay while teaching impulse control.

Breeds vary in energy level, so it’s essential that puppies learn these habits at an early age before lack of impulse control potentially leads to rehoming later down the line. A combination of different methods is often required due to each individual dog’s needs, which could include treats as rewards if desired, along with understanding their optimal activity levels based on age and breed, for example.

The use of mats serves as another tool by tethering your pet until they relax within ten minutes, ensuring successful results every time once the halfway point is reached where dogs understand ‘go-to-mat’ commands upon hearing it given from their owners.

By implementing these practices into everyday life with patience, kindness, and knowledge, any puppy has the potential to become a more relaxed, full-grown canine companion worthy of love and admiration.

Why Puppies Become Overly-Excited

When it comes to teaching a puppy to be calm, excessive energy can lead to unwanted behaviors. Understanding why puppies become overly-excited is important when attempting behavior modification in an effort for desired results.

Fear triggers are one of the main reasons and identifying these may help with strategies for calming them down. Positive reinforcement, along with reward systems using pea-sized treats, will also aid in their learning process as this reinforces good behavior while providing food rewards that fit into your dog’s system of understanding better than verbal commands alone.

Training books are available that provide correct methods on how best to handle overstimulation so as not to cause further distress or disruption within their environment and routine.

By abiding by the same techniques each time you work on calming exercises, they’ll soon understand what is expected from them.

Incorporating consistent positive reinforcement at regular intervals will ensure progress remains steady while encouraging them every step of the way until they finally reach impulse control mastery. It is a much sought-after goal among pet owners everywhere who seek liberation from chaotic environments created by excessively excited canine companions alongside power gained through knowledge and experience combined together.

Methods to Calm Your Puppy Down

You can teach your puppy to be calm by providing them with physical exercise, mental stimulation, obedience training, and teaching a settle command. Consistently rewarding calm behavior is key for success – make sure you’re patient and have plenty of treats on hand! With the correct methods in place, you’ll soon find that your pup’s energy levels are much easier to manage as they learn proper impulse control habits.

Physical Exercise

You can help your pup relax by providing physical exercise, such as walks and playtime – ironically, the same activities that may have contributed to their over-excitement in the first place! Exercise duration should be tailored to breed size and age.

Shorter periods should be reserved for smaller breeds, while longer ones should be reserved for larger breeds. Physical stimulation must also be appropriately managed, with training intensity kept low unless progression is made.

Reward systems are excellent tools when teaching impulse control, but time management is key. Consistency will give the best results. To ensure optimal focus during sessions, use white noise or music at a low volume for a longer period of time while reinforcing correct behavior modification techniques.

Mental Exercise

Mentally stimulating your pup with obedience training and tricks can help deepen the bond between you while promoting calm behavior. Positive reinforcement is key; reward good behaviors and use calming aids to reduce stress levels.

Training techniques such as clicker conditioning, mimicry, or modeling a puppy’s behavior after another dog are all effective ways of teaching impulse control. Consider using mental stimulation tools like puzzles or games to keep your pup engaged in meaningful activities and provide stress relief during stressful times.

Take note of facial expressions when engaging in these activities – if Riley the Golden Retriever rescue looks overly interested while Millie the Aussie Rescue remains unmotivated, tailor their playtime accordingly! With patience and consistent practice, you’ll be able to encourage peacefulness for both dogs at home as well as out on walks together!

Obedience Training

Strengthen your connection with your pup while teaching them important impulse control skills by incorporating obedience training into their routine. Use positive reinforcement and techniques like clicker conditioning, mimicry, or modeling another dog’s behavior to effectively teach reliable recall and set boundaries.

Teach a “Settle” Command

To give your pup more control, start by teaching them the settle command – like a lighthouse in a storm of emotions. Use positive reinforcement and clicker training to reward desired behaviors. Key to this is mat-training, where you can teach puppies to settle on their own spot while desensitizing them to potential triggers or distractions.

Make sure your puppy understands what it means when you use the word good followed by its name, as this will be used frequently during obedience training sessions! Teaching impulse control through rewarding calm behavior and redirecting energy into activities such as fetch are critical components for success in calming down an overly excited pup.

By consistently following these steps over time, they’ll soon learn how to be a good puppy even amidst chaos!

Rewarding Calm Behavior

Reward your pup’s positive behavior to encourage calmness and help them learn impulse control. Use treat rewards, soothing music, mat training, and create a calm environment for maximum success! Positive reinforcement is essential – reward successful obedience with treats, praise, or both.

Keep up the good work until they understand that being still leads to pleasant things.

Arousal

Arousal is an important factor to keep in mind when teaching your pup to be calm – if they become too energized or excited, it can lead to unwanted behavior. Managing arousal levels is key for success and requires a combination of techniques.

Such techniques include calming rewards, soothing massage, calming techniques like Tellington Touch, a default sit command with consistent reinforcement of the cue word associated with it, and establishing quiet areas within the home using baby gates.

Calm rewards are great for reinforcing desired behaviors – treats should always follow moments where your puppy calmly reacts instead of reacting out of fear or excitement.

Additionally, teaching them a default behavior like sitting whenever someone comes through the door will help reinforce proper impulse control habits while still allowing them some freedom from confinement indoors.

Finally, practicing course obedience training helps establish rules and communication between you two. Mental exercise helps wear out puppies positively without overstimulation leading to hyperactivity, which could potentially cause rehoming due to lack of impulse control.

Therefore, making sure you have plenty of activities planned so they don’t get bored easily is essential since different breeds may have higher energy levels than others.

All these components combined together, along with consistency, provide positive results when trying to achieve a more relaxed environment both indoors and outdoors.

Default Behaviors

Teaching your pup a default behavior like sitting when someone enters the room can help establish impulse control and provide them some freedom from confinement indoors. Positive reinforcement is key in teaching this type of behavior, as treats should follow moments where your puppy calmly reacts instead of reacting out of fear or excitement.

Various techniques may be used to achieve this goal including redirection techniques, tether training, and using calming massage such as Tellington Touch.

For puppies with high energy levels, mental stimulation activities are important for managing arousal levels without overstimulation leading to hyperactivity that could potentially cause rehoming due to lack of impulse control – think long-lasting chews or interactive toys! Additionally, providing an environment rich in positive experiences can also greatly contribute towards achieving a more relaxed atmosphere both indoors and outdoors which will benefit their development significantly.

Creating calm environments within our home setting by closing blinds or obscuring the dog’s view outside can reduce triggers for excitement while still allowing them access around the house if needed – baby gates are great tools for this purpose!

Lastly, consistent practice is essential so make sure you have plenty planned so they don’t get bored easily since different breeds may have higher energy needs than others; reward all desirable behaviors during each session until it becomes automatic – aka “their new normal” – then gradually build up duration before rewarding again until full mastery has been achieved on cueing the dog’s default behavior whenever necessary!

Taking Breaks

Taking regular breaks from training will help your pup stay relaxed and focused on learning. Positive reinforcement, reward systems, calming techniques such as classical music or even a Thunder Shirt, and reducing stress levels are all great ways to ensure that your pup is getting the rest they need in between sessions.

1. Break up long periods of training with potty trips or short games for an expected amount of time – this helps keep their attention while reinforcing good settle behavior.
2. Offer sweet puppy treats when you see them exhibiting calm behaviors during break times – be sure to reinforce those moments!
3. Make sure to give plenty of love when taking breaks – it’s always nice to get some extra cuddles after working hard!
4. Utilize calming aids like pheromones or special music specifically designed for dogs if needed – these can really help reduce anxiety levels in longer sessions too!

By regularly giving your pup the opportunity to take a break from whatever activity you may be doing together, it will allow them to reset their internal clock, which can also improve overall impulse control over time.

Consistency is key here, so don’t forget about rewarding desired behaviors as often as possible during each session until mastery has been achieved. This way, they’ll know how proud you are of them and look forward more confidently towards future challenges rather than feeling overwhelmed by expectations right away.

So remember – take care at home, but don’t forget about those necessary breaks either!

Reinforcing Behavior You Want

Rewarding your pup’s calm behavior is a great way to reinforce the behaviors you want! Positive reinforcement, clicker training, boundary training, crate training, and playtime rewards are all excellent tools for teaching your puppy how to stay relaxed.

With consistent practice through positive reinforcement techniques such as treats or verbal praise when they exhibit desired behaviors, it will help them understand what is expected of them.

You can also use play sessions with homemade obstacle courses or agility equipment as an opportunity for reward-based learning and bonding with your pet while helping him learn impulse control at the same time.

Remember that timing is key here – be sure to give the first reward right away so he knows exactly why he’s getting it! Also, try introducing canine behavioral work such as focusing on a specific object before meals or walks instead of allowing him to jump around in anticipation – this helps promote obedience skills which can reduce unwanted behaviors over time.

Time Out

Agility Equipment

Object Focus

Not Reinforcing Behavior You Don’t Want

Avoid reinforcing behavior you don’t want by not rewarding your pup when they display these behaviors. Instead, focus on teaching them positive reinforcement with reward systems and a calm environment.

Utilize time-out methods such as crate training or separating the puppy from other people or animals in the home if needed for undesirable behaviors like barking, jumping up, basic obedience problems, and so forth.

Smaller breeds may need more frequent breaks due to their higher energy levels than larger breeds do.

Make sure that each step of learning is broken down into smaller chunks so that it’s easier for them to understand what exactly they are being asked to do. This will help build trust between you and your pet while enforcing desired behaviors at the same time! Additionally, be patient with yourself during this process as a lack of impulse control can easily lead puppies towards rehoming if not managed correctly.

Thus, give both parties involved enough space in order for everyone involved to feel safe and comfortable, which must always remain priority number one throughout any training session(s).

Management and Training

By managing and training your pup with positive reinforcement, consistency, patience, and plenty of rewards for good behavior, you can help them learn impulse control.

1. Positive Reinforcement – Rewarding a dog’s desired behaviors is one of the best ways to encourage more of those same actions in the future. This could be done using treats or toys as rewards when they obey commands like sit, stay, come, down, etc.
2. Calming Aids – If your pup has difficulty calming down on its own, then there are several different aids that may help, such as calming music CDs or pheromone diffusers.
3. Tethering Technique – The tethering technique involves having your pooch tethered near you while rewarding calm behavior. Eventually, work towards longer periods without any stimulation from outside sources by slowly increasing the distance between yourself and them until ten minutes have been achieved before removing completely (of course, always supervised).
   It trains puppies how to relax better at home too, which is important for developing self-control over hyperactivity levels during playtime outdoors.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)