There is a saying in the dog training world that "a tired dog is a good dog." Meaning you will see a lot fewer behavior problems if your dog is well exercised. That's true...to an extent. But it is possible to overdo it. Today we started out the morning playing. It is very typical for me to get in a good exercise session before we start with a training session. It helps take the edge off and generally I get more focus from the dog.
We had a lot to work on today so I wanted to make sure to start the day off right. But once we started on our first training walk of the day, something because clear to me very quickly. Sia was not her normal self on the walk. It took a lot of work on my part to keep her with me. She was very distracted and was not checking in with me much. She was ramped up and I knew right away what had happened.
Sia had gotten too excited in her play and she was having a hard time settling down. Don't get me wrong, the play is still good...very good. And exercise is good. But learning your dogs limits and when to step in and work on some calming exercises is equally important.
A quick fix to our training issue was to have some quiet time with just Sia and myself. Maybe include one other dog but just not the over the top excitement she gets with more stimuli. Time for a nice massage, a quiet soothing voice and a chance for her to just be in the moment.
Signs that Sia is getting too stirred up? Pacing, circling, and unresponsive behavior (yes, your name is Sia and you do need to look at me when I say your name). She does this sometimes too if she's nervous about something in her environment.
She will start to chuff where she is blowing air out her mouth and puffing her cheeks out. Time for some relaxation...
A down stay, slow strokes and a quiet voice. Nice calm behavior from you to interrupt that anxious or worked up behavior.
And a nice long nap to take the edge off.
No comments:
Post a Comment