I said it for years… I have a high-energy, high-drive dog! She is Blue Heeler (Australian Cattle Dog) and Border Collie – two smart, active, working dog breeds. I don’t own sheep, so how do I keep her busy? I ran with her daily, had chuck-it sessions, used tricks and agility, 8 hours of excitement at dog daycare, played with toys in the house and kept her moving all the time. Constant over-stimulation.
Now, she will play ball till the death. There is no internal off switch. She has no quit. That was my biggest mistake I made with my dog. I did not teach her how to be ok with calm, how to slow down. I taught her to be an adrenaline-seeking athlete always needing the next fix. She has anxiety and a lean physique.
As humans we need to find our own calm, how can we expect our dogs to chill in a world currently designed to hustle. Go Go Go! Be more productive! Work more! DING! The phone notification!
Dogs need 16-18 hours of rest, Every Day.
Proper rest. Not laying on the bed as a strategic vantage point to watch who comes and goes from the park. Not following you around the house and laying beside you on the couch, only to get up again in a few minutes when you go to the next room. Not staying out on the deck all day patrolling the neighborhood on high alert.
So how do we teach our dog to stop, to rest, to be ok with the calm. How do we tell ourselves it’s ok if our dog looks “bored”. How do we teach ourselves to be ok with our own boredom?
We start by slowing down the walk, limiting the off-leash wild running freedom. We add structure to play, only allowing play outside the home, not giving in to the demands from the dog when they bring us a toy. We begin to incorporate crate time and teaching Place.
Crates provide a safe place to reset and completely switch off. It’s not dog jail. Crating your dog for 2-4 hours (or more) each day allows them time to fully decompress, especially after a walk or training session.
Training Place teaches your dog to be calm while other things are going on. They don’t have to think about where you are going, what toy to find or what the kids are playing with. Teaching them to truly relax on Place – not just laying on a mat, with ears perked up, waiting to be released to the next adventure – takes time and patience. It means correcting and directing them back to Place if they leave on their own terms.
Give your dog the appropriate amount of exercise, two leashed walks a day is usually enough for most dogs. A short 10 minute play or chuck-it session every other day. Then for the rest of the day help them train their mind to be calm, settled and relaxed.
Now, go to a yoga class and help your human mind relax!