The Art of Boredom

I cannot stress enough the importance of dogs learning to regulate behaviour without always having to bark out obedience commands. We see so much high level, high energy, high stimulation obedience, but that isn’t what families need. They need dogs who can turn off, who can control their impulses, who can relax when needed. Part of it is practicing not giving into your dogs every demand and desire. Dogs who are demanding are dogs who cannot self regulate and always need to be entertained and moving. Part of it is practicing calm with a leash on at home, in the back yard, on walks, at the park or wherever you take your dog. We do this in classes. We stop, we relax, we have a conversation and we allow our dogs to learn how to be bored. The art of learning how to deal with boredom is underrated, but it is the key in having a dog learn to regulate their own behaviours.