Let’s make this the year you stop guilting yourself (or letting others guilt you) into thinking that you’re not exercising your dog enough and that this is the core reason for their “bad behavior.”
Let’s break it down
Exercise and Behavior Are Not One and the Same
Similar to us as humans, while exercise has many health benefits, it doesn’t mean that it’s the solution for your dog’s behavioral issues. A tired dog is not necessarily a well-behaved dog.
Think about it this way: if you couldn’t make it to the gym on a particular day, does that mean you can start snapping at people, acting rude, or disorderly?
The same expectation should be held for our dogs if we truly want to effect lasting change in their behavior.
Calm Exposure is Key
Dogs often create associations with their environment, and that can spark outbursts.
For example, a dog that has only learned to deal with their high levels of arousal by letting it all out at a dog park is going to act erratically when walking by a dog in your neighborhood.
Or a dog that has always learned that, when seeing people on the street, they get to say hi and all focus turns to them, is going to learn to jump, pull, and become unmanageable every time they see someone approaching them.
This is why no amount of exercise is going to solve your dog’s unhealthy habits.
What your dog needs to learn now is how to view all of these same triggers in a way that brings peace and neutrality so that they’re not constantly living in a high-energy state.
Do This One Thing Today
If there’s one thing you can start today to get your dog back under control:
Bring the focus back to YOU.
Do this by going to a distracting environment, stepping off to the side, and each time your dog gets hyped up by a passerby or another dog, guide them to you with the leash, mark, and reward.
This simple exercise can kickstart you into clearer, calmer walks with your dog.
In Closing
While exercise is a core component of any healthy dog routine, it doesn’t mean that it’s the solution for the behaviors your dog is exhibiting that are unhealthy for them, and for your relationship.
Neutrality is key, and by bringing the focus and attention back to you, you’ll quickly realize that your dog wasn’t under-exercised; they were just overstimulated by the world around them.
If this resonated and you want help applying it with your dog, reach out anytime:
info@hopegablescanine.com 🐕✨
Nicolas Angione is the founder and head dog trainer at Hope Gables Canine, based in Fairfield County, CT. Inspired by his own dog's reactive journey and rehabilitation, he left his career behind to become a dog trainer. After years of shadowing other dog trainers in the industry, he started his own practice, which has successfully helped hundreds of dog owners, both domestic and abroad, regain peace and harmony with their dogs. Many of these success stories, dog training tips, and more can be found on their Instagram and YouTube pages.
