06/07/2025
📢 WHY TEACHING YOUR DOG TO SWITCH OFF IS ESSENTIAL 🐶🔥
Especially if you own a working breed, this might be the most important thing you teach your dog. Yes, more important than the walk. More important than the recall. More important than the tricks.
Let’s talk about the off switch. Because a lot of people miss this one. And it’s a game-changer.
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🧠 More Exercise ≠ a Calmer Dog
When your dog is full of energy and bouncing off the walls, it’s easy to think, “I’ll just walk them more!” But if you’re only adding stimulation, you’re just building stamina and spiking arousal.
That means your dog gets fitter, not calmer. You’re training them to stay in a high state of arousal—and they’ll live there unless you actively teach them how to come down from it.
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😵💫 Constant Arousal Isn’t Happiness
It might look like excitement or joy, but when your dog is constantly hyped up, it’s actually stress. Their nervous system never gets a break. They can’t think clearly, can’t regulate themselves, and that bleeds into everything:
• Reactivity 🚫
• Lead pulling 🚶♀️
• Barking at the window 📢
• Overexcited greetings 🐾
• Resource guarding 🦴
• Poor impulse control across the board 🌀
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💤 Teaching Calm is a Skill
This is where structure and calm environments matter. This is why I love crates. Used properly, crates help teach dogs that it’s okay to settle. It forces the body to slow down, rest, and reset.
Teaching calm isn’t about punishment—it’s about balance. It’s helping your dog feel safe doing nothing. And it doesn’t always come naturally, especially for high-drive breeds bred to work all day.
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🔥 If you have a working breed, or any high-drive dog, listen up:
Teaching calm isn’t optional. It’s just as important as socialisation, exercise, training—maybe even more. You’re not just creating a more manageable dog. You’re helping your dog live a less stressful, more peaceful life.
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✨ So if you’ve been walking your dog to the moon and back and they’re still not settling… it might be time to work on the off switch.