03/19/2026
Do you help your dog practice using their “calm muscle?” Dogs who are reactive or high energy need structured time to learn how to be calm so they can be successful in overstimulating situations.
Every time Kenny and I go for a walk we take time to find somewhere to sit and just relax. He knows he has to lay down (and stay down). He’s allowed to look all around and sniff things around his nose. But he also knows he’s NOT allowed to get up, bark, lunge, etc at anything he sees. It’s definitely taken a while for him to get the hang of the rules but over time it’s led to much calmer walks since he knows his expectations.
