Why Teaching Your Dog to Settle in a variety of locations matter?

Teaching your dog to settle isn't just about having a calm pup at home, it’s about helping them regulate their arousal levels in a variety of real-world situations.

Imagine this:
You’ve just finished a fun game of fetch or training session. Your dog is buzzing with energy. Instead of staying in that high gear, they can lie down and relax to bring the arousal down.

Here’s why practising settle in different environments and contexts is key:

🔹 After play = emotional reset
Helps your dog switch from excitement to calm, teaching emotional flexibility, and reducing post-game overarousal.

🔹 During walks = real-life chill
Settling during walks builds impulse control around birds, dogs, and busy streets — you’re not just walking, you’re training life skills.

🔹 In new locations = generalisation
Your dog learns that “settle” means the same thing whether you're in a park, café, or outside a shop supporting real-world calm and confidence.

🔹 In a car = to gradually manage car journeys, travelling together and lowering stress of being in an enclosed space.

🔹 At the distance, coping with distractions
Practising settling at a distance from distractions like kids, squirrels, or dogs helps your pup learn that they don’t always need to react or engage — just observe and relax.

Calmness is a skill, not a personality trait and it’s teachable. You can guide your dog step by step to building this skill to help to self-regulate.
So next time you're out training, don’t skip the settle.

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