How do you teach your dogs to settle down? For example, this morning we are going for our big walk an hour later, so Tatze is antsi - trying to get us moving and OUT! Her routine is - get up, run to the green, do poo and wee, run round the block (Mum is on a fitness kick), breakfast, chew, mooch for an hour often in the garden, long walk for an hour or two, bonio, sleep (Mum sometimes goes out), walk round the block, evening meal, bone, training, snooze on sofa, bed. She's a really good girl, but I want a way of telling her we're changing the routine a bit! Do you wait 'till they are settled then say 'settle down' until they associate the two things? We use 'wait' for wait then be released one way or another. 'Stay' if we are leaving her. I want a way to get her to wait without being on alert for what's next! In other words 'settle down'
Re: Settle down She looks so lovely there. Not sure I have the answer exactly. Lilly just picks up the energy levels from what is going on around her.. Same happens quite quickly when her cousin comes to stay. If it gets to lunchtime and she hasn't had a walk AT ALL (sometimes happens.....walks sometime in afternoon if a bigger trip is planned, or I am migraine-bound) she does clearly come looking, but not in an annoying way. Not quite sure how I would teach settle without using body language. I am sure someone else will know though!
Re: Settle down No real reliable way to achieve this with Charlie apart from to put him somewhere away from activity - 5 mins in his crate often does the trick and makes him properly switch off, rather than lie down /stay because he has been told to do so. He doesn't really notice his routine changing though - I think this is because every day is slightly different (due to working hours and various people included in his care).
Re: Settle down We were chatting about this recently ... http://www.thelabradorforum.com/index.php?topic=5508.msg69703#msg69703
Re: Settle down [quote author=MadMudMob link=topic=5625.msg71336#msg71336 date=1398596698] We were chatting about this recently ... http://www.thelabradorforum.com/index.php?topic=5508.msg69703#msg69703 [/quote] Thanks MadMudMob. It's not that she's excited really, she's just expectant so (eg) nudging legs, walking to the door and saying 'humph', bringing toys, sitting giving the hard stare etc. This is what I mean by 'antsi'. But I noted your comment (which I didn't really before, sorry, as the question was about over excited dogs rather than antsi ones, but really it's the same thing on another level, isn't it?) anyhoo - I shall do what you suggest and maybe the mods could merge these two threads?
Re: Settle down Hi Mags The thread I started about teaching a calm cue which Roz has given you the link to was because of an article I'd found. It might help you as you could probably adapt it. I found it on barkerbehavior.com I think it's a blog so no www. If you click on articles then dog training it's called 'Help for your Bouncy Dog'. Hope it helps
Re: Settle down Thanks Jen - some great videos there and one is exactly what I want. Now to decide which be will be her 'settle down' area
