Y’all, we gotta give a little warning with this one, it may get a little spicy. To prep for this episode, we turned to the internet to see what advice pet parents are likely to find, and boy, oh, boy… We don’t even know how to end this sentence. 

In this episode, Emily and Tiffany are getting into why the things that come up when you search “How to calm down a hyper dog” aren’t bad, just… You know, overly simplistic, prescriptive management techniques that aren’t actually addressing the issue. We’re breaking down the small kernels of truth we can take away from this advice, why it isn’t working for you, and what it actually means to teach a lifelong skill, not shift the blame onto pet parents for not being “chill” enough. 

Calm isn't a personality trait. It's not breed destiny. It's a skill that can be built through repetition, in the right conditions, with the right feedback. We promise, and if you don’t believe us, you can ask our clients. 

TLDL (too long, didn’t listen): 3 Key Takeaways 

1️⃣ Down-regulation is a skill – Skills can be taught through repetition, in the right conditions, with the right feedback.

2️⃣ Rest and relaxation aren't the same thing – A dog can rest while totally wound up, and be completely relaxed while wide awake. Conflating the two sends us chasing the wrong metric. 

3️⃣ It’s not wrong, just incomplete – There’s a kernel of truth in the common advice, but there’s also a lot missing. If it hasn’t worked, it doesn’t mean it won’t; it means we need to tweak.

For the full episode show notes, including the resources mentioned in this episode, go here.

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