Why Won’t My Dog Settle?
You’ve taken your dog for a walk.
You’ve played with them.
They’ve eaten dinner.
They’ve inspected the kitchen for anything you may have dropped.
And yet they’re standing directly in front of you looking like:
So…what are we doing next?
Some dogs seem to have an endless appetite for activity.
We often accidentally become full-time entertainers
When our dog looks bored, our instinct is to fix it.
We throw the ball.
Give them a toy.
Get a treat.
Go outside.
Take another walk.
None of those things are bad.
But if we respond every single time our dog asks for entertainment, they may have fewer opportunities to practise simply doing nothing.
Settling is a skill too
Some dogs naturally switch off.
Others find it difficult.
Young dogs in particular can need help learning that there are parts of the day where the humans are busy and nothing exciting is going to happen.
That might look like:
- Lying on their bed while you cook
- Sleeping while you work
- Relaxing after a walk
- Watching the world without interacting with everything
Excited doesn’t necessarily mean happier
We sometimes associate visible excitement with happiness.
A dog running around looks like they’re having fun.
And they probably are.
But a dog deeply asleep beside you can be perfectly content too.
Dogs need access to different emotional states.
Create a rhythm
Instead of thinking:
“How do I keep my dog occupied all day?”
Think about a natural rhythm.
Your dog’s day might include:
- Morning: Walk and breakfast
- Late morning: Rest
- Afternoon: Activity or enrichment
- Late afternoon: Rest
- Evening: Time with family
Not every hour needs a scheduled event.
Don’t expect instant perfection
If your dog is used to constant activity, quiet time can take practice.
Make sure their basic needs are met, then allow the environment to become calm.
You do not need to immediately solve every moment of boredom.
Calm time at Oodles
This is also part of how we think about daycare.
Yes, daycare should be enjoyable.
Yes, dogs should have interesting things to do.
But we don’t believe they should need to spend the entire day in a state of high excitement.
Our approach is about giving dogs different experiences across the day - including the opportunity to slow down.
More than play, a balanced day.
