Less Is More

I get a lot of working dogs. Some people choose a dog not understanding the breeds needs, some people choose a dog understanding the breed’s needs and life happens, and some get a random mix of genetics that turn out a high-energy/high-drive dog.

Whatever the case may be, so many clients are doing waaaaay too much with their dogs.

They talk to them nonstop throughout the day. (We too often spend all the time at home engaging with our dogs when we don’t always need it, and not enough time working on engagement out and about when we DO need it.)

They take them on 5 walks a day.

They give them ongoing access to 30+ toys.

They have free reign of the house and a doggie door to the yard.

And guess what? Most of these dogs are not truly working line dogs. They are simply, chronically overstimulated and have never had to learn, let alone had the opportunity to settle. It’s a modern day human problem that has inevitably rolled over into the lives of our canine companions.

‘Dolce far niente’ an Italian phrase which translates to the sweetness of doing nothing.

Let your dogs be bored.

Let your dogs learn to self-soothe.

Let your dogs have a life outside of you.

I get it. We love our dogs. But if we want them to settle when we need them to, it takes practicing when we don’t necessarily need them to. Practice you can get by doing absolutely nothing to help them. Let them figure it out.

Do less to get more.