How to Identify a Calm Puppy
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Training a puppy to be calm can be a challenging task. However, the benefits of having a calm puppy are not just limited to the absence of incessant barking or jumping. Calmness training aims to teach your puppy to self-soothe when they are over-excited and to remain calm in distracting situations. It takes time and patience, but there are certain signs you can look out for that indicate your pup is mastering the art of calmness.
Here are some signs your puppy is trying to calm themselves down.
Body Language Tells
The first key sign of a calm puppy is their body language. A calm pup will exhibit slow and steady movements, a stark contrast to frantic zoomies. A camp puppy will casually and slowly walk around with you.
As you would expect when your puppy is laying down and simply watching the world go by. That is also them feeling very calm and relaxed in there it environment.
Relaxed Exploration
The second sign of a calm pup is how they explore their environment. A relaxed puppy will show interest in sniffing around their surroundings. Sniffing is a natural calming behaviour for dogs, so if your puppy is casually walking around sniffing everything in there environment they will be pretty relaxed. Sniffing is a great way to bring your puppies heart rate down which is the easiest way to start to calm them.
Another self-soothing behaviour is licking. A relaxed pup might lick themselves, a chew toy, or even you, as a way to calm themselves down. Providing your puppy with licking opportunities is a great way of calming them down. Peanut butter inside of a Kong is always a favourite.
Chewing Behaviour
The third sign to look for is the right kind of chewing behaviour. Chewing is a natural dog behaviour that promotes calmness. If your puppy is happily munching on a chew toy instead of your furniture or shoes, then that's a good sign they're mastering calmness. Providing appropriate chews can help facilitate this behaviour and encourage your puppy to remain calm.
If you find your puppy is excessively licking or chewing anything please consult your vet.
Training a puppy to be calm is an important part of their upbringing. It is not just about avoiding disruptive behaviours, but about teaching the puppy to self-soothe and remain calm in various situations. By observing their body language, exploration habits, and chewing behaviour, you can gauge how well your puppy is progressing in their calmness training.
Remember, it takes time and patience, but the rewards of having a calm and well-behaved puppy are worth it.