One of the most overlooked training tools is teaching your dog how to do nothing. We spend so much time teaching sits, downs, recalls, and tricks that we sometimes forget to teach calmness. Practice rewarding your dog for simply relaxing at your feet, settling on a mat, or calmly observing the world without needing to interact with everything around them. Future service dogs, therapy dogs, and well mannered family dogs all benefit from learning that they do not always need to be “on.” Calmness is a skill, and like every other skill, it can be taught and reinforced.
