Teaching Settle Skills: How to Help Your Dog Truly Relax

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“My dog never turns off — even after exercise.”

Exercise Alone Doesn’t Create Calm

Over-tired dogs become more dysregulated.

Settle skills teach:

• Stillness

• Patience

• Impulse control

Section 1: What “Settle” Really Means

Settle ≠ obedience

Settle = emotional downshift

Section 2: Creating a Calm Zone

• Use a Dog Mat or bed

• Same spot every time

• Low stimulation

• Quiet reinforcement

Section 3: The Tether Method

• Leash attached

• Ignore attention seeking

• Reward calm lying down

No verbal cues initially. Let calm happen.

Section 4: Capturing Calm in Daily Life

Whenever your dog does one of the following actions its time for a reward:

• Lying down unprompted

• Relaxed body language

• Choosing rest

This teaches calm as a default.

Section 5: Building Duration & Distraction

Start with seconds. Build to minutes. Add movement. Add distance

Add real-world settings. Introducing them slowly to stimulating environments.

Section 6: Why Settle Skills Reduce Anxiety

• Predictability

• Nervous system regulation

• Clear expectations

This is foundational for:

• Reactive dogs

• Service dogs

• Apartment dogs

• Puppies with big feelings

Want a calm dog? Teach them how to be calm when nothing is happening.

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