Impulse control : So overlooked but vitally important

New Video: Working Impulse Control with Young Boris 🐾

I’ve just uploaded a new video where I begin some impulse control work with Boris, a young dog right at the start of his training journey.

Impulse control is so often overlooked at the outset of training, but it’s absolutely vital. Without it, we see all sorts of unwanted behaviours:

- Jumping up because the dog just can’t resist the excitement

- Chasing after other dogs, birds, rabbits, or cyclists

- Charging chaotically around the dog park

- Total mayhem when the doorbell rings

-Reactivity

All of those behaviours come down to the same challenge—struggling to manage impulses. That’s why we start here.

In this video, you’ll see a powerful example of it. As I release the other four dogs, Boris wants , with every fibre in his body to leap up and join them. You can practically see the energy running through him! Yet even though every instinct is telling him to go, he manages to hold himself back. That little moment of self-control is huge—so well done, Boris for finding your pause button. 👏

This is only one way of beginning to build impulse control, but these first steps are the foundation that prevents bigger problems later on. A dog that can master these small victories becomes easier to live with, safer in the real world, and far more enjoyable to take anywhere.

👉 Watch the video and notice how much effort young Boris is putting into keeping himself together—it’s the start of something really important.

2 days ago he was as good as totally feral

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