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When I got my first dog, I’ll be honest—I messed it up. Not permanently (we got her back on track in the end)…but the start was rough. See, I thought I was doing everything “right.”I socialised the hell out of her. Took her everywhere. Let her meet every person, every dog, every single thing that moved. And here’s what happened: Her main source of value became everything external.Other dogs. Strangers. Environments. So guess what?When I needed to step in and say:“Not right now. Not this time. Not that dog.” …we clashed. Because I wasn’t just stopping her from sniffing or playing—I was blocking her from her primary source of reinforcement. That’s when frustration and conflict started to creep in. The lesson?Socialisation is important…but over-socialisation (without anchoring the dog’s value system back to YOU) creates a dog that’s externally obsessed and internally conflicted. You don’t want your dog living for the next distraction. You want them living for the partnership. That’s the balance.And it’s the piece I badly overlooked at the start. SO DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE !

Most owners focus on “doing” with their dogs — sit, down, heel, recall, tricks, play, fetch, training drills. And while all of that has huge value, the most underrated skill you can ever give your dog is the ability to simply… do nothing. Why? Because life isn’t constant stimulation.Your dog needs to learn how to switch off, settle, and be calm in everyday environments. If you skip this, you’ll end up with a dog that demands attention, struggles with over-arousal, and can’t relax unless they’re being entertained. Think about it: - Waiting at the pub or café. - Hanging out while guests are over. - Resting during downtime in the house. - Staying calm in the car. A dog that can “do nothing” in these moments is a dog that’s easy to live with. It’s not about teaching them another fancy behaviour — it’s about giving them the ability to self-regulate. And that only comes through practice. Structured place work, longer duration leash work, and rewarding calm behaviour are where this starts. So don’t just train action… train stillness.That’s the secret to a balanced, adaptable dog. Ollie