“In situations like dog parks and doggie daycare centres, where dogs don’t really know each other, it’s the responsibility of the owner to bring a dog into that scenario calmly.” – Cesar Millan, Cesar 911 episode 205

At The Dog Haus we always stress the importance of dogs entering the facility calmly. When a dog is excited it will stay in that excited state especially when put with other dogs. An excited dog might not make the best decisions when that stimulated and this can offset the pack. Many people however, don’t see excitement as a problem thinking the dog is just happy. But a dog bouncing off the walls is in an unbalanced state. Excitement can often lead to excessive barking, aggression or anxiety, which is an unbalanced state for the dog and will affect the rest of the pack. An unbalanced dog can become a target within a pack and that can be very dangerous.

So to avoid any potential problems like nuisance barking, fights, or anxiety, it is important to address excitement first so it does not lead to an explosion. Leading your dog into the environment calmly and confidently, will communicate what is expected of them. Dogs are affected by our energy, so it is important that the owner represent calmness. Enter through doorways first only when your dog is calm. Never allow your dog to pull you into new territory. Lead and your dog will follow.

Start to reward your dog’s calm energy and you will see a huge shift in their behaviour. If you reward excitement you will get an excited dog. If you reward calm, you will have a balanced dog. It is important to know that a calm dog is a balanced dog and a balanced dog is happy and confident. And there is no better feeling for a dog owner than having a balanced, happy dog.

Just remember: Keep calm and carry on.