To manage overstimulation, you’ll first need to identify what is causing your dog to behave this way – for example, it could be other dogs, people or animals, or situations like busy roads or loud environments.
When your dog is overstimulated, avoid distracting them with food as this could encourage them to repeat their behaviour.
Instead, try to build a positive association to the trigger.
Giving your dog mentally stimulating activities that are of low arousal will help to engage their senses and increase their overall level of calmness.
An emergency stop is an important command for your dog to learn as it can be used in urgent situations that need immediate intervention.
For example, this could be used to stop your dog from running up to a potentially reactive dog, running across the road, or if your dog has become overstimulated.
The command helps to get their focus back to you and can stop a situation from escalating.
Play time is a great way for your dog to burn off some energy, and by engaging in constructive play, you can also use this time to teach your dog some polite manners.
The most important thing to remember during constructive play is not to overstimulate your dog too much.