How to calm a dog down at dog park?

To calm a dog down at dog park, we talked about giving Goose the opportunity to learn how to build up self control and emotional regulation so he could make good choices when going to the dog park. The best way to help Goose learn how to control himself is to set him up for success by putting him in situations that allow him to make the right choices. To continue with this good behavior the guardians will want to continue to set Goose up for success by increasing the excitement of meeting a new person or dog in small, manageable increments. This will allow him to slowly learn how to handle more exciting situations such as a dog park over time but also generalize his experience to meeting new dogs and people not only at home and at the dog park but in other situations as well. Like many dogs, Goose became over excited when he went to greet new people or greet strangers at the dog park. He was also overly excited when meeting new dogs. As you can see in the video we moved slowly, allowing Goose the opportunity to stay calm and relaxed when seeing me come up the stairs. This gave him the opportunity to greet me calmly instead of jumping up on me. While he had already met me earlier in the session making this task easier for him ,this was a great opportunity for his guardians to practice giving him space on the leash so when they are in a novel situation they are ready to help goose have enough space to make the best choice.

To reduce stress levels, you may seek comfort in several ways. Our dogs can become stressed too. If you notice signs that your dog is stressed, first remove them from the stressor. Find a quiet place to regroup. Resist the urge to overly comfort them. You may be able to use a treat to lure them to a safer spot. For some dogs, being asked to follow some routine commands for treats provides a positive distraction. As with humans, exercise can be a great stress reducer. For healthy dogs, physical activities such as walking or playing fetch may help both you and your dog release tension. It is also important to provide your dog with a safe place in the home where they can escape stimuli that trigger a stress response.