Enough - Level 2
Helping your dog switch off and settle after excitement
🧠 What this is?
This exercise teaches your dog how to come back down after excitement.
We’re using play as a simple way to practise this, but the goal is much bigger than the game itself.
We’re building a clear pattern:
👉 excitement → pause → calm
This helps your dog learn how to switch off, rather than staying heightened.
What you need
A toy your dog enjoys
Food rewards
A calm space to start
🐾 What to do
Start with clear play - Introduce a cue that means play is starting (e.g. “get it”)
Add your drop - Play as normal and use your usual drop cue during the game
Introduce “enough” - At the end of play, say your cue “enough”, scatter a handful of food on the floor, put the toy away.
Let your dog decompress - Allow your dog to sniff and settle, this is where the learning happens
👀 What you’ll start to see
Less frantic behaviour after play
Faster recovery
More ability to switch off
💭 If it feels hard
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Try ending the game earlier, before they get too excited
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They may be too aroused - make the session shorter and calmer
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That’s okay - just stay consistent, the pattern will build
Building this up
TStart in calm environments where your dog can succeed.
Then gradually:
Use it after slightly more exciting play
Build duration of calm afterwards
Use it in different environments
👉 The goal is not to stop play — it’s to build the ability to come back down afterwards
A quick note
This isn’t about shutting your dog down.
It’s about helping them learn that excitement has a clear end — and that relaxing afterwards is part of the pattern.