Raising Resiliency: Teaching Puppies to Self-Regulate Instead of “Burning Energy” 🐾

One of the most common pieces of advice new puppy owners hear is, “A tired dog is a good dog.” While exercise is important, relying on constant activity to manage behavior often creates the opposite of what families are hoping for.

At Z-Dog Training Academy, we focus on teaching puppies how to regulate their energy, not just how to expend it. True resiliency isn’t about exhaustion — it’s about learning how to come down from excitement and return to calm.

In this post of our Raising Resiliency series, we’ll explore why self-regulation matters more than over-exercise, and how to help puppies develop an off-switch early in life.

Why “Burning Energy” Alone Doesn’t Create Calm Puppies

Exercise meets physical needs, but it doesn’t automatically teach emotional control.

When puppies are constantly exercised to manage behavior, we often see:

• Increasing stamina without improved calm

• Heightened arousal levels

• Difficulty settling indoors

• Frustration when activity stops

• Reliance on constant stimulation

Without teaching regulation, puppies simply learn to need more activity to feel okay.

What Self-Regulation Actually Means for Puppies

Self-regulation is the ability to:

• Transition from excitement to calm

• Pause before reacting

• Recover after stimulation

• Settle even when the environment is busy

These skills don’t come naturally — they’re learned through intentional practice and support.

Signs Your Puppy Needs Regulation, Not More Exercise

Many behaviors that look like “too much energy” are actually signs of dysregulation.

Watch for:

• Escalating zoomies

• Biting that intensifies during play

• Difficulty disengaging from toys or people

• Restlessness after long walks or play sessions

• Trouble settling at night

In these cases, adding more activity often makes things worse, not better.

How Puppies Learn to Self-Regulate

Puppies develop regulation skills when they’re given opportunities to:

• Experience stimulation in manageable doses

• Practice calming activities

• Rest before reaching overload

• Be supported instead of corrected when overwhelmed

This is especially important for high-energy or working breeds who are often expected to “go nonstop.”

Regulation-Building Activities That Actually Help

Instead of relying solely on physical exercise, incorporate activities that support nervous system regulation.

Helpful regulation tools include:

• Sniffing games (scatter feeding, scent trails)

• Licking enrichment (lick mats, frozen food toys)

• Chewing (appropriate chews matched to age)

• Short, focused training sessions

• Mat work or settle exercises

These activities help puppies process stimulation and return to baseline.

Teaching Calm in Busy Households

For families with children, teaching self-regulation is essential.

Puppies need to learn:

• How to relax while kids move and play

• That they don’t need to engage with everything

• How to settle during household activity

Protected rest spaces, predictable routines, and intentional downtime all support this process.

Why Calm Is a Skill — Not a Personality Trait

Many people assume calm dogs are “just born that way.” In reality, calm behavior is learned.

When puppies are taught how to:

• Pause

• Breathe

• Settle

• Recover

they carry those skills into adolescence and adulthood.

This is especially powerful for puppies genetically predisposed to high arousal or reactivity.

Raising Resiliency Through Regulation

A resilient puppy isn’t one who’s constantly active.It’s one who can move through the world with flexibility and emotional control.

By teaching self-regulation early — instead of relying on exhaustion — you’re building:

• Better impulse control

• Stronger focus

• Lower stress responses

• A calmer household

These skills last far beyond puppyhood.