A dog that barks, pulls, jumps, or stops listening to you is not necessarily being disobedient: they may simply be **overwhelmed by their emotions**. 🟢 As long as they can observe, eat, look at you, and disengage from what is happening, they are still mentally available. 🔴 If they stare, bark, pull, flee, or seem unable to hear you anymore, they are probably **over their emotional threshold**. In that case, the most useful response is often to **increase the distance, reduce the difficulty, and give them time to settle again**. 🧠 Self-control is learned gradually: waiting, disengaging, turning away, and returning to their human despite a distraction. 👉 The goal is not to suppress emotions, but to help the dog **manage them more effectively**.

1️⃣ Discovery, in a calm environment such as the training field at margeridecanin.fr. 2️⃣ Confirmation, with a gradual variation of stimuli. 3️⃣ Consolidation, through many repetitions in different places and situations. This final yet essential stage is often overlooked: when the dog begins to succeed, we may assume that the goal has been achieved and stop training too soon. Emotional regulation—including self-control—also develops throughout this process. As every dog is different, a thorough assessment and personalised support for the human–dog team remain essential.

Our dogs need to expend not only physical energy, but mental energy as well. Puzzle and brain games are an excellent way to stimulate cognitive abilities while strengthening the bond between dog and owner. They encourage dogs to think, search, understand, and succeed — in short, to have fun in a smart and enriching way.