Quick Help: 10 Steps to Make Your Good Dog Even Better

The Challenge

Your dog is good, but even sweet, loving dogs can be demanding, get overexcited, or just not listen. These challenging behaviors can turn daily life into a series of small frustrations, affecting your home life, relationships, and peace of mind.

Helping your faithful friend become their calmest, happiest self while deepening your bond is one of the most rewarding parts of dog ownership—but it's not always obvious how to get there. These 10 practical tips will help you bring out the best in your dog while creating a more harmonious household (keep an eye out for the two or three that might be most useful to you):

1. Lead with quiet confidence. Project a calm, assertive energy—stand tall, take deep breaths, move with purpose—especially in stressful or exciting situations like meeting new dogs or people. Dogs are highly attuned to their owner's energy, so when you’re confident, they feel secure in your leadership and can relax.
2. Prioritize daily walks. Take your dog for a brisk walk every day—an hour is ideal but any amount of time helps. Dogs who don't get enough exercise will find ways to burn off excess energy (your chewed shoe is evidence), making regular walks a simple way to keep your best friend calm and happy—and prevent destruction.
3. Design your dog’s day. Create predictable patterns for meals, walks, play, and quiet time. Dogs thrive on knowing what to expect, and when they understand their daily schedule, they feel secure and are more likely to behave well.
4. Trade good things for good behavior. Before giving your dog anything they want (food, attention, a walk), have them perform a simple task like sitting. This teaches them that rewards come through cooperation with you while reinforcing good manners.
5. Capture your canine’s calm. Whenever you notice your dog lying quietly or exhibiting relaxed behavior, gently praise or give them a treat—without making eye contact or showing excitement. Reinforcing calm moments helps your dog learn that feeling peaceful feels good—teaching them to settle down and settle in rather than constantly demand your attention.
6. Channel your dog’s natural instincts. Give your dog an appropriate outlet for their breed-specific drive—let a retriever carry special toys, provide a digging box for a terrier, create scent games for a hound. When you channel your dog’s innate needs into actionable activities rather than fighting them, you’ll have a more satisfied pet and harmonious relationship.
7. Develop your dog’s detector nose. Hide your dog’s favorite treats or toys in easy-to-find spots around the house, tell them “Find it,” and let them sniff their way to it. Just 20 minutes a day of this natural detective work engages your dog’s most powerful sense while giving them a healthy mental workout—leading to a calmer, more relaxed companion.
8. Keep your home dog-friendly. Prevent unwanted behaviors before they start by keeping counters clear, providing appropriate chew toys, and designating specific areas where your dog can relax away from triggers like street noise. When you remove temptations rather than constantly correcting mistakes, your home and relationship with your dog will be more peaceful.
9. Set steady standards. Make sure all family members agree on and enforce the same rules—if the dog isn’t allowed on the couch with you, they can’t be on the couch with anyone else either. When everyone follows the same guidelines, your dog learns clear expectations, reducing frustrating behaviors that arise from confusion and inconsistency.
10. Make time for pure fun. Set aside time each day to do something you and your dog truly enjoy—whether playing fetch, exploring new places, or just hanging out without training goals. When you share genuinely fun experiences, your dog learns to focus on you—not just commands and corrections—because you’re a source of joy!

Where to Begin

Which of these strategies feels most doable for you? Start with just one approach this week—whether practicing calm leadership or establishing a regular walking routine. Remember, the goal isn't to change your dog's personality or natural instincts, but to help them become their best self while strengthening your bond.

Resources

• Clicker Training: How to Reward Calm Behavior
• Dogster: Does Nose Work Tire Dogs Out? Vet-Reviewed Care Facts
• Got Sit Dog Training: How to be Calm and Assertive
• Guide Dog Foundation: Effective ReInforcement
• My Grace Vet: NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE
• Point Cook Dog Training: Capturing calmness and why it is so important!
• Puppy Institute: Puppy training with Cesar Millan
• Whole Dog Journal: Improving the Dog/Human Relationship
• Woman’s Day: 10 Dog-Training Tricks from the Dog Whisperer That Will Change Your Life

For more information on how to develop key traits that can help you make your good dog even better, like confidence and calm, check out Shortform's guides to The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman, Presence by Amy Cuddy, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.