The Learning Switch: Training Starts in the Brain, Not on the Lead
- Deb from Busy Pawz
- Jan 7
- 3 min read
We often think of dog training as a doing activity - sit, stay, come, heel. But there’s something else just as important that often gets overlooked.
The state of your dog’s brain.
Because if your dog isn’t in the right state to learn, no amount of training is going to stick.
Why Your Dog’s Brain State Matters
When your dog is barking, zooming around the house, ignoring cues, or suddenly freezing in place, it’s easy to assume they’re being naughty. Or stubborn. Or that they’ve “forgotten” what you’ve already taught them.
But here’s what’s actually happening.
In those moments, your dog is most likely operating from their limbic system - the part of the brain responsible for emotion and survival responses. That’s fight, flight, freeze, fidget, or fawn.
Their prefrontal cortex - the bit in charge of decision-making, impulse control, and learning is temporarily offline.
This isn’t bad behaviour. It’s a stressed brain doing what it’s designed to do: keep your dog safe.
You can’t teach new skills in that state, just like you wouldn’t try to learn algebra in the middle of a fire drill. Your dog’s brain is busy sorting survival, not learning recall or loose-lead walking.
This Shows Up in Everyday Life
You’ll often see this in reactive dogs who bark before they can think. Or anxious dogs who freeze in new environments. Even confident dogs can lose access to their thinking brain if they’re tired, overstimulated, or unsure.
And if you keep pushing, your training gets slower, more frustrating and less effective.
The good news is you don’t have to train harder. You just need to meet your dog where they are.
Calmness is a Skill, Not a Mood
It’s not about waiting for your dog to feel calm. It’s about helping them practice calm. Just like we teach sit or down, we can teach relaxation.
This might mean:
Using calming games before asking for focus
Creating a predictable routine so your dog feels safe
Reducing background stress (less noise, chaos, or pressure)
Supporting their emotional needs as much as their physical ones
You’re not spoiling your dog by doing this.
You’re helping them build a brain that’s ready to learn.
How to Help Your Dog’s Brain Shift Gears
You can’t force calmness but you can support it. When your dog is in a heightened state - barking, pulling, spinning - it’s not that they’re being “naughty.” Their brain simply isn’t in a place to learn. And trying to train in that moment often leads to frustration for both of you.
Let’s take the common example of a dog barking at the front window.
Your instinct might be to call them away - but chances are, they’ll ignore you. Not because they’re being disobedient, but because they can’t respond right now. Their brain is too busy reacting.
Instead of repeating cues you know won’t land, try this:
Say nothing. Don’t add more noise to an already stressful moment.
Offer a calming activity. A scatter feed away or a chew away from the window can help the brain shift from chaos to calm.
(Just a heads up: this works best if your dog is familiar with and enjoys that type of activity - if not, don’t worry, you can build that positive association over time.)
Try again later. Once things are calm and your dog’s nervous system has settled, practise calling them away from the window when nothing exciting is happening. Now their brain can think, and you’re far more likely to get a response.
Over time, this helps rewire your dog’s brain.
They start to associate the window with a calmer emotional response, and they learn that they can shift gears even in the presence of something exciting, scary or frustrating. You become part of that calming pattern, someone they can tune into instead of tuning out.
You’re not skipping the training. You’re setting their brain up to be ready for it. And that’s when learning really sticks.
Final Thoughts
Understanding how your dog’s brain works changes everything about how you train. It helps you meet your dog with more patience and empathy, and it gives you tools that actually support long-term change - not just quick fixes.
You’re not just teaching behaviour. You’re shaping a brain that can stay calm in chaos, learn with confidence, and feel safe in the world.
Thanks for reading!
And as always, throw your dog a treat from us!
Deb & the Busy Pawz Crew xo
P.S. Want to learn more about how your dog’s brain and behaviour are connected? My Beyond Behaviour online course dives deep into this topic with short, practical lessons you can watch at your own pace.
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