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Can you train a dog's impulse control?

Can you train a dog's impulse control?

If your dog is not to be a danger to themselves or their environment, it is vital that the four-legged friend listens to you and has sufficient ability to control impulses.


This article will explain what impulse control in dogs means precisely, what influences it, and whether your four-legged friend's abilities can be trained in this respect.

Impulse control in dogs: What is it?

Impulse control refers to a dog's ability to control emotions and actions. For example, if your dog is playing with other dogs and you call him off, he naturally has the option to ignore you and simply continue playing. Alternatively, he can learn to control this natural impulse, stop playing and respond to your call.


Many dogs tend to jump straight to a filled food bowl and gobble down the contents as quickly as they can. However, you can teach your dog to wait until you give them their food with appropriate training. In this case, too, it is a matter of impulse control.

Why you should train your dog's impulse control

A lack of impulse control can quickly become a big problem for dogs in everyday life. A four-legged friend who constantly reacts impulsively is challenging to control. This is not only highly annoying for the owner. In addition, dogs with insufficient impulse control can also pose a danger to themselves and their environment.


Imagine, for example, your dog suddenly running across a busy road because it has spotted a cat on the other side, or suddenly running away while out walking because it has scented a bitch in heat nearby.


These are just two examples of how your dog's lack of impulse control can affect everyday life. Countless situations could extend the list. However, it should already be clear why training impulse control is not something you should dismiss as unimportant.

What influences impulse control ability in dogs?

Not every dog has the same impulse control ability. Several factors play a role in the animal's abilities. Therefore, it is not unusual that some dogs find it more difficult to control their impulses in certain situations than others.


Factors that play a role in impulse control ability in dogs include, in particular, the age of the animal, the breed of the dog as well as the body type and any stress load that may be present.

How age affects impulse control in dogs

Puppies do not yet have a pronounced ability to control impulses. This is because the brain regions responsible for this are not yet adequately developed in them. When their development is complete depends primarily on the breed of dog.


Large dogs usually develop more slowly in this respect. In them, it may well be that the regions of the brain responsible for impulse control are not fully developed until they are three years old.

How breed affects impulse control in dogs

Dogs have been bred over a long time for particular purposes. This has changed for many breeds in the meantime. Nevertheless, the various dog breeds differ not only in appearance but also in character.


One of the consequences of this is that some dogs, because of their breed, are more likely to react impulsively than others, who find it noticeably easier to control their impulses than their peers.

How body type affects impulse control in dogs

Lean and light dogs tend to have more problems with their impulse control than large animals with muscular build. The latter usually find it relatively easy to stay calm and focused.


Of course, this does not mean that a four-legged dog with a slender build is not capable of impulse control. However, you should expect that you will probably need a little more patience when practising.

How stress affects impulse control in dogs

Excessive stress is a serious health risk for your dog in the long run, which is unfortunately still underestimated by many owners. In addition, frequent stressful situations can impair the ability to control impulses in dogs and lead to an increased tendency for your four-legged friend to react impulsively.


If you want to counteract this, you need to reduce stress in your dog's everyday life. This will not only help you to get your dog's impulsiveness under control more quickly but will also help to prevent stress-related health problems and behavioural problems.

Impulse control training is exhausting

Of course, you can train your dog's impulse control. However, in this context, be aware that it involves a great deal of effort for your four-legged friend in this context.


Long training sessions where the dog first has to wait for minutes for its food to be released and then has to suppress its impulse to play will generally not lead to success.


Therefore, you should try to keep the training with your four-legged friend short and limit your practice to situations in which the ability to control impulses is essential.

Practising impulse control with the dog according to the situation

If you want to train impulse control in your dog, you must remember that you have to practice each situation separately. Just because your dog comes when you call him during play does not mean that he will wait patiently in front of his food bowl until you release his food.


To avoid excessive demands and frustration, you should train your dog's impulse control with the most straightforward possible exercises in the beginning. Apart from that, it is, of course, essential that your dog learns that it is also worthwhile to keep his impulses under control. Therefore, extensive praise, petting, or even a tasty dog treat should not be missing when training impulse control.

Bellfor dog treats: healthy companions for impulse control training

In our assortment, you will find a large selection of healthy dog treats that you can use as a motivational aid when training together with your four-legged friend.


Try our grain-free soft snacks, for example. Bellfor soft snacks are made from carefully selected ingredients, making them a delicious and healthy treat for your dog.


In addition, Bellfor soft snacks are the perfect size to avoid interrupting training for too long. This makes them the ideal companion for training your dog's impulse control skills.


Get to know Bellfor soft snacks.

Fixed structures promote the dog's impulse control

A hectic and stressful everyday life makes it much more difficult for your dog to control its impulses. If you want to improve your dog's impulse control ability through targeted exercises, it is crucial to provide firm structures and avoid unnecessary stress.


Also, make sure to take sufficient breaks during training so that your dog has enough time to relax and be a dog in between. The better you succeed in creating the right conditions, the faster you will progress in impulse control with your dog.

Bellfor expert tip for stressed dogs

Stressful situations, such as moving house, can never be completely ruled out in a dog's everyday life. To support your four-legged friend in this case, a dietary supplement with Shiimun Calm can be helpful.


With carefully selected ingredients such as shiitake, brewer's yeast and green tea, Shiimun Calm can help your four-legged friend cope with stressful situations more easily.


Meet Shiimun Calm.

Impulse control in dogs at a glance

There is, of course, no question that a certain ability to control impulses in dogs is essential and that you should therefore also train this ability with your four-legged friend.


However, always remember that controlling your dog's impulses is very strenuous. Therefore, limit your exercises mainly to situations in which reliable impulse control is indispensable and do not try to put your dog under excessive pressure with long training sessions.


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