It’s easy to label dogs as “overexcited”.

They pull on the lead.
They jump up.
They ignore recall.

It can feel chaotic.

But in many cases, the issue isn’t excitement.

It’s a lack of clear guidance.

Dogs do what works

Dogs are incredibly good at learning from outcomes.

If a behaviour works, they’ll repeat it.

• Pulling gets them to where they want to go
• Jumping gets attention
• Running off leads to something more interesting

From the dog’s point of view, these behaviours make sense.

They’re effective.

Why this matters

If we only focus on stopping unwanted behaviour, we miss an important step.

We’re not showing the dog what to do instead.

That’s where frustration builds — for both the dog and the owner.

Shifting your approach

Instead of asking:
“How do I stop this behaviour?”

Ask:
“What would I like my dog to do instead?”

Then start reinforcing that.

For example:

Loose lead walking
Reward your dog for being in position and choosing to stay with you.

Calm greetings
Reinforce four paws on the floor, even if it’s just for a second.

Recall
Make returning to you consistently rewarding and worth their while.

Reward the small wins

Progress doesn’t come from waiting for perfect behaviour.

It comes from recognising and reinforcing small steps:

• a glance back towards you
• a moment of hesitation
• a slower response

These are the building blocks of reliable behaviour.

The takeaway

Most dogs aren’t trying to get things wrong.

They’re just repeating what has worked for them in the past.

When you give them a clearer, more rewarding alternative,
they’ll start to choose it.