The Dog Enrichment Mistake Most Owners Don’t Realize They’re Making
From The Dog Who Asked for More: Dog Training, Behavior, & Nutrition for a Calmer Life with Dogs by Emily Breslin | Dog Training, Behavior, & Nutrition | Retired Vet Tech
May 4, 2026 · 6 min · Episode 187
About this episode
This episode discusses how too much enrichment and exercise can lead to increased restlessness in dogs rather than calmness.
What if your dog isn’t struggling because they need more… but because they’ve had too much? You’re doing everything. More walks. More play. More enrichment. Trying to tire them out so they can finally settle. But it’s not working. They’re still restless. Still reactive. Still unable to calm down. And that’s the part that doesn’t make sense. Because a tired dog is supposed to be a calm dog… right? This episode looks at what’s actually happening in your dog’s behavior when they can’t settle—and why more exercise and enrichment can sometimes make things worse instead of better. Because there’s a difference between a dog being tired… and a dog being able to regulate. Em shares what this looked like with Fitz, and how pushing past that “goofy,” overstimulated energy led to bigger reactions, lower tolerance, and a dog who couldn’t come back down. Because sometimes it’s not about doing more.It’s about noticing what happens after. Does your dog actually settle? Or do they stay elevated? If your dog won’t settle no matter how much you do—and you’re starting to feel frustrated, confused, or burned out—this conversation will help you understand what might actually be going on. Free…
People in this episode
Host: Emily Breslin
Topics covered
- dog behavior
- enrichment
- exercise
- calmness
- dog training
Keywords
- dog enrichment
- restlessness
- exercise
- calm dog
- dog training
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