Help with ยท CALM

Why your puppy won't settle, and how to fix it

A puppy who cannot switch off is not naughty. They have not been taught that downtime is a thing that exists.

A dog resting calmly at home

Your puppy will not settle because they have never been taught that downtime exists, and you fix it by building real rest into the day. Puppies regulate like toddlers. They get overtired, overstimulated and demanding, and most of what looks like a settling problem is a rest problem. A puppy who never learns to switch off invents something to do, usually biting, pacing or crying.

CALM is rest on your terms, in a crate or on a tether, where the puppy learns that demanding behaviour gets nothing and only a settled dog gets up. The point is not the duration. It is that the puppy can switch off even when the house is busy.

CALM is one of four modes a puppy needs in balance. Build it alongside real one-on-one PLAY, brain work, and time to just be a dog, and the biting and the witching hour settle with it.

Try this week. Pick one daily moment your puppy usually loses it, often dinner prep or when you sit down in the evening. Put them on a tether or in a crate with a long-lasting chew. Do not let them out until they are fully settled, not just quiet. Repeat tomorrow, and the day after.

New puppy? The Good Puppy Blueprint is the online program for puppies under twelve weeks. For a dog over twelve weeks, private training works it through one-on-one.

Questions

Frequently asked

Is crate training cruel?

Used as rest on the dog's side, not punishment, a crate gives a puppy a place to switch off. The goal is a dog who chooses to settle, not one who is shut away.

My puppy bites constantly in the evening. Why?

That is usually an overtired puppy who has missed CALM, not an aggressive one. Build rest into the day and the evening biting tends to drop away.

In their words

Owners who came in with the same problem

Real reviews of Diona's work. Not the nice-trainer ones, the ones that describe the shift: owners who learned to read their dog, and dogs who got calmer once their needs were met.

  • Bonding over obedience

    Diona's care and understanding of dog behaviour took us from being pulled down the road, with Peanut crying and shrieking at any dog he saw, to walking beside us and choosing us over other dogs. She helped us with bonding and trust, transforming our relationship.

    Lily C. · 2025

  • The household, not just the dog

    Diona was my third trainer I resorted to for my over reactive dog. Diona quickly realised there was much more going on at home than I had truthfully opened up about. Now I have a dog that is absolutely a pleasure to have inside the home. Walks have become more fun and less stressful, reactivity has diminished.

    Ozlem G. · 2023

  • The why behind the method

    Her patience, deep knowledge, and structured approach made all the difference in training our puppy, Bagel. Diona explained everything in detail, ensuring we understood not just the how but also the why behind dog training. Her guidance gave us the confidence to understand our puppy's needs.

    Shelton L. · 2025

235+ five-star reviews of Diona's practice as Diona The Trainer. Read more reviews

Work it through

This is fixable, with the right read.

The free assessment names where to begin. A Hachi Way trainer works it through with you, in your home where the behaviour happens, or online anywhere in the world.