April 11th, 2025

The Power of Pausing

We get so focused on the here and now that we often forget our dogs—especially their minds—need rest, too.

Just like us, dogs sometimes need a break to recalibrate. In training, particularly with sheepdogs, we can fall into the trap of pushing forward, assuming progress must be constant. But learning isn’t linear—for us or our dogs.

Border Collies might have instincts we can’t fully comprehend, but that doesn’t mean they know everything. And it certainly doesn’t mean they don’t need a pause now and then.

Bella watching her sheep. July 30th, 2023

Running the same drills over and over gets boring and stale. Then we add something new, and suddenly our dogs go wild with excitement. “Why are you acting like this?” we wonder.

Ask yourself:

Is your dog overtired?

Are they stretched too thin?

Can they focus?

Are they even able to focus?

If the answer is no—hit pause. Rest isn’t a setback. It might be the exact thing your dog needs to take that next step forward.

Put them up. Take a breather. Start fresh in a few days.

Train smarter, not harder.

Happy Paused Training,

Addi and The Girls