Dog impulse control training

Q: How do I teach my dog impulse control?

Practise short daily reps of wait (at bowls and doors), leave it, and settling on a mat, plus games where calm behaviour opens your hand. Reward the pause and raise difficulty gradually.

Q: What is impulse control training for dogs?

Teaching a dog to tolerate a delay between wanting something and getting it: waiting at doors and bowls, leaving food on cue, settling on a mat, and stopping a game on request.

Q: Why does my dog have no impulse control?

Self-control is a skill that develops with age and practice, and adolescent dogs in particular struggle with it. Over-arousal, too little sleep and a history of getting what they want by grabbing all make it worse.

Q: How do I teach a dog self-control?

Reward small waits and build up: pause before meals, wait at the door, leave a treat on the floor, and settle on a mat while life happens around them. Keep arousal low so the dog can think.

Q: How long does impulse control training take?

Basic waits come within a week or two of short daily practice. Reliable self-control around real temptations and distractions usually takes one to three months and continues improving with maturity.

Q: Does impulse control training help hyperactive dogs?

It helps a dog learn to settle and think rather than react, which reduces jumping, grabbing and frantic behaviour, especially alongside enough exercise, enrichment and sleep.

Q: Can old dogs learn impulse control?

Yes. Adult and senior dogs learn waits and settles well with consistent reward-based practice; it may just take a little longer to overwrite established habits.

Q: What is the difference between impulse control and obedience?

Obedience is doing a specific cue on request. Impulse control is the underlying ability to pause and choose rather than react, which makes obedience reliable under temptation.

Q: Should I use corrections to teach impulse control?

No. Punishing a dog for failing to wait adds stress and arousal, which reduces self-control. Reward the pauses you want and make the steps easy enough to succeed.

Q: What is the easiest first impulse-control exercise?

A short wait before the food bowl goes down: ask for a sit, lower the bowl, lift it again if the dog breaks, and release with a word when the dog holds still.

Impulse control is the ability to pause instead of grabbing, barging or reacting. It is trainable, and it underpins polite greetings, loose-lead walking and a dog that can settle in a busy place.

We publish this site independently and stand behind the guidance on it. It is not the official Brain Training for Dogs website, and we are not Adrienne Farricelli or her team. Some links here are affiliate links: if you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and that never changes what we recommend. See our affiliate disclosure.

Quick answer

Build impulse control with short, daily reward-based reps: wait at bowls and doors, leave it with food on the floor or your hand, settle on a mat while life happens, and games where calm behaviour, not pushiness, opens your hand. Reward the pause, raise difficulty one step at a time, and keep sessions to a few minutes.

What impulse control actually is

It is not obedience or stillness. It is the dog choosing to wait, disengage or check in when it wants something. Dogs are not born with much of it, and adolescents in particular have drives that outrun their self-control. The good news is that practising the pause, and being paid for it, builds the skill.

Core exercises

Wait for the bowl

Hold the food bowl at waist height. Lower it; if the dog surges, lift it back up. The instant the dog holds still or sits, the bowl comes down. The dog learns that calm makes food happen.

Leave it

Closed fist with food inside, offered to the dog. Ignore licking and pawing. The moment the dog backs off or looks at you, mark and reward from the other hand. Progress to food on a flat palm, then on the floor under your hand, then uncovered.

Settle on a mat

Reward any calm behaviour on a mat: a sit, then a down, then a hip roll, then a sigh. Build duration slowly while you do ordinary things nearby. The mat becomes a portable off-switch.

Doorway waits

Hand on the door handle; open it a crack. If the dog moves forward, close it. Open again when the dog waits. Release with a cue. Do the same at the car and the garden.

"It is your choice" game

Open hand of treats. Close it if the dog dives in; open it when the dog eases off. The dog works out that self-restraint, not pushiness, gets the reward.

A weekly plan

Daily: a wait at every meal and every door; one 3-minute "leave it" session
3×/week: a 5-minute mat settle while you eat or work
2×/week: the "it is your choice" game, then apply it to a real situation (a toy, a greeting)

Common mistakes

Raising difficulty too fast, so the dog never succeeds
Repeating cues instead of waiting for the pause
Practising only when the dog is calm: you need easy reps in mildly exciting moments too
Long sessions; keep them short and end on a win
Using force or startle: it raises arousal and undermines the skill

Where it helps

Impulse control feeds directly into stopping jumping up, calming an overexcited dog, loose-lead walking and settling in cafes. For high-drive dogs it is as important as physical exercise, see high-energy dog activities.

Want the games mapped out for you?

Brain Training for Dogs organises reward-based mental exercises and obedience training into difficulty levels, with troubleshooting for each step. Check the current offer for format, contents and guarantee terms.

See the current offer

Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

FAQ

How do I teach my dog impulse control?

What is impulse control training for dogs?

Why does my dog have no impulse control?

How do I teach a dog self-control?

How long does impulse control training take?

Does impulse control training help hyperactive dogs?

Can old dogs learn impulse control?

What is the difference between impulse control and obedience?

Should I use corrections to teach impulse control?

What is the easiest first impulse-control exercise?

Related guides

References

Ziv G (2017). The effects of using aversive training methods in dogs: a review. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 19, 50–60.
Vieira de Castro AC, Fuchs D, Morello GM, Pastur S, de Sousa L, Olsson IAS (2020). Does training method matter? Evidence for the negative impact of aversive-based methods on companion dog welfare. PLOS ONE 15(12), e0225023.
China L, Mills DS, Cooper JJ (2020). Efficacy of dog training with and without remote electronic collars vs. a focus on positive reinforcement. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 7, 508.
China L, Mills DS, Cooper JJ (2023). Reevaluating the effectiveness of electronic shock collars: prevalence of adverse effects and comparison with positive reinforcement. PLOS ONE.
Herron ME, Shofer FS, Reisner IR (2009). Survey of the use and outcome of confrontational and non-confrontational training methods in client-owned dogs showing undesired behaviors. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 117, 47–54.
Hiby EF, Rooney NJ, Bradshaw JWS (2004). Dog training methods: their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare. Animal Welfare 13, 63–69.
Blackwell EJ, Twells C, Seawright A, Casey RA (2008). The relationship between training methods and the occurrence of behavior problems, as reported by owners, in a population of domestic dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 3, 207–217.
Rooney NJ, Cowan S (2011). Training methods and owner–dog interaction: links with dog behaviour and learning ability. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 132, 169–177.
Deldalle S, Gaunet F (2014). Effects of 2 training methods on stress-related behaviors of the dog and on the dog–owner relationship. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 9, 58–65.
Arhant C, Bubna-Littitz H, Bartels A, Futschik A, Troxler J (2010). Behaviour of smaller and larger dogs: effects of training methods, inconsistency of owner behaviour and level of engagement in activities with the dog. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 123, 131–142.
Fernandes JG, Olsson IAS, Vieira de Castro AC (2017). Do aversive-based training methods actually compromise dog welfare?: a literature review. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 196, 1–12.
Casey RA, Loftus B, Bolster C, Richards GJ, Blackwell EJ (2014). Human-directed aggression in domestic dogs: occurrence in different contexts and risk factors. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 152, 52–63.
American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (2021). Position Statement on Humane Dog Training. View source
American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. Position Statement on the Use of Punishment for Behavior Modification in Animals. View source
American Animal Hospital Association (2015). Canine and Feline Behavior Management Guidelines. View source
WSAVA Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee (2018). Global Welfare Guidelines for companion animal practitioners. Journal of Small Animal Practice.

These references describe dogs and training in general. They are not evidence about any specific commercial program. This page is general information, not a substitute for individualised veterinary or behaviour advice. Last reviewed: 30 August 2026.