Episode #262 The Power of Predictability — Routines That Build Confidence

Predictability is one of the most overlooked tools in dog training—and one of the most powerful. In this extended episode, we explore how consistent routines around feeding, walks, rest, and cues reduce anxiety, improve emotional regulation, and build true confidence in puppies and dogs. Backed by behavioral science, this episode shows why predictability makes dogs feel safe—and how safety is the foundation for calm behavior, learning, and trust.

Transcript

Predictability Sets The Stage

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Today's episode is all about predictability and how it's going to help your puppy perform better on a daily basis. Welcome to the Puppy Training Podcast. I'm Amy Jensen, founder of Baxter and Fella, the online puppy school. Here we are all about helping you create the best possible experience raising a puppy. From training tips to practical tricks, all aimed at fostering a happy, well-behaved dog who truly feels like part of the family. So if you are ready to enjoy the journey and strengthen the bond with your dog, let's get started. Welcome back to the podcast. Thanks for listening. If you're new, we talk all things puppies. I have a lot of uh episodes already recorded. So if you're just getting started, I've created a roadmap for you. You can go to my website, baxterambella.com, click on podcast, and you can download that roadmap. If you have a new puppy, I highly recommend following those episodes first because it's going to put you on a course of all of the right things you need to do right away. But thank you for being here. Today we are talking about something else that's really important for puppies is routine. Routine builds confidence. So that power of predictability comes into play. I like to think of it as one of the kindest gifts you can give your dog. Now it doesn't mean you have to do everything the same every single day because teaching them how to mix things up is also good. But when you're getting started, creating a schedule and a routine can really help your puppy gain some confidence. So if you've ever noticed your puppy getting jumpy or reactive, clingy, maybe easily overwhelmed, you guys are all raising your hands, right? Like, oh yep, that's my dog. Oh yep, that's my puppy. Here's something important I want you to know. Your dog isn't being bad. They're likely feeling uncertain or anxious. Dogs thrive on structure. When the world feels predictable, their nervous system can finally relax. So think of it like this: if you didn't know when you'd eat, when you could use the bathroom, or when something loud might happen, I would guess you'd probably start to feel anxious too. For puppies, especially, predictability equals safety. Now, research shows that consistent routines help reduce anxiety and reactivity in dogs. When your puppy can anticipate what's coming next, their brain doesn't have to stay in constant alert mode. Instead of asking, what's happening? Am I safe? What should I do? They start to think, oh, this again. I know this, I recognize this, I've got this, I can relax. And that emotional stability is the foundation of confidence. Let's start with feeding time. When meals happen at roughly the same times each day, their blood sugar is going to stay more stable, their energy levels are going to even out, and you're going to see some anxiety decreasing. Now it's not just about feeding routines, it's also about how. So using the same cues before meals or asking for a simple sit or hand feeding during training sessions can tell your puppy good things come from calm behavior. Food becomes predictable, and predictable food is again comforting. Walks are another huge opportunity for predictability. Now, with your brand new puppies, they're not fully vaccinated. I don't want you out walking them on public roads or sidewalks right now. But in the future, when they're fully vaccinated and you start to do walks, which let me put a little plug-in for this, we actually start leash walking at a very young age. It's just in your house. So take our basic training course and we'll get you started. But when you're ready to venture out and you're out in public, setting this uh scenario up for your puppy is going to be really helpful to them. So, for example, we want it to have this familiar rhythm. We want the leash to go on the same way. You can pause before exiting the door. We wait, right, for calm before we open the door and walk out. We start with a calm few steps before excitement builds. When they check in with me, I reward them, I pay them, and they start to know that. So our puppies are beginning to know the pattern, which means they don't need to feel so rushed, like they need to pull or panic or get all excited, right? Predictable walks can teach our dog, I don't have to control this, my human has it handled, I know what to do, right? We walk, I check in, I get paid for that. Now, that sounds really simple. That's me telling you this is what you do, A, B, and C, and you'll have a dream walker. Let me tell you, leash walking is one of the things that we spend a lot of time on. It the dogs just need those repetitions. And so that's why we start inside your house. We want you to start there, get the basic skills down, and then we progress to an outside around the block walk. And nicely it transitions well once your puppy is uh the right age and fully vaccinated. So do all of the pre-work while they're not fully vaccinated in your house, in your yard, a private space, right? And then you'll find that they'll have those basic foundational blocks in order to be successful when you then head out on a public sidewalk. We can help you with leashwalking if you're frustrated by it. Okay, let's talk about cues, clear communication. So, one of the fastest ways to create uncertainty is saying different words or people in our household saying different words. So if I ask my dog for a down and then somebody else says um off, right? Sometimes those two get confused, off or down, which is it? And what does they what does this one mean versus what does that one mean? It's really important that we have clear communication. So if I'm saying down, no, lay down, off, stop that. To puppy, that's just noise, and that's going to be um frustrating to them and also cause some anxiousness. So we want to use consistent cues, try to just say it once, and if your puppy's not getting it, you know, wait five, seven seconds for them to process what you just asked them to do. And if they are still looking confused, then show them what you're wanting them to do. So saying a simple cue just once, showing your puppy what to do, that's going to lead to faster success and less stress. So clarity again is going to build confidence. Confusion is going to create anxiousness, which is what we don't want. Now, here's the good news: you don't need a rigid schedule down to the minute for every single day. What matters is a predictable flow. So we wake up, we go outside to go potty, we eat our breakfast, uh, we play, we train, we take a break, right? I do that a lot with a brand new puppy. That pattern gets repeated all throughout the day. We play, we train, we rest, and that gives you time when they're resting in their crate or their pen, you get to get done what you need to get done because we can't just do puppy 24-7, unfortunately. I would love that. Uh maybe our walks, after our walks, we do some calm time and then we are ready for sleep. Okay. So just the order of things will be familiar. Your puppy's going to feel more grounded, even if life throws a curveball, which it will, inevitably, right? Not every day is always as we expect. Things happen and you can still, yes, be spontaneous and have some fun. But creating patterns, routines, structure, giving your puppy that predictability actually makes flexibility easier for them because they have a secure baseline that they can go back to. Now, uh predictability doesn't mean I want you to be boring. It doesn't mean you have to be strict, it means safe. When your puppy knows what to expect, they don't have to worry. They can learn and trust and grow, and it makes these puppies feel safe. And safety is where, again, we get that confidence. So if you're feeling overwhelmed, I want you to start small. Just one consistent feeding cue or one predictable walk routine or one clear training cue. Maybe we just clear up our language at home. We have a family meeting and we clear up language. That would be amazing. So those little moments of certainty add up to a calmer, happier dog. And remember, you're not just training behaviors, you're shaping how your puppy feels about the world around them. Our goal is calm, confident dogs, right? That's what we get asked a lot here at Baxter and Bellas. I want the calm dog. You can help create that by giving your dog some predictability. Thanks you guys for tuning in today. I hope you have a great rest of your week. Happy training. We'll talk soon. Thanks for tuning in to the Puppy Training Podcast. I hope today's tips help you feel more confident and excited about raising your dog. Remember, with a little patience and consistency, you can create a loving bond and a well-behaved pup who's a joy to have in your family. If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with fellow puppy parents. For more resources, visit Baxter and Bella online. Until next time, happy training.