Impulse control is effectively teaching your puppy that calm behaviour results in them getting what they want, be it treats, toys or your attention. Building impulse control takes time and patience but it can also be a really fun way to spend time and bond with your puppy.
Impulse control can be more challenging for some dogs than others and so it’s important that the training is mixed with plenty of uninhibited fun too. A good formula is to balance every minute of impulse control games with five minutes of expressive play. This way, the training isn’t solely about self-containment. By mixing things up, your dog will stay engaged with you for longer and you can make sure that the calm, focused behaviour you are looking for actually keeps the fun and rewards coming!
Once you feel you are making progress in the self-control stakes this opens up all kinds of fun challenges like “leave”, “stay” and release games like “Free”.