Top 7 'Sit-and-Settle' Quiet Spots to train your dog to relax anywhere for first-time owners - Goh Ling Yong
Welcome to the exciting, whirlwind world of being a first-time dog owner! You’ve probably got the feeding schedule down and are becoming a pro at dodging those puppy teeth. But there’s one skill that often gets overlooked in the flurry of house-training and basic commands: the art of doing absolutely nothing.
That’s right. One of the most valuable skills you can teach your new furry companion is how to simply be. How to lie down and relax in a new environment without whining, pulling, or getting overstimulated. This "settle" is the canine equivalent of a superpower. It transforms stressful café visits into pleasant afternoons and turns a walk in a busy park from a frantic pulling-match into a calm, enjoyable stroll.
The secret isn't a magic wand; it's a simple, powerful training exercise often called "Capturing Calmness" or the "Sit-and-Settle." The concept is to teach your dog that new places are for observation, not just for frantic action. By gradually exposing them to different environments and rewarding calm behaviour, you build a resilient, confident dog who can handle anything life throws at them. Here are the top seven spots to practice this, starting from super-easy and working our way up to the big leagues.
1. The "Boring" Corner of Your Living Room
Before you can expect your dog to be a zen master at a bustling market, you need to build the foundation at home. But wait, doesn't your dog already relax at home? Yes, but probably on their own terms, like napping in their bed. The goal here is to practice a cued settle in a neutral space.
Pick a corner of your living room that isn't associated with play (toys) or sleep (their crate or bed). This is your training dojo. Leash your dog (yes, even indoors!), take a seat on the floor or a cushion, and hold the leash. Now, do nothing. Don't talk to them, don't cue a "down," just wait. Your dog might stand, sniff, or pace for a minute. The moment they offer a calm behaviour—a sit, a sigh, lying down with their hip cocked to the side—calmly mark it with a quiet "good" and place a low-value treat between their paws.
The key is to keep it low-energy. You're not rewarding an exciting trick; you're rewarding the state of relaxation itself. Keep these initial sessions incredibly short, just 2-3 minutes. This teaches your dog the fundamental concept: "When we are in this context, my job is to chill out."
2. Your Apartment Lobby or Void Deck
The next step is to introduce a tiny bit of unpredictability. The space just outside your front door—be it a quiet apartment corridor, a lobby, or a void deck—is perfect. Your dog is still on familiar territory, but now there are new variables: the ding of the lift, the scent of a neighbour's cooking, the distant sound of a closing door.
Find a bench or a clean spot on the steps and repeat the process. Sit down with your leashed dog and wait. They will likely be more alert here, their ears twitching at every new sound. This is great! It gives you the opportunity to reward them for choosing to disengage. When they hear a noise but then look back at you or decide to sit down anyway, that's a jackpot moment.
Practicing here for just five minutes before you head out for a walk or after you return can work wonders. It creates a ritual of "checking in" and finding a moment of calm before or after the excitement of a walk, preventing them from bursting out the door in a frenzy every single time.
3. The Far-Flung Park Bench
Now we're taking the show on the road. It's time to head to a park, but with a specific mission. Your goal is not the main dog run or the busy jogging path. Instead, scout out a bench that’s as far away from the main action as possible. You want to be a spectator, not a participant.
The objective here is to let your dog process the environment from a safe distance. They can see other dogs, watch people play frisbee, and hear birds chirping, but they are far enough away that they don't feel the need to react. This is what we call working "under threshold." Sit on the bench, keep the leash comfortably short, and let your dog take it all in.
When they sit or lie down, reward them. If you see them notice a trigger (like another dog) and they choose to look away or remain calm, reward that decision! You're teaching them that they can see exciting things without having to lunge or bark. If they get too fixated, you can use a high-value treat to get their attention back on you, or simply get up and walk a little further away to increase the distance.
4. The Off-Peak, Pet-Friendly Café (Outdoor Seating)
This is a major milestone for many owners. The dream of sipping a latte with your well-behaved pup at your feet is achievable! The key is to set your dog up for success. Don't make your first attempt during the Sunday brunch rush. Go at 3 PM on a Tuesday when the café is quiet.
Choose a corner table in the outdoor seating area. This positioning is strategic—it limits the directions from which people can approach and prevents your dog from being in the main walkway. Loop the leash around your chair leg or step on it to keep your dog secure and close. Bring a small mat or towel for them to lie on, as this can signal that it's a "settle" spot.
Your job is to model calmness. Order your drink and relax. Ignore any minor fidgeting from your dog. When they finally lie down and let out that tell-tale sigh of relaxation, discreetly drop a treat for them. At the Goh Ling Yong training centre, we always tell owners to avoid feeding the dog from the table, as this can encourage begging. Instead, reward them for staying peacefully in their own space under the table.
5. The Park Connector Viewing Point
Park connectors and wide walking paths introduce a new challenge: continuous, predictable motion. Joggers, cyclists, families with strollers—these moving objects can be highly triggering for some dogs, activating their prey drive or herding instincts. This spot is designed to tackle that head-on.
Again, distance is your best friend. Don't sit right on the edge of the path. Find a bench or a grassy spot set back at least 10-15 metres. From here, the path becomes a "screen" for your dog to watch. You can simply practice your settle, rewarding your dog for remaining calm as people and bikes go by.
For a more advanced exercise, you can play the "Look at That" game. The moment your dog's eyes lock onto a trigger (e.g., a cyclist), say "Yes!" in a happy tone and give them a treat before they have a chance to react. After a few repetitions, your dog will see the cyclist and immediately look back at you, anticipating the treat. You've just changed their emotional response from "OMG, a bike, I must chase/bark!" to "Oh, a bike! Where's my snack?"
6. Near (But Not In) a Neighbourhood Playground
Welcome to advanced-level settle training. Playgrounds are a chaotic symphony of stimulation. You have fast, unpredictable movements from running children and a whole range of high-pitched, sudden noises. This environment is the ultimate test of your dog's ability to disengage and stay neutral.
Start very, very far away. Find a bench where the playground is just a colourful blur and the sounds are part of the general background noise. Your only goal in the first few sessions is for your dog to exist calmly in the presence of this distant chaos. As they get more comfortable over multiple sessions, you can gradually decrease the distance.
Keep these training sessions extremely short (5-10 minutes max). This is mentally taxing work for a dog. If you notice your dog becoming stiff, fixated, or unable to disengage, you're too close. Simply get up, cheerfully say "Let's go!", and walk away. Always end the session on a positive note before your dog goes over threshold.
7. The Car Park Periphery
This might seem like a strange final spot, but a relatively quiet car park (think library, community club, or the edge of a supermarket lot) is a fantastic, real-world training ground. It combines almost all the elements your dog has practiced with so far: people coming and going, the sound of car doors and engines, shopping trolleys rattling, and conversations.
Find a safe spot on a grassy island or a bench on the periphery, well away from the moving traffic. This location helps your dog generalize their "settle" skill to the general hustle and bustle of urban life. A dog who can relax while watching cars park and people unload groceries is a dog who will be less stressed during vet visits or trips to a pet-friendly hardware store.
This is proofing the behaviour in a truly functional way. It’s about teaching them that the world is full of sounds and movements that don't concern them. It’s a principle I, Goh Ling Yong, have built my training philosophy on: calm exposure builds confident, well-adjusted dogs.
Your Journey to a Calmer Canine
Remember, teaching a dog to relax is a marathon, not a sprint. It's a skill that is built in layers, with each successful session in a quiet spot preparing your dog for a slightly bigger challenge. The goal is not to have a dog that is a perfect statue in every situation, but to give them the tools to cope with new environments without becoming overwhelmed.
Patience and consistency are your most important tools. Celebrate the small victories—the sigh on the park bench, the choice to lie down at the café, the glance back at you when a bike whizzes by. These are the building blocks of a calm, confident companion who is a joy to take anywhere.
Now it's your turn. What are some of your go-to "sit-and-settle" spots that have worked wonders for your dog? Share your hidden gems in the comments below!
Feeling stuck or want to build a personalized relaxation plan for your new puppy? Book a one-on-one consultation with our expert team today! We're here to help you and your dog master the art of calm, together.
About the Author
Goh Ling Yong is a content creator and digital strategist sharing insights across various topics. Connect and follow for more content:
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