13/03/2026
Not all puppies are good at switching off.
Some flop down and fall asleep like someone’s pulled the plug.
Peggy… does not.
She’s 11 weeks on Sunday, and at the moment she really struggles to self-settle.
She wanders around like she’s forgotten what she was looking for.
She gets sharky when she’s overtired.
She tries to settle, then her brain goes “actually… no. Chaos.”
It’s not stubbornness — it’s just her little nervous system still figuring out how to regulate itself.
I’ve been paying attention to what actually helps her, and honestly it’s nothing fancy:
• A calm atmosphere
• Less noise, less movement, less stimulation
• Me being still instead of pottering about
• Letting her stay close without feeling separated from the rest of the clan
I’m not a fan of shutting puppies away “to make them settle”.
For some dogs, that works.
For others — like Peggy — it just makes them feel disconnected and even more unsettled.
Right now she settles best when the environment calms with her, not away from her.
Lately I’ve also been experimenting with a few gentle things in the background.
Sometimes in the evening I diffuse a little Lavender and Lemongrass while the house is winding down — very lightly, with plenty of ventilation so Peggy can move away if she wants to.
It’s not a magic switch, but it helps create a calmer atmosphere for both of us.
I’m also starting to learn more about Bach Flower Remedies and how people use them to support emotional balance in dogs.
It’s something I’m still exploring, but I’m really interested in how gentle, natural approaches can support a dog’s nervous system while they’re growing and figuring out the world.
Because watching Peggy at this age is a reminder that development isn’t linear.
It’s messy.
It’s loud.
It’s bitey.
It’s full of tiny wins most people never see.
And sometimes the biggest thing we can give them isn’t a “solution” — it’s a calm space where their nervous system can learn that the world is safe.
And that’s enough. 🐾
