27/08/2026
The skill of doing nothing 🐾
One of the most valuable things we can teach our dogs is something that looks like… nothing.
In this video, Comet is simply sitting with me and taking in the environment.
There’s no game.
No trick.
No command.
No expectation to constantly engage with me.
And that is the point.
This might look like a low-distraction environment — but it isn’t completely distraction-free. There are smells from dogs and people who may have been here earlier in the day, sounds in the distance and enviromental movement around us.
Comet doesn’t need to investigate every smell, react to every sound or constantly find something to do.
He can simply be present.
Teaching our dogs this skill is incredibly important because we live in a world where they are constantly stimulated.
But dogs also need to learn how to switch off.
Doing nothing is a skill.
It teaches them that being in an environment doesn't always mean something needs to happen or they need to be doing something.
It teaches them to observe without always reacting.
It teaches them to settle, regulate themselves and become comfortable simply existing alongside us.
And perhaps most importantly, it gives them the opportunity to learn that calm doesn't mean boring — calm is a behaviour worth practising.
So next time you're out walking try sitting with your dog for a while and just be still for a minute or so.
Don't ask for anything.
Let them sniff the air.
Watch the world go by.
Notice what they're noticing.
Give them time to process.
You might be surprised by how much learning happens when you stop asking them to do anything at all. 🤍
The art of doing nothing might just be one of the most important skills we teach our dogs.
