Stationing For Calmer Walks
How Stationing Can Transform Your Walks with Your Dog
If you’ve ever struggled with your dog pulling, lunging, or reacting to distractions on walks, you’re not alone! Walks can be a challenge when your dog is overstimulated by their environment—whether it’s runners, cyclists, or other dogs. One simple yet incredibly effective training tool to help with this is stationing.
What is Stationing?
Stationing is teaching your dog to settle in a designated spot—whether that’s a mat, a bench, a tree stump, or even a rock—and stay there until released. Instead of reacting to passing distractions, your dog learns to pause, focus, and remain calm.
This simple behavior can make walks significantly less stressful while building your dog’s impulse control (flirt poles are great for this too!) and confidence in different environments.
How Stationing Helped My Dog, Swift
When I first got Swift, my Border Collie, I quickly realized his natural instinct to chase anything that moved. Joggers, squirrels, other dogs—if it was running, he wanted to follow! Walks became a stressful experience of constantly managing his impulses, trying to keep him from lunging at every passing movement.
I knew I needed a way to help him stay calm and engaged with me rather than the world around him. That’s when I introduced stationing.
At first, we practiced in quiet areas with minimal distractions, using a bench or a low wall as his station. I rewarded him for hopping onto the object and staying in place. As he got better, we started using stationing in more distracting environments. When a runner or another dog approached, I would cue Swift to station on a nearby surface. Instead of lunging or pulling, he learned that staying put and focusing on me led to rewards.
Now, our walks feel calm, controlled, and enjoyable—for both of us! Below are a few examples of Swift doing stationing when we are out and about.
Why Stationing Works
Stationing is powerful because it gives your dog a clear alternative behavior to replace unwanted reactions. Instead of lunging or barking, they learn to pause and settle.
It also helps with:
✔️ Impulse control – Teaching your dog to pause instead of reacting
✔️ Confidence building – Helping your dog feel secure in different environments
✔️ Loose leash walking – Encouraging focus and engagement with you
✔️ Reducing reactivity – Creating a predictable, calming routine for your dog
How to Teach Stationing
If you’d like to try this technique, I’ve put together a free step-by-step guide that walks you through the process.
📩 Download your free training plan here: Click Here
In this guide, you’ll learn: 🐾 How to introduce stationing at home before using it on walks 🐾 How to increase distance, duration, and distractions gradually 🐾 Real-life applications to help with reactivity, focus, and calmness
Final Thoughts
Stationing has completely changed how I handle walks with Swift, and I truly believe it can help you and your dog too. Whether your dog is reactive, easily distracted, or just needs a little more structure, stationing is a simple but powerful tool to create a calmer and more enjoyable walking experience.
Author: Angelique de Kock
Angelique is a qualified Behaviour Consultant (DipCABT C.C.A.B.), Dog Trainer, and Blue Level Instructor with the World Scent Dog Association. She specializes in scentwork, reactivity, and positive reinforcement training, helping dogs and their owners build confidence and communication through science-based methods.
Angelique’s experience spans working with a variety of species beyond dogs, including parrots, rabbits, and even elephants! She currently shares her life with Swift, her talented Border Collie who excels in scentwork trials. She also co-hosts the Barkology Podcast, discussing dog behavior and welfare with fellow professionals.