When Dogs Don’t Know How to Be Dog
Have you ever seen a dog who doesn’t know how to just be a dog?
They can’t lie in the sun and relax.
They don’t pause to sniff the breeze or explore the trees.
They don’t close their eyes fully, even when resting.
They follow you like a shadow, afraid to lose sight of you for even a moment.
They pace. Watch. Wait.
They’re stuck in high alert… even when nothing’s wrong.
Years ago, I fostered dogs like this — and now I know what I was really seeing:
A dysregulated nervous system.
A vagus nerve stuck in survival mode.
These dogs weren’t disobedient. They weren’t spoiled or broken.
They were struggling to feel safe in their own bodies.
And while love and training help, healing starts deeper than that.
What’s the Vagus Nerve, and Why Should Dog Parents Care?
The vagus nerve is one of the most important nerves in the body — for both dogs and humans. It acts like a switchboard, helping the body move between sympathetic (fight/flight) and parasympathetic (rest/digest) states.
When the vagus nerve isn’t firing properly or is stuck in stress-mode, dogs can get stuck in survival patterns like:
Hypervigilance
Velcro behavior (can’t leave your side)
Inability to settle
Startle responses
Gut issues and picky eating
Reactivity or emotional outbursts that seem “out of nowhere”
Back then, I didn’t know the science behind it — but I saw the effects loud and clear.
Now, I look at those early fosters and see it for what it was: a nervous system crying out for regulation.
5 Ways to Start Resetting the Vagus Nerve in Your Dog Today
There are simple, natural ways to help dogs shift out of fight-or-flight and into a more grounded state of being. You don’t need a ton of tools — just a commitment to slowing down and working with your dog’s body instead of against it.
Here are five things you can start doing today:
Allow for decompression walks with you, with no agenda
Offer sniff-based enrichment daily — indoors or out
Support the gut-brain axis through nutrition changes
Use essential oils mindfully to calm and stimulate the vagus nerve
Prioritize co-regulation — your calm helps them find theirs
Want the full breakdown of how these work, what oils to use, and how to safely apply them?
You’re Not Failing — Your Dog is Just Struggling to Feel Safe
This isn’t about spoiled dogs, stubborn dogs, or “bad” behavior.
This is about biology. Nervous system function. And the deep impact of stress on the body.
When we stop asking our dogs to perform and start supporting them where they are, incredible things happen.
They relax and rest.
They explore.
They stretch out in the sun and breathe a little deeper
They become dogs again.
And you get to witness the magic of healing.
Need help getting started?
Come say hi inside the forum or book a private consult. You don’t have to figure this out alone.
Statements in this blog have not been evaluated by the FDA. Educational content only. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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