Stress Is Not the Enemy — Dysregulation Is

At Emerald Park Border Collies, I do not aim to raise puppies who never experience stress.

That would be neither possible nor healthy.

What matters far more is the ability to recover. Stress is a normal part of life. The body’s way of preparing for challenge.

What causes long-term problems is not stress itself, but dysregulation. This is when the nervous system becomes stuck in a state of arousal and cannot return to calm.

Resilience is not about avoiding stress.It is about learning how to come back from it.

Understanding stress

Stress is a biological response designed to help an animal survive. When a puppy encounters something new or challenging, the nervous system releases stress hormones that increase alertness, heart rate, and readiness to act.

In a healthy system, this state rises and falls naturally.In a dysregulated system, it stays elevated.

Signs of dysregulation include:

• frantic behaviour

• poor impulse control

• difficulty settling

• exaggerated reactions

• slow recovery after excitement

• 
  

These are not training problems — they are nervous system issues.

Regulation is a skill, not an instinct

Puppies are not born knowing how to self-regulate. They first need co-regulation. Guidance back to calm from a stable adult or environment.

Through repeated cycles of:

1. arousal

2. support

3. recovery

the brain learns that stress is temporary and manageable. Neural pathways for resilience are built this way.

Without recovery, stress accumulates, and the nervous system never resets.

Why constant stimulation backfires

Many well-meaning owners and breeders believe a busy puppy is a happy puppy. But constant activity without opportunities to recover teaches the nervous system to remain on high alert.

Over time, this leads to:

• lower frustration tolerance

• higher baseline arousal

• reduced learning capacity

• difficulty resting

• 
  

More stimulation does not create calm. Recovery does.

Border Collies are especially sensitive

Border Collies are highly responsive, fast-processing dogs. They feel stress quickly and deeply. Without chances to downshift, their nervous systems can become locked in “on” mode.

A well-raised Border Collie is not the one who can go endlessly. It is the one who can stop, breathe, and recover.

How I build regulation

I create intentional cycles of:

• gentle challenge

• structured pause

• safe recovery

I stop play before arousal peaks. I allow frustration in small, safe doses. I teach puppies how to come back to themselves.

The pause is where the real learning happens.

Stress is not the enemy. Dysregulation is.

By focusing on recovery and calm, I raise Border Collies who are resilient, confident, and adaptable, from the very start.