Regulated vs. dysregulated: Why it matters for handlers (and dogs)

We talk a lot about energy in dog sports.

“My energy felt off.”

“She picks up on my energy.”

“I just didn’t feel settled out there.”

And we’re not wrong — but there’s a deeper layer to what we’re sensing.

That “off” feeling you can’t quite name? The fogginess? The nerves? That vague edge that throws you out of sync with your dog? That’s often your nervous system at work.

It’s called regulation. Or more specifically, whether your nervous system is in a regulated or dysregulated state.

🐾 Wait, what does that mean?

A regulated nervous system doesn’t mean you’re Zen and blissed out. It means your system is stable and flexible. You feel steady, connected, and able to respond to what’s happening in the moment. You’re not numb, not overloaded — just present and capable.

A dysregulated nervous system means your system is out of balance. You might feel anxious, shut down, jumpy, foggy, agitated, emotionally flat, or like you can’t quite catch up. Sometimes it’s triggered by stress — nerves before a run, pressure to perform, overwhelm. But sometimes? It just happens. You wake up dysregulated. Hormones, lack of sleep, environment, past trauma, or even your dog’s mood can set it off.

The key? You’re not broken — you’re just out of sync. And the sooner we can name it, the sooner we can work with it.

🧠 Why this matters in the ring (and in training)

When we’re dysregulated, we don’t think clearly. We don’t time cues well. We second-guess ourselves, disconnect from our dogs, and struggle to stay present. And our dogs? They feel all of it.

They don’t just read our cues. They read our posture, breath, tone, and focus. They sense our regulation. So when we’re off, they often get off, too — over-aroused, disconnected, hesitant, or shut down.

This doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. It means your body and brain need support — not judgment.

✨ Regulation is a skill, not a personality trait

Most handlers I know think they just have to “push through” or “get over it.” But you don’t have to white-knuckle your way back into control. You can actually train your system to return to center — just like any other skill.

Start here:

• Notice when you feel “off” — without judgment.
• Name what’s present: buzzed, blank, edgy, foggy, flat?
• Try one regulating action: a deep breath, a grounding walk, some slow body movement, a positive cue to yourself.

Regulation doesn’t always look like stillness. Sometimes it’s a reset. Sometimes it’s movement. Sometimes it’s reaching out to a friend and saying, “I feel off today — just needed to say it.”

🐶 We’re getting better at helping our dogs regulate — now let’s do the same for us

The dog world is starting to talk more openly about dysregulated dogs — and thank goodness. We're seeing more work around decompression, over-arousal, threshold management, and somatic work for dogs.

But what about us?

We deserve those same tools.

Because this isn’t just about performance — it’s about well-being, trust, connection, and how we experience the sport we love.

🎯 The takeaway

You don’t need to feel “off” and not know why.

You don’t need to ride it out alone.

And you definitely don’t need to pretend everything’s fine when it isn’t.

Start getting curious about your nervous system.

Start learning what brings you back to a regulated place.

Because when you’re steady, your dog feels it. And everything works better from there.

🎧 I’m diving deeper into all of this on this week’s podcast episode — including how I recognize dysregulation in myself and what I do to get back to center.