The puppy mistake I made as a first-time owner (more exercise wasn’t the answer)

I wanted to share a mistake I made as a first-time puppy owner that I honestly didn’t realize at the time. I adopted a puppy a few months ago and, like many people, I thought the key was to “tire her out.” Longer walks, more playtime, more stimulation. If she was being bitey, zoomy, or unfocused, my instinct was always: she needs more activity. But instead of getting calmer, she was getting more overstimulated. After some reading and talking to more experienced owners, I realized I was confusing a tired puppy with a regulated puppy. I wasn’t giving her enough structure or mental work, and I wasn’t letting her learn how to settle. I started making small changes: – shorter, calmer walks instead of long chaotic ones very basic training during the day (sit, wait, name response) food puzzles and sniffing games scheduled downtime where doing nothing was actually the goal The difference surprised me. She still has puppy energy (of course), but she’s noticeably less frantic and much better at settling on her own. I’m sharing this because I genuinely wish I had understood earlier that more activity isn’t always the answer with puppies. Did anyone else learn this lesson later than expected?