Summer Is for Setbacks: Why This Is the Best Time to Reinforce the Basics

What We're Talking About

You’ve probably heard it before: “Summer is when everything falls apart.” Routines go out the window. Kids are out of school, travel plans disrupt schedules, heat shortens tempers, and even the most well-trained dogs seem to “forget” everything you’ve taught them.

But here’s the truth: Summer isn’t the season of failure — it’s the season of formation. Let’s reframe what most dog owners (and even trainers) call setbacks. These aren’t regressions. They’re reveals. And if you know how to harness them, they can become the exact catalyst you need to deepen obedience, strengthen the bond, and speed up fall success.

Why Summer “Regression” Isn’t Regression at All

Think of your dog’s behavior like concrete. Spring and fall are your prime pouring seasons. Everything sets up cleanly. You get smooth texture and fast results. But in the heat of summer, that same concrete cures slower. It cracks easier. And if you’re not careful — it can collapse under pressure.

So do we stop building in summer? No — we shift strategy. Summer is where cracks reveal weaknesses, and weaknesses reveal where we need clarity. We don’t panic. We repour. We reinforce. And in doing so, we actually make it stronger than it was before.

You’re Not Failing. You’re Forming.

At A Peaceful Pack, one of our core philosophies is:“You’re not failing — you’re forming.”

The nervous system doesn’t differentiate between a drill and real life. It learns from repetition. It forms patterns based on what’s rewarded and what’s ignored. Summer throws new variables into the system, but that’s not a bad thing. That’s actually when the system gets stress-tested.

In fact, many of our best behavioral breakthroughs don’t happen during perfect spring weather or calm schedules. They happen in the heat. In the chaos. In the everyday mess of real life.

And that’s exactly what makes them last.

The Core Drills to Reinforce During Summer Setbacks

These are the non-negotiables that should be your summer north star:

1. Morning Routine

   • Calm exits from the kennel

   • Leash pressure drills

   • Waiting at thresholds

     
     

2. Place & Down-Stay (Duration + Distractions)

   • Use during meal prep, guest greetings, or outdoor cookouts

   • Train “place means rest,” not “place means pause”

     
     

3. Leash Pressure & E-Collar Foundation Work

   • Go slower. Work pressure-on/pressure-off without corrections

   • Use start-stop drills and settle drills to rebuild rhythm

     
     

4. Settle Drill After Arousal

   • 10–15 minutes post-walk, post-play, or post-visitor

   • Look for yawns, lip licks, and choosing stillness

     
     

5. Recall + Thresholds

   • Especially critical with open doors, pool days, or kids outside

   • Reinforce recall through chaos — not only in quiet

The Neuroscience Behind the Reset

Here’s the magic: when you rehearse calm in the face of stress, you rewire the dog’s Reticular Activating System (RAS)to start noticing calm as the path to reward.

“You get what you notice — so teach them to notice stillness.”– A Peaceful Pack Training Principle

Summer distractions are actually opportunities. Every chaotic walk, barking neighbor dog, or doorbell ring becomes a rep in teaching the dog: Calm is what works. Reactivity isn’t.

How This Sets You Up for a Fall Explosion

Let’s fast-forward to September. The dogs who spent June and July rehearsing stillness under stress? They don’t just remember commands — they own them.

The clients who embraced a calm morning structure? They walk into fall with a dog that doesn’t just listen — it regulates. This is the compounding effect of “boring basics” done well during the hardest season. It’s why we say: “Obedience is the doorway. Calm is the house.”And summer is the season we build that house brick by brick.

Final Thought

Don’t treat summer like a setback. Treat it like a refiner’s fire. This is the season that separates “trained dogs” from truly regulated ones. It’s not always flashy, but it is foundational.

So slow down. Drill the basics. Celebrate calm. And remember:

You’re not behind — you're building deeper.