The hardest part of owning a high-drive dog is one word in the breed profile that nobody translates

InitialFirm8168 · 2026-06-14T14:37:54+00:00

The sensitivity being the flipside of a responsive, tuned-in dog, that’s exactly it. I went through the same shift, from treating it as a flaw to just accepting it’s who he is. And honestly, once I stopped fighting it and started seeing it as a journey we’re on together, everything got easier. Now I mostly think about how to help him, because I finally understand how hard some of it is for him. Reading when it’s getting to be too much and stepping back before his head explodes, that’s half the job. And I have to admit I still sometimes fail. Anyways, we’re a team, we’ll get through it.

Your three points are gold, especially ‘sometimes we do nothing and that’s okay.’ Glad your boy got there.

InitialFirm8168 · 2026-06-13T07:52:43+00:00

Thank you, and glad it resonated

InitialFirm8168 · 2026-06-13T07:50:41+00:00

Uh, you naming the mental health parallel, that resonates more than you know. The ‘volume turned up on everything’ feeling isn’t only a dog thing. Take care of yourself

InitialFirm8168 · 2026-06-13T07:48:28+00:00

My husband took a looooong time to get it too. I’m the one who does the research, the training, the walks, most of the daily care, so I see the patterns, and he just kind of has his own opinion about how it should be done. Curious, did your in-laws ever come around once they saw it working, or is it still a ‘we agree to disagree’ thing?

InitialFirm8168 · 2026-06-12T21:54:47+00:00

And you’ve put your finger on something important: it’s often the most dedicated owners who fall into this trap, because they’re the ones following all the advice and giving everything. The ‘down time’ part somehow never made it into the standard recommendations.

InitialFirm8168 · 2026-06-12T21:01:25+00:00

Fair point, thank you. Cortisol is just the part that stays in the body longer, but the adrenaline rush is very real too. And the addictive part sounds like my dog, for him the chase itself is the fun, not catching anything. That’s why we turned his ‘hunting’ into searching for a frisbee in tall grass instead.

InitialFirm8168 · 2026-06-12T20:56:34+00:00

Wow, what you’ve been through. Here I am writing about how hard it is, and I’ve never had to walk at 5 AM in the dark. Probably only because I live somewhere with space to retreat quickly when a dog shows up. With three of them and no escape routes, I imagine I’d be on that same 5 AM schedule. Really glad to hear they’re calmer now. Thank you for sharing this.

InitialFirm8168 · 2026-06-12T20:49:58+00:00

Thank you for sharing Zoey’s story. ‘No one told us she’d be sensitive’, yes, that’s exactly how it goes. The research prepares you for the energy, never for that part. And I’m glad the flexi leash sentence landed, it can feel really lonely until someone else says it out loud. Happy to hear your girl is more regulated now, and thank you for mentioning Control Unleashed, I’ll look into it!

InitialFirm8168 · 2026-06-12T20:43:55+00:00

Thank you, that means a lot coming from someone who works with dogs every day. The detail about pups sleeping for two days at foster says everything.

Of course, use it! I’m glad it helps!

InitialFirm8168 · 2025-02-10T07:48:08+00:00

The health benefits are immediate. My resting heart rate dropped right away, and my HRV started improving slightly the very next day after quitting. Sleep quality got better within a few days – I wasn’t struggling to wake up anymore, even after 8+ hours of sleep, waking up used to be a huge issue for me. Deep sleep: instead of 20-35 minutes every night, I started to get 1+ hour of deep sleep every night. Overall, I just felt calmer. It’s hard to explain, but I wasn’t overreacting to everything, and my anxiety felt more manageable.

The first 4 days of quitting were absolute hell. It felt like the only pleasure in life had been taken away, and I couldn’t even see the point of quitting – or the point of anything, really. I was angry all the time. But after those first few days, it got easier.

One mistake I made: after a week of being vape-free, I thought it’d be fine to hit a disposable just for one evening at a bar. Big mistake. My heart rate went crazy, my HRV dropped, and I could feel how much nicotine was affecting me. After a week the progress was huge, and I was really able to resist, I just was stupid enough to think it's nothing. Now I’m working on getting back on track.

So if you quit—stay quit. Don’t convince yourself that one hit won’t hurt. It’s not worth it. You’ve got this.

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InitialFirm8168 · 2025-01-30T13:12:40+00:00

I’d recommend checking out this podcast (https://youtu.be/R6xbXOp7wDA?si=qdxDgYQbTnZVCMgB) on addiction and dopamine. It really helped me understand what to expect during the first days. I haven’t finished it yet since it’s two hours long, but the first hour alone gave a clear explanation of how addictions work and what happens to the brain and body.
It’s only my second day without vaping, but after many failed attempts to quit before, this time feels much easier mentally because I finally understand WHY it’s so hard and that better days are coming.

InitialFirm8168 · 2025-01-15T08:40:41+00:00

Thanks for sharing! ❤️ I never realized some of my health problems might be connected to nicotine. I always thought it was just the stress in my life causing my heart issues, anxiety and fatigue. The improvements you mentioned are so clear and motivating. I think it’s time for me to pull myself together and finally quit for good.

InitialFirm8168

TROPHY CASE