Why Working Dogs Regress More After the Holidays

Working dogs thrive on structure, clarity, predictable outlets, and consistent expectations. When any of those disappear, even for a short time, their behavior shifts quickly.

In Greeley, Denver, and across the Front Range, we see the same seasonal issues every January:

1. Lost Structure = Lost Stability

Holiday guests, travel, kids home from school, late nights… it all throws off your dog’s baseline. Working dogs aren’t built for chaos, they’re built for jobs.

2. Under Exercised + Overstimulated

A few skipped training sessions or shorter walks is enough for a Shepherd or Malinois to start inventing their own “projects.” (Spoiler: you won’t like their projects.)

3. New Bad Habits Installed by Visitors

Jumping, counter surfing, barking at the door, blowing past thresholds — if someone reinforced it, even once, your dog logged it.

4. Travel + Change = Heightened Sensitivity

Even confident dogs come home from holiday travel a little off. Their threshold is lower, and reactivity can spike.

5. More Together Time → Separation Stress

You were home for days. Now you’re not. Working dogs notice the shift immediately.

The Good News:

Behavior regression is reversible, quickly, if you take the right steps before the habits harden.

At Synergetic Canine, this is the season where we help Shepherd and Malinois owners across Greeley, Denver, Windsor, and Fort Collins rebuild clarity, reset obedience, and restore calm using a structured, modern training approach.

Here’s how to get your working dog back on track:

1. Reinstate Your Non-Negotiables

Think about the rules that worked before November.
Re-establish them immediately:

• doorway manners

• structured walks

• place work

• crate routine

• obedience before freedom

Working dogs love expectations, even strict ones. They relax when the system returns.

2. Cut the Freedom Until Behavior Improves

Not as punishment, but as clarity.
If your dog is struggling, they need fewer choices, not more.

Short-term structure creates long term freedom.

3. Reset the Walk

Most regression shows up here first.
For Shepherds and Malinois, a loose leash walk isn’t optional. It’s mental discipline.

Reintroduce:

• a purposeful heel

• no sniffing unless released

• no decision-making

• speed changes

• directional changes

This is where 80% of behavior shifts happen.

4. Rebuild Engagement

A working dog disconnected from their handler will try to “work the world” instead.
Use:

• food engagement sessions

• marker training

• obedience drills

• clarity through reward timing

You’re re-establishing you as the most valuable part of the environment.

5. Schedule a Reset Session (If Behavior Suddenly Spiked)

When reactivity, aggression, or anxiety increases fast, especially after guests, travel, or schedule chaos, a professional reset can save weeks of frustration.

Synergetic Canine’s programs are designed specifically for high-drive, intelligent dogs who need:

• clear structure

• strong handler communication

• fair boundaries

• real working outlets

• a training plan that makes sense to them

Shepherds, Malinois, and other working breeds are our specialty, and we understand how quickly they can spiral and how quickly they can rebound with the right approach.

Final Word: You Don’t Have a “Bad Dog.” You Have a Smart Dog Out of Rhythm.

The post holiday slump is temporary, but only if you address it early.

Working dogs aren’t defiant.
They’re responsive.

And when you reset the structure, the engagement, and the expectations, they fall back into alignment faster than most owners expect.