How to help dogs stay calm in unfamiliar or stressful situations?
There are two strategies I like to use!
Practicing calmness in easier situations first.
Simply put, if your dog isn’t calm in easier settings, going into more stressful situations would be too much to ask. But if your dog is able to consistently remain calm in easier settings, then all that’s left to do is work your way up!
Add little things that might cause excitement (not necessarily stress) like toys, people, or dogs and see how your dog does. If your dog remains calm, reinforce and reward, and if they struggle, help them by taking space to help them relax and come back to try again.
My favourite strategy, especially with puppies is to associate an already calm pup (after physical, mental and) with more distracting settings little by little.
For example, I recommend taking a puppy out to your backyard or for a longer walk after doing enrichment activities, so that your pup is less likely to react with as much excitement in those situations, and rather associate them first with calmness and relaxation.