No matter what size your dog, calming down a hyper dog is something every owner should know especially if you want to be able to bring your pup to thrive in everyday settings.
So if you find yourself struggling with your overly excited pup be sure to read to the end because in this article we go over calming down a hyper dog, the easy way!
Why Your Dog Is Hyper
Whenever you’re dealing with an overly excited dog you first must have a clear understanding of what is causing your dog to be hyper in the first place.
Dogs experience hyperactivity due to a variety of reasons, below are the most common reasons why your dog may be hyper in the first place!
Pent Up Energy
It’s not uncommon to see dogs that haven’t been physically satisfied to be a bit hyper due to all that pent-up energy!
Remember it’s our job as our dog owners to meet the needs of our jabs both physically and mentally.
A dog that isn’t physically fulfilled will behave hyperactively because just like us humans dogs need exercise.
Unknowingly Rewarded Hyper Behavior
A major reason why many dogs are hyperactive is that you may have been unknowingly reinforcing your pup’s hyperactivity in the first place!
There are numerous ways you may have been unknowingly rewarding your pup, the most common mistake we see many owners doing is by “petting” your pup at the wrong time.
Many dog owners pet their pups in an attempt to “calm” their dogs down. What most don’t realize is that dogs don’t operate in the same manner that we do.
When you pet a dog all they understand is “I’m doing something good” ( if your pup likes being pet) so be aware of when your petting your pup.
Breed
Another reason for your dog being hyperactive is simply having a breed that is genetically more hyperactive than others.
The amount of energy a dog has various from dog to dog but in general certain breeds demand much more time and energy to meet their needs.
For instance, an English Bulldog’s exercise requirement will drastically be different than that of a Labrador retriever.
In simple terms know your breed
Your Dog Doesn’t Know Time and Place
Dogs are very intuitive and learn by associations.
That means that your pup will begin displaying hyperactivity around environments that you normally play in, run in, or practice exciting activities in.
In simple terms, be aware of the energy you allow and bring to specific environments.
There are numerous other reasons as to why your pup may be hyper but these are the main reasons many experience hyperactivity with their dogs.
Calming Down A Hyper Dog
Now that we have a basic understanding as to why your pup may be hyper here are some easy and effective ways to begin calming Down a Hyper Dog.
Satisfy Your Dogs Physical and Mental Needs
It’s not uncommon for a dog that isn’t having his or her needs met to be a bit hyperactive.
Remember if your pup is not receiving an outlet for all that excess energy, Your pup will just be pent up with energy.
Here are a couple of ways to physically satisfy your dog’s physical needs.
Fetch: playing fetch is a great outlet for dogs that may be a bit hyperactive.
By playing fetch you’re providing your pup with physical exercise as well as reaching your pup to listen to you while excited.
Daily Walk: Taking your pup on a consistent daily walk, will surely burn off some of that excess energy that your dog may have.
Aside from physical exercise taking your pup on a daily walk also provides mental stimulation and exposure to your pup.
Training: Nothing can truly compare to training your dog, whether your pup is hyper or not training your dog will teach your pup how to listen to you and begin taking your directions.
The fact is training your dog gives your pup mental stimulation as well as a physical outlet when you begin using play as a reward!
Teach Time & Place
Dogs learn through associations, which means your dog will begin to associate energy levels with specific environments.
If you want your pup to learn an easy trick to calming down a hyper dog remember this, don’t allow your pup to practice any exciting activities in environments you don’t want that excitement.
For instance, if you want your pup to understand that your living room is for calmness, not hyperactivity, don’t play with your pup inside or bring any exciting energy to the living room.
Instead, leave all the play and excitement for specific environments like the park or open field, then you begin to do this you’ll notice that you’ll begin calming down a hyper dog that normally gets hyperactive indoors.
Understand Your Breed
If you have a dog that requires a lot more energy and attention than other breeds it’s your job as your pup’s owner to meet the needs of your pup so that your dog doesn’t display any hyperactivity when you don’t want to.
Some breeds such as dutch shepherds and Belgian Mal’s require lots of training and exercise.
So take the time to meet your specific breeds’ needs.
Teach Your Pup a “Place” Or “Bed” Command
Sometimes you may have a dog that just doesn’t have an “off button” but don’t worry, there are ways to begin calming even the most hyperactive pup!
An easy way to begin calming down a hyper dog is by teaching your pup a “place” or “bed” command.
The place command is essentially where you send your pup to his or her “bed” and just have your dog lay and hangout with nothing exciting happening.
This is important because most dogs that are always extremely excited need some time to practice just doing, nothing exciting.
The place or “bed command is something we usually teach towards the end of our training program so that our dogs already have a clear understanding and the attention span to focus on us, making the process extremely easier.
Reward Your Pup When Calm
Like we mentioned at the very beginning of this article we want to avoid unknowingly rewarding our pup’s hyperactivity. That means rewarding your pup only when your pup is calm.
The specific reward you use doesn’t matter as much as when you give the reward, because ultimately you want to use whatever your dog perceives as a reward to your advantage.
For instance, if your pup gets hyperactive when a guest visits then the reward in that instance is your guest, and that means your pup only gets access to the reward (your guest) when he/she is calm.
Create A Consistent Routine
Creating a consistent routine for your dog will begin teaching your pup your day-to-day expectations and vice versa.
When you set a consistent routine for your pup your dog will begin to understand where to be “excited” and “calm”
A simple routine can be as simple as an 8 AM walk, 9 AM laying in “bed” chewing bone, noon Play, etc…
The more consistent you are with a routine the quicker you’ll begin calming down a hyper dog.
Puzzle Toys
Puzzle toys can be a great way to begin calming down a hyper dog because the puzzle toy will provide your pup with mental stimulation without the physical hyperactivity
Here are Some Puzzle Toys We Enjoy:
KONG – Classic Dog Toy: This is our favorite Puzzle toy of them all, you can fill the inside with peanut butter and watch your pup focus on getting the treats out of this toy!
StarMark Bob-A-Lot: Great interactive toy to keep your puppy entertained
Balance Calmness & Excitement
It’s great if you allow your pup to play and have fun with you, other dogs, or people but it’s all about balance! Too much of anything with a dog can create an obsession.
It’s all about balance, the balance between playing and just being calm. The balance between running with excitement and just walking.
Ultimately having a pup that gets excited isn’t an issue, the issue is that there is usually a time and place for each occasion.
Conclusion
Calming down a hyper dog doesn’t have to be hard, especially if you know what you’re doing to either calm down your dog or get them hyper.
Following the tips above will help you begin calming down a hyper dog no matter how excited your pup may be.
For more guidance and to awaken your dog’s true potential contact us here or Give us a call!
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