Some of you have some trouble calming your hyperactive dog down, resulting in a lot of dog shelters welcoming these pets who end up killed. To avoid that, we offer you five pieces of advice for you to channel your dog’s energy down.
They are summed up in our infographic below, but we have added comments below it!
The Importance of Exercising an Hyperactive Dog
Some dog breeds need a lot more exercise than others, and within a litter, you may pick the most active puppy and struggle few months down the line. The answer is simple, if you have to do one thing, and one thing only: exercise your dog, daily, several times a day if needed.
There is no excuse here, you must do it. Otherwise you dog will develop a mental instability that could result in aggressiveness in the worst cases, but most likely in some furniture chewing and scratching.
A lot of owners say they cannot run with their dogs, they are not sporty people. Well, what about playing fetch? You barely have to move, the dog does all the job, gets rewarded, bonds with you, and comes back home exhausted. Do not do it three times a day, vary the games, the balls, the parks, the walks.
Train Your Dog To Perform New Tricks
A lot of pet owners think their dog only needs physical exercise, they can’t be more wrong than that. Some breeds do require (a lot of) exercise but all dog require mental and intellectual stimulations. Buy a book of dog tricks, pick one, and get your dog on it! It may take time but it’s the work that matters!
The time while your dog focuses on you and what you are communicating to him is a perfect bonding session. Have them regularly, if not daily for some breeds like the Border Collie.
Dogs Love a Good Routine
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Unlike human beings, dogs rarely get bored with good things. Come up with a simple routine you know your dog will like, it obviously does not need to be scheduled to the minute. For example:
- Morning: you wake up, feed your dog straight away, go for an hour walk or run
- Afternoon: you eat, the dog eats after you, you take him out for a 20mn walk, you work on some tricks for 15 more minutes
- Evening: after you had your dinner, you go out with the dogs to play fetch, you give the dog his last meal when you get back, work on some obedience, and bedtime!
Just find the right balance between your personal life and your dog needs, perhaps get your child to play with your dog outside, or your husband to have a run with your pooch every weekend…
For Lazy Owners, Get Smart Toys For Your Dog
Smart toys are awesome: they make your dog’s brain work when you are busy! Pet toys companies such as Kong have come up with toys that you can fill with kibble and treats. The only way for your dog to get it is to manipulate the toy, after a while and if your dog uses the right manipulation, it will deliver the treat to him.
Some are easier than others, but all in all, they are a superb addition to your dog’s collection of toys if he doesn’t have them already!
Dog Sports
If you are competitive, even for fun, you will absolutely enjoy dog sports. There are dozens of different dog sports, we even have a whole section in The Dog Breeder’s Handbook, and dogs always have a lot of fun with these. Simply signup to your local club, start with some basic sessions, and see what your dog prefers and keep on improving!
The most famous and practiced dog sports are agility where a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy, and flyball, in which dogs race against each other, over a line of hurdles, to a box that releases a tennis ball that has to be caught and kept in the mouth until the finish line.
One comment on “5 Ways To Calm An Hyperactive Dog”
Of course there’s a difference between ‘hyperactivity’ (which is generally described as a disorder) and just being very energetic. I would suggest most dogs fall into the ‘energetic’ category, and so another good way to manage an energetic and enthusiastic dog is to teach the dog impulse control. It is certainly something a dog can learn to do. :)