If your dog is often acting hyper – twirling, jumping, and barking – it’s a sign of hyperreactivity. Some people may find this behavior amusing (so what if your dog is very happy?), but it’s neither normal nor healthy.
In this article, I will tell you how to calm a puppy down. You should help your puppy deal with excessive excitement and excessive energy, rather than encouraging this behavior. Otherwise, it can lead to other behavior problems, such as aggression or disobedience.
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How to tell if your puppy is hyperactive
Generally, puppies are more energetic and playful during their first year of life, just like babies. But under certain circumstances, puppies can also be hyper. This can happen during playtime or when you come home after a long absence. At such times, your pet will start jumping, twirling, barking and biting to express his feelings.
Normally, the puppy should calm down on its own, but sometimes this does not happen and you have to calm it down for a long time. This is called hyperactivity.
Also called hyperactive are puppies that act like crazy all the time until they fall asleep. This kind of behavior is often seen in herding and hunting dogs, which are characterized by their energy.
When do puppies become calmer? As the puppy grows, it naturally becomes more balanced. This can happen between 18 and 24 months, everything is individual. But there is one condition - you need to help him do it.
5 steps to calm a hyper puppy
Step 1: Ignore your puppy when he is overexcited
The first thing you need to do is help your hyperactive puppy calm down, which means responding appropriately to this behavior. The correct solution is to ignore your hyper puppy and not encourage it in any way.
You shouldn’t look at your dog, talk to him or show him any other attention, otherwise the dog will see it as a reward for his behavior and it’ll continue.
The dog owner provokes hyperactive behavior in his puppy when he encourages him to get excited.
Step 2: Show your attention and love for your fur baby when it is quiet
You can even use treats as encouragement. If you stick to these rules, over time the dog will realize that he’s ignored when he acts too excited and calm behavior is rewarded. Then his behavior will change.
Step 3: Provide plenty of physical and mental exercise for your puppy
Take plenty of time for walks so your dog can’t only go pee, but also do his business and run around. Play games and exercise with your dog. I suggest buying games for mental stimulation, such as puzzles:
You must have chew toys in the house. Offer your puppy such a toy when he goes crazy.
Determine the optimal amount of exercise for your dog based on his age and breed. This way, your dog will use up the energy he has accumulated. But remember: if your puppy gets agitated during these activities, you must stop everything and ignore him.
You should have a clear routine, then your puppy will be calmer. If you work a lot and can’t train your dog for a long period of time, you should consider doggy daycare.
Step 4: Teach your dog new commands
Basic commands not only stimulate mental activity, but also help calm your pup in certain situations. For example, you can learn the commands “Look,” “Watch me,” “Sit,” or “Place” and then use them when your dog becomes anxious.
You can also try the bed or crate method of training. Then, on your command, the puppy will lie down in his bed and this will calm him down. You can learn more about this method in the video:
Do you know when to start training your puppy and what commands you need to learn first? Find out in my new article.
Step 5: Be calm
Your behavior also affects your dog. If you yell at your dog a lot and are nervous, it’ll increase his anxiety. Words, gestures and touch are enough to teach your dog to obey your commands and understand you. Yelling is only appropriate when your pet is in danger and you need to stop him.
You might consider special calming dog beds or crates.
What can you give a hyper dog to calm him down
To help hyper puppies, you can use a variety of calming products:
- A diffuser with scented oils that have a calming effect. These are oils such as lavender, chamomile, orange, lemon, sandalwood.
- Soothing diffuser or collar with pheromones. These products use the pheromones that the mother dog secretes to calm her puppies.
- Calming treats with herbs and vitamins. There are also treats with medications, but they should be purchased on a veterinarian’s prescription.
How to calm a dog before bedtime? Read about it in my article about dogs with separation anxiety at night.
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Auxiliary devices for dog training
If you can’t handle your hyperactive pup at all, you can try aids like training collars or ultrasound devices.
I recently found the OnGuard dog trainer from GoodLife. It works by ultrasound. When the dog behaves badly, you activate the device, the ultrasound comes on, and the dog hears that unpleasant sound and calms down. But make sure that you also give the command with your voice and gestures. Then your training will be effective.
Please note that OnGuard can be used for dogs over 1 year old.
Conclusions – how to calm an overstimulated dog
Continue to train your puppy with patience and positive reinforcement. Don’t encourage hyperactive behavior, but keep busy with physical activities and games. Then, over time, your puppy will stop acting crazy.
Sourses:
https://www.thepuppyacademy.com/blog/2020/11/9/how-to-calm-an-over-excited-puppy
https://www.cesarsway.com/6-steps-to-managing-a-dogs-over-excitement/