Over the years, plenty of good dogs are turned into animal shelters because of ‘behavioral problems’ that are caused by hyperactivity.
Shelters are stock full of dogs that simply barked, dug a hole or two in the garden, chewed on everything they laid their eyes on and are generally a nuisance of themselves, all because they had too much pent up energy and not a proper way to release any of it through healthy means.
How many dog owners out there are wishing that their hyper dog would just calm down for once, driven to despair by their companion’s high energy.
If any of this concerns you, then you have come to the right place. Take a seat and read the list of 5 ways to make your hyperactive dog be more relaxed:
How to Calm a Hyper Dog Naturally
-
Exhaust them through exercise
Wanting a well behaved dog and getting one requires a lot of work. Dogs need a certain amount of exercise so that they can function. For high energy breeds, a long walk in the morning, ranging from around 30 to 60 minutes is recommended, accompanied by a shorter walk in the evening.
You don’t even need to make it particularly fast paced or anything, be as chill as you want to be. This will not only be a physical exercise, but all of those smells and views will activate their brain too. This will help them from going nuts and bouncing off the walls at home.
Playing games during the day is also great for meeting their exercise needs as well. A simple game of fetch will wear the dog out. However, if no one is home during the day to play with the dog, consider hiring a dog walker or committing them to a doggy daycare so they don’t go crazy when left home alone.
-
Make a daily routine and stick to it
If your dog is hyperactive, then this is usually the result of insecurity. This mostly rings true in adopted dogs that may have moved around and not stayed with one family for too long making them have an absence of structure in their lives.
Dogs love routines. Making a daily routine and sticking to it will discipline your hyper dog and also calm their nerves. An example routine could go as follows:
- In the early morning you can go for a walk, have breakfast, play a game of fetch, and then head inside for a few hours while everyone goes to work or school
- In the afternoon you can have someone, either you or a dog walker, let the dog out and play a quick game with them
- In the evening everyone eats their dinner and then you can take the dog out for a walk.
You don’t really need a complicated schedule detailing everything throughout the day, but having a little structure and consistency in life never hurt nobody, plus it will have a positive effect on your furry companion
-
Try using smart toys
Smart toys can put your dog’s brain to good use. Invest in a couple of toys that will get your dog’s brain thinking. Buster cubes and Kongs are great option that will allow you to fill them up with your dog’s dry kibble or treats, and will keep them occupied for quite some time until they manage to make the toy dispense the food out. This is also a great way to feed your dog an entire meal!
-
Trick training or obedience training
Obedience training serves the purpose of building a common language between a dog and their owner. Additionally, it calms their nerves while teaching them how the world expects them to act. Learning these new skills is a great way to exercise a dog’s brain.
-
Learning a new sport or game
Involving your dog in any canine sport, such as flyball, freestyle, agility, or disc dog can be a great way to build the bond that is between owner and pooch while also giving it the needed physical and mental exercise all at the same time.
But, formal training for certain sports can be quite expensive and time consuming for some.
If you truly want the benefits without involving yourself too seriously in a sport, you can attempt to set up a home agility obstacle course in your backyard, where you can play frisbee just for fun, or even teach your dog how to play games like hide and seek and such. This will definitely calm your hyper dog and keep it out of “behavioral problems”.
