Calming signals for over excited dogs
Calming signals for over excited dogs can be helpful to know...but most of the time they are in need of more exercise.
You may say but I walk my dogs twice a day for over an hour and we play fetch. This for some dogs is just not enough...
This is why researching a specific breed can be so important. It's not 100% accurate but it gives you some idea of what to expect. But even if you did that and still got more then you bargained for in the sense that your dog is just to excited and active, there might be a reason for it.
A healthy dog left to his own devices could easily run up to 30-60km per day depending on the breed. There is no way we can provide that amount of exercise to our dogs. So we improvise and our dogs either become couch potatoes which by the way I am not saying is bad. If your dog is happy, healthy and content it's perfect. On the other hand some dogs turn to destructive and or anxious behavior.
Some will bark the whole day, dig holes and eat through doors. While other dogs will be hyper craving attention and exercise.
Hyper in the sense that if you touch the lead to go for a walk your dog is out of control. Not excited, really out of control.
You might even feel that you took the time to train your dog to walk heel and all that other stuff but still you have no control what so ever over your dog.
That's just it we should re-think the whole concept of being in control... a lead is what's controlling the dog not the human. With out the lead the human is helpless against this energy fur ball.
First things first if you have done training on walking on lead with your dog and it's not doing the trick and motivating with food doesn't help either. Your dog is begging for more exercise. You don't have to have a Husky to do things like Bikejoring any dog willing can do it. And if your dog is not the pulling kind bike with your dog on lead next to you. You can go much further on a bike then by foot. Bikejoring can also let you have better control over your dog then you trying to hold on for live at the other end of the leash. Dogs most of the time have way more energy then we do so we do have to be smart and find a way to improvise for our lack of energy.
If you have increased your dog’s amount of exercise slowly but surely to a reasonable amount for your dog and nothing is changing, there are other factors to look at.
Are you stressed? If yes it will be the same for your dog. If this is not the case you should take your dog for a check up at the vet.
They should test your dog’s thyroid and make sure your dog doesn't have ADD. Yes even dogs can have this problem. Both Thyroid and ADD can lead to an over active and stimulating dog.
Check your dogs stools, does he maybe have diarrhea. Diarrhea can be a sign of stress. Over stimulating a dog especially a young dog can lead to stress. For instance a puppy that children play's with the whole day will start showing signs of stress and it usually will be diarrhea.
To calm a dog down you can do things like licking your lips... Dogs do this them self’s to calm them down when feeling stressed.
Don't tense your body, your dog will pick up the change in behavior and this will only reinforce why he feels stressed. Dogs that are scared will pull back their ears.
Do this exercise...Pick your dog up on a chair and watch his ears and tail. If his ears go back wards or his tail drops his scared and even maybe stressed. This is a cue for you to start working on bonding with your dog more. Some dogs are harder then others to form a bond, but it is doable.
The thing is to figure out why your dog is acting the way he is. So if you have done the test at the vet and everything checked out well then it's time to figure out what your dog is telling you.
Touch your dog in a calm way, don't always play rough. Touch his tail, his mouth and his paws. Don't force it and do it softly as soft as you would touch your eyelid and still feeling comfortable.
Each day do it a little longer...until your dog is comfortable with you doing it. If he moves away from you move with him. If he backs away too much stop and try again later. But don't give up.
In the beginning an over excited dog may recent this kind of interaction, but soon you will see your dog calming down and not being so all over the place.
The key is to not react to your dog’s anxiousness, whether it is because he is excited or stressed. Just be calm and a step ahead of your dog.
Grace lives in Alaska and has a Thyroid/ADD problem. But she is in her element when she runs.
