Help! My dog is hyper!

This is something I hear - a lot!

It's a big problem and can be the cause of dogs ending up in rescue, but there are ways to help your dog learn to relax.

Firstly, it's imperative to assess if your dog's emotional and physical needs are being met...

Are they getting enough walks, play, mental stimulation, and perhaps surprisingly, rest?

Are they physically healthy? Dogs are experts at hiding pain, and this can cause struggles with relaxing, noise sensitivity, and overreaction to stimulation. Hyperactivity can also be associated with underlying medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism, liver dysfunction, and some neurological conditions.

Dogs that struggle to 'switch off' and calm down, are easily ramped up or overreact to stimuli, may well also struggle with anxiety.

After a thorough vet check to rule out any physical issues, the next thing to concentrate on is your dog's daily routine.

Ensuring your dog has a balance of physical activity, enrichment, and rest is key.

Firstly, consider your dog's needs:

Exercise

Are they getting enough physical exercise for their breed/age/overall health? A one-year-old border collie is going to need more exercise than a 9-year-old pug.

Contrary to popular belief, more exercise is rarely the answer; you just create an athlete that will keep on going, which is great if you're planning to run a marathon, but not so great if you just want a dog who is able to potter around and settle down when needed.

Enrichment

Incorporate some puzzles, brain games, and scent work into your dog's day. Giving your dog mental enrichment will really help increase their focus, confidence, critical thinking, and impulse control. Scent work has been seen to improve dogs' impulse control and can have a positive effect on behaviour.

Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important behaviour regulators there is. Think about it, if you are overtired, you become more distracted, unable to focus, overwhelmed, and may even be irritable. If your dog spends their life waiting to 'do something', wondering 'what's next ?', worrying about where you are, or reacting to sounds/sights, then they are going to struggle to relax and slow down.

Teaching your dog to

Stop.....

Breathe......

Relax .....

and truly switching off and resting is crucial to helping lower their hyperactivity.

Nutrition

Consider what you are feeding your dog. Some dog food brands are high in sugar and low in nutritional value. As with us, your dogs' mental and physical health will be affected by the food they eat. Ensuring they have high-quality food may help lower over-arousal.

If you're struggling with helping your dog to settle, then please do get in touch.

Together we can help your dog relax ☺️