How do I deal with dogs that are too energetic?
Some dogs tend to be really energetic and make a huge mess it's hard to keep up especially if there's more than one dog.
2 Answers
I don't know how much I can help....that being said...I have a high-energy hunting dog that needs to expend his energy or he drives everyone crazy! I don't know how many other dogs you have at one time, so I'm not sure if any of this can/will apply: 1. A good long walk or run to get that energy out of the system 2. Plenty of toys to interact with and keep his/her focus (balls to chase around, ropes for tug-o-war, etc.) 3. Hide and seek type games - hide treat filled Kongs and encourage the dog to seek and find.
After the dog has expended some energy, work on reinforcing his/her training. Ask the pet parent what the dog has been trained to do....for example, commands: sit, stay,lay down, heel, etc. or if the dog is signal command trained like mine is and go over some signals and reward whenever the dog responds appropriately. Keeping focus expends energy, so that's what I'm getting at.
Do you have a fenced in yard or a safe outdoor play area? Fetching a ball or hunting dummy takes a lot of energy for a dog and keeps them focused. If you are a girly girl like I am ( I totally throw "like a girl"), you can invest in a Chuck-it (about $10) that can help you launch a ball really far, thereby having the dog run further to fetch it. Hunting dummies have the nylon rope attached so you sort of swing around the dummy by the rope and then launch it (instead of throwing it). I hope at least some of this helps!
I've found that exercise tends to be more exhausting if you're combining physical and mental exertion, so asking for sits, waits, downs, stays, etc while on walks will burn more energy than just a walk. With a dog I don't know well, I won't even ask for behaviors. I'll just stand and wait at street corners until the dog offers me a behavior I'm interested in, like sitting or making eye contact with me. This gets them thinking and interacting with me. Even just exploring new environments is more stimulating than covering familiar territory; so many new things to see and smell!
At home, training, puzzle toys or chews can keep energetic dogs occupied for a while. Tug toys can also help burn energy. It may be counterintuitive, but giving rest breaks periodically might actually help a very energetic dog. Separate them from other dogs and sit quietly with them until they're able to relax. Like toddlers, sometimes hyperactivity is the result of exhaustion.