How to Deal With an Over-Excitable Dog

A dog with too much energy can be especially draining. When you're gone for a few hours a day and come home to a dog that quite literally cannot sit still, the first response is often anger. But, for a dog with too much energy prone to excitement, anger is the last thing you want to exhibit.

Many people attempt to understand what it is that causes this level of excitement in their dogs. It's hard to pinpoint exactly where all the bouncy, barking excitement comes from at times, but in other instances, it might be as simple as pure boredom.

Helping a Bored Dog

A bored dog needs one thing - attention. That attention should come in the form of as much exercise as possible. More than 90 percent of the time, the biggest culprit is that the dog is being allowed to sit around at home and not do much of anything.

That lack of action can quickly turn him into a lump that will only make it harder for him to relax and enjoy the rest of his day. But, how much exercise does he really need?

It depends on the breed. Certain breeds, such as herding dogs or working dogs (malamutes and huskies), will need LOTS of exercise. We're talking two-three hours a day of walking or running to stimulate their desire to work.

Smaller dogs may not need as much exercise, but keep in mind that some breeds, such as terriers, are also bred for
work and will seemingly never run out of energy.

Dealing With Separation Anxiety

Sometimes, the over-excitement is a simple matter of anxiety over you leaving and then coming back home. To combat this, stop rewarding your dog for this behavior when you return home. You'll only make it worse in the long run.

Instead of giving your dog extra attention when you come home, ignore him and don't allow him to jump on you. When
you have more time, start teaching him to stop reacting so vehemently when you leave the house.

This can take a lot of time and patience. You'll basically be going out and in of the door for very short periods of time, trying to stretch out the amount of time he can last before you return each day. Combine this with a good toy and his own space when you leave.

Calming a Rambunctious Dog

The easiest way to calm a dog that is too wound up, assuming he is getting enough exercise, is to train him. The amount of work that goes into thinking through your commands can be extensive, pushing your dog's mental capabilities to the limit. Do that, and he will often slow quite a bit.

This starts with teaching your dog that you maintain the lead role in your household. From there, however, you'll need to teach your dog simple tricks, such as sit, wait and be quiet.

Your dog will focus so intently on remaining still that he will quickly forget the source of his excitement and will reach a calm state that is much easier to control.

Not all dogs will calm down completely. Some breeds are just more excitable than others and will always be a little perkier.

But, whenever a dog gets so excited that it infringes upon your daily schedule and activities, the odds are that the dog needs some kind of special attention to help reduce that overabundance of energy.

the Dutch Guy