How To Calm A Hyperactive Dog

A hyperactive hound can be hard work. You may be embarrassed to socialize your dog around other people or other dogs because of their wild behavior or you may have problems with biting or barking that extend long beyond the puppy phase. My Ellie Mae is the perfect example. She’s about 7 and still has the energy (and attention span) of a 6 month old puppy.

First you need to consider the cause of your dog’s crazy behavior. Certain breeds can be naturally more excitable and in these cases there’s little you can do to calm your dog. However, in other cases a dog may be acting erratically due to boredom or anxiety. Dogs can also get ADHD, although this tends to be rare.

Once you know the cause, you can then start choosing the right calming methods. Here are just a few different ways to calm a hyperactive dog.

Ignore attention-seeking behaviour

Some dogs may behave hyperactively to get attention. Don’t fall for these attention-seeking tactics otherwise your dog will keep doing them, whether it’s barking at you or begging at your feet. Often the best thing to do is to turn around and put your back to your dog. When your dog realises that hyperactive behaviour is causing their owner to turn away rather than getting their attention, they’ll stop behaving in such a way.

Keep your dog well-exercised

Some dogs can become hyper as a result of a lack of physical activity. Make sure that your dog is getting long enough and frequent enough walks. Larger dogs may require longer and more frequent walks than smaller dogs. You could find that until your dog has it’s daily walk, it acts jittery – a morning walk could therefore be worth trying. Playing games with your dog throughout the day can also help to stimulate it and prevent hyper behaviour.

Buy new toys (and rotate them)

Boredom and separation anxiety can cause dogs to become hyperactive. Keeping your dog occupied with toys is one common way to deal with this issue.  Some dogs will destroy your average toy in a matter of minutes and you may have to invest in something more heavy duty such as these toys from Smart Dog Stuff. Alternatively, you can try making DIY toys to save money such as plastic bottles with treats inside or tug ropes made from old clothes. Try to have only a handful of toys out at once – you can then rotate toys so that they’re constantly fresh and interesting.

Try medication and herbal anxiety relief

If a medical condition is responsible for your dog’s behavior, you may be prescribed medication to help calm your dogs’ nerves. On top of medication, there may also be other forms of anxiety relief to look into such as herbal treatments. CBD dog treats as available at Tempo and Tails could be one herbal remedy to try. When buying herbal remedies online, make sure that you are buying from a trusted seller.

Try aromatherapy

You may also be able to calm down your dog by using calming scents around the home. The likes of chamomile and lavender are great aromas for calming your dog. You can use oil diffusers and scented candles to create these scents as found at Essential Oils Direct. Alternatively, you may be able to grow indoor houseplants that release these scents. Try to avoid chemical scents that may irritate your dog’s sense of smell.

Look into professional training

Some hyperactive dogs may need professional training to help calm them down. This could include joining a training class or trying one-on-one training. Older dogs can be harder to train as they may have developed lifelong hyperactive habits as a way of reacting to boredom or anxiety. That said, there may still be ways of ironing out hyperactive behavior.

Have a tip or trick that works with your hound? Let me know in the comments below and thanks for reading!