How to Calm Your Dog

by The K9 Guy, 05-31-16

One thing I'm always assessing when working with a client's dog is its energy. Unsettled energy in a dog never leads to good behavior, and a large number of dogs that are poorly behaved are often very hyperactive. While hyper energy in dogs is usually genetic, there are many things that an owner can do to get the speedometer down from 90 mph to 35 mph.

Unfortunately, the most common recommendation for hyper dogs is to "exercise them more". While exercise and play are healthy parts of any dog's life, these activities DO NOT address the core issue in hyper dogs - that their minds are racing. In fact, many types of play and exercise owners provide may actually increase excitability and be counter-productive. Physical activity tires a dog physically, but it DOES NOT calm a dog's mind. Owners need to appreciated this important difference.

Also, many owners can benefit from a trainer's help in identifying precursor or ancillary behaviors that contribute to hyper, reactive, and unsettled energy in their dog. Does your dog bark at the window all day? Run the fence line? Pull and react to other dogs and people when out on walks? A dog's energy is a package! A good trainer will make a thorough assessment of the many components in a dog's daily routines that can be contributing to hyperactive behaviors.

In the end, an effective solution requires teaching hyper dogs how to be thoughtful and focused. This can require work in different areas (depending on the dog) such as training, structured routines, blended play, agility, etc. Just as a dog's energy is a package deal, the solution is often a package providing assorted mental challenges to drain a dog's mental energy. Good trainers will offer just that, not simply suggest "more exercise". DRAIN THE BRAIN if you want a calmer dog!