Dogs are giddy animals by nature. They get excited over the little things. The mere mention of something they like is enough to get them hyperactive.
As pet owners, we have seen it all before. You come home, and even before you open the door, you can hear your dog barking excitedly inside the house. How many times have you been scratched from your dog jumping all over you when you get home?
And that is not even the half of it. Dogs get excited over everything from the mere mention of food, balls, and squeaky toys to parks and walks.
Fortunately, there are different ways you can calm your dog without having to spend a fortune on dog obedience school. Simple dog training at home can help you transform your over-excited dog into a very Zen one.
An over-excited dog can cause stress to you and every other member of your household. There are different ways to calm your over-excited dog, but first, take a look at these signs that your dog is over-excited.
Signs That Your Dog Is Over-Excited
Most of the time, a dog’s over-excitement is pretty obvious. However, there are signs you can look for to see if your dog gets excited easily. Listed below are some examples.
Easily Distracted
If your dog gets distracted easily, it is a tell-tale sign that he is over-excited. They are like little children with the shortest attention span.
Doesn’t Respond to Your Calls
Have you ever experienced a time when you tried to get your dog’s attention, and somehow he doesn’t respond? This is another sign that your dog is a little hyperactive.
Erratic and Compulsive Behavior
Usually, when a dog experiences sensory overload, they will begin to behave erratically. If you find your dog running around the house, picking up everything they see and chewing on it, you might want to consider calming them down.
Excessive Whining
You might notice excessive whining from your dog now and then. But if it happens all the time, it may be time to teach them how to calm down. Dogs’ excessive whining can happen in the car, at home, or practically anywhere.
Why Dogs Get Over-Excited
Dogs can get excited for many reasons, whether it’s food or because you’ve arrived on the doorstep.
But in general, the excitement of dogs is believed to be because of a combination of breed characteristics, conditioned behavior, and factors like physical and mental stimulation.
It should also be noted that excited dogs are not always happy dogs. Sometimes, they are just behaviorally unbalanced due to lack of exercise and mental stimulation.
It could also be because of stress. Stress is usually thought of as negative stress or distress. But there is another type of stress called eustress, which is positive stress with potentially negative implications.
How to Calm an Over-Excited Dog
Exercise
Just like children, dogs have a lot of excess energy to burn. It just comes naturally to them. So, if your dog is over-excited all the time, it could mean that your dog doesn’t have a positive outlet to release that energy.
Over time, excessive energy can build up, thus causing your dog to act out. If you find a more positive way to channel that energy, it will be a better experience for you and your dog.
You can try to give your dog some exercise. Exercise helps your dog expend all the pent up energy and also improves their overall health at the same time. A simple walk or jog around the park will be enough for most dogs.
Try Dog Sports
As well as regular exercising, you can also try other activities that will challenge your dog’s body and mind. There are plenty of sports for dogs out there to try.
Special dog sports like agility course training, disc dog, flyball, and dock jumping will really test your dog and help burn off some of their excess energy.
If you do not have the time to join organized sports with your dog, you can also try tricks training or a simple game of fetch at home. Activities like these will help your dog focus and alter his behavior drastically.
Reinforce Good Behavior
I have heard vets say that dogs should know who their owner is, not the other way around. This is very true, especially when it comes to calming your over-excited dog.
You simply cannot give in to your dog’s wishes and reward their erratic behavior. As much as we love our pups, they still need to know who’s in charge, and who they should listen to.
For instance, if your dog gets over-excited about something, do not reward their behavior by giving in. Instead, wait for them to calm down, or instruct them to calm down before giving them what they want.
By doing this often, your dog will begin to understand that calm behavior gets him what he wants as opposed to being overly excited. Be consistent with this step and your dog will follow.
Calm Yourself
There are times when it is hard to keep calm when your dog gets excited. It is either you get excited because you see your dogs excited, or you get mad because your dog’s over-excitement can get a little overwhelming.
Either way, it is important that you keep yourself calm during these situations. If you and your dog have the same level of high energy, they could interpret an approval towards their over-excited behavior.
The same can be said when you are mad at your dog and you yell at your dog while they are barking. Yelling and instilling fear in dogs usually has the opposite effect.
Instead, you can encourage your dog to calm down by staying calm too. Lead by example. If they see you relaxed, there is a higher chance they will relax too.
Best Books to Help with Dog Training
If you want more training tips, perhaps a good training guide book can help you. We have found some of the best books to help you train your pup.
These books will not only help you with your training, but they also contain incredible tips on how you can bond with your pup and strengthen your relationship.
Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution: The Complete Guide to Raising the Perfect Pet with Love
Zak George’s book about dog training is not just about that. It is a complete guide that helps you raise your pup the right and loving way.
The Dog Training Revolution shares hundreds of stories and tips based on experience. It provides a comprehensive guide that will help you choose the right pup for you, housetraining, proper handling, behavioral training, choosing the best food, different activities you can do with your dog and so much more!
This book is a dog secret tell-all. It is a great option for those who are first-time pet owners and are looking to raise their pups right. Check out more details about this book on Amazon.
Lucky Dog Lessons: Train Your Dog in 7 Days
If you are looking for a quicker, more effective way of training your dog, the Lucky Dog Lessons: Train Your Dog in 7 Days is a must-read. In this book, Emmy-winning star Brandon McMillan shares his secrets when it comes to training dogs.
For those who are unfamiliar with McMillan and his hit TV show Lucky Dog, he rescues untrained, unwanted and “unadoptable” shelter dogs and transforms them into well-mannered pets. This book helps dog owners train and transform their dog’s personality and behavior through a labor of love.
The book itself is filled with easy-to-follow steps, tried and tested tips and tricks, illustrated examples and hundreds of photographs to demonstrate the techniques. You can also read about the inspiring rescue stories behind the TV show Lucky dog that will truly get you motivated. Check out more about this book on Amazon.
101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog
On the other hand, for those who want a full dog-training course without taking your dog to school, you can get 101 Dog Tricks. This book is a complete, comprehensive guide for dog training.
It includes all the classic tricks and tips with steps that are easy to follow. There are also more than a hundred colored photos that cover each step in detail for an easier experience.
The training tips included in this book range from the truly simple ones such as Sit, Fetch, and Roll Over to the extraordinary tricks like Tidy Up Your Toys, Get a Soda from the Fridge, and more! Check out more about this book on Amazon.
Over-excited or not, dogs deserve all the love and care you can give them. We truly hope that these tips and tricks will help you calm your over-excited dog when needed.
