All dogs are created equal, but certain dogs are created more hyper than others. I have three very energetic dogs, two Siberian Huskies and a Shiba Inu, so I have had my fair share of hyper dog challenges.
Here are some important lessons I learned, on how to calm a hyper dog or a hyper puppy.
1. Try to Remain Calm
One of the most important things to remember, if we have a hyper dog, is the best medicine for a hyper dog is calm energy.
If I lose my temper, get frustrated, or become angry, my dog will pick up on that energy and become even more hyper. When my dog is over-excited, I do my best to remain calm, and project calm energy to him.
2. Make Our Dog Work for His Food
I follow the Nothing in Life is Free program with all of my dogs. This means that they have to do something for me first, before I give them something in return. NILIF is a great way to –
- Motivate my dogs to follow house-rules,
- Help them learn that people are the source of good stuff, and also
- Redirect their hyper energy into positive pursuits.
I use part of my dog’s daily food for good behaviors throughout the day, for being calm, for following commands, for walks, grooming, and more.
Whatever food is left over, I put in interactive food toys, so he has to work for that as well. Interactive food toys are a great way to exercise my dog mentally, and to keep him engaged in a positive activity. Some food toys that I use include the Buster Cube, Premier Busy Buddy Collection, and of course Kongs.
Frozen Kongs are great to keep my dog occupied when he is in his crate, or to help calm him down before bed-time. I put some wet food into a classic Kong and freeze it. My dog has fun licking and chewing at it, and has less time to get into trouble. 😀
Variety is the spice of life, therefore, I try to figure out new fun ways, to deploy my dog’s food. For example, I may put his food on some paper, bunch the paper up into a ball, and then push the paper ball into a Holl-ee Roller toy. Sephy has a fun time figuring out this food puzzle!
Another thing that works pretty well with my dog is the Egg Babies toy. These toys have openings to give us access to the squeaker balls within. I open up the compartment, take out the squeaker balls, and put some food into the toy. Sometimes I stuff a regular ball into it, to make the toy more challenging. The Egg Baby is a soft-toy though, so some dogs may try to chew or shred it.
It is important that we are around to supervise our dog when he is working on a toy. We want to make sure that he does not swallow pieces of paper, soft-toy fabric, or rubber.
If our dog likes swallowing paper or soft toy fabric, then *do not* give him such toys. With rubber toys, make sure he cannot tear chunks off, because they may become a choking hazard.
3. Play Fun Games with our Dog
A game that my dog absolutely loves to play is the flirt pole.
A flirt pole is a simple pole or handle that is connected to a rope, with a toy at the end. We may create our own flirt pole or simply buy one.
I made my own flirt pole by getting a drain-plunger and detaching its wooden handle. Then, I drilled some holes in the handle and tied some rope through it. Finally, I attached the other end of the rope to a Premier Tennis Tail Toy
However, it is only appropriate if we use regular rope, and not bungee or elastic cord. If we use an elastic cord, there is a high probability that the toy will bounce around a lot, and it may hit us, our dog, or others. As such, we should only use a very soft and light toy.
With this game, we may exercise our dog while not having to overly exert ourselves. Other fun dog play games include soccer, catch, fetch, and tug-of-war.
I always set up a consistent set of rules while playing with my dog. This helps to keep everyone safe, as well as helps my dog learn positive play behaviors and self-control.
4. Do Obedience Training Every Day
Enroll in a dog obedience training class or get a good positive reinforcement dog training book. Then, have short (10-15 minutes) training sessions with our dog, several times per day.
This will help establish us as pack leader, improve the bond with our dog, exercise our dog’s mind, and provide us with effective tools to control him in the house.
5. Daily Walks or Hiking Trips
Neighborhood walks are a great way to exercise our dog, and socialize him to people. Walking can also help with obedience and bonding.
We may walk our dog on a loose leash or in a heel position. Personally, I keep my dog on a loose leash most of the time. I only put him in a heel position when I need greater control, for example-
- When I see another dog, cat, or squirrel,
- When young children are around, or
- When my dog starts to get reactive.
Dogs enjoy roaming around and smelling social markers (dog urine) left by other dogs. They can easily do this on a loose leash. Being in a heel position all of the time, is probably more boring than death for a dog. Therefore, to provide a fun walking experience for everyone, relax, give our dog some freedom, and stop to smell the roses.
In addition to neighborhood walks, it can also be fun to go hiking on nature trails.
Note that different parks, or different trails within a park, may have different leash rules (on-leash or off-leash). We may have to try out a variety of parks and park-trails, before finding one that suits us and our dog.
Hiking can also be a relaxing way to socialize our dog to both people and other dogs. Unlike enclosed dog parks, hiking parks are larger and have a lower density of people and dogs. In hiking parks, owners are usually more engaged with their dogs, and are better able to control them. Hiking trails also offer an interesting environment for a dog to explore.
If we are too busy, consider hiring a dog walker to exercise our dog. Many dog walkers offer group-walks, where they will take a small group of dogs to a nearby off-leash park. This is a fun activity, and a good way to tire-out our furry friend while we are away at work.
6. Organize Play Sessions with Another Dog
One of the best ways to drain energy from a hyper dog, is to organize play sessions with other dogs. I invite social dogs over to my house, to have one-on-one play sessions.
Other possibilities include dog daycare centers or enclosed dogs parks. I prefer daycare centers because they usually screen a dog before admission, therefore, they usually have more social dogs. In addition, a good daycare will have dog playgroups that are well-supervised, as well as structured by size and energy, which makes things a lot safer.
Enclosed dog parks are open to all, so there may be aggressive and anti-social dogs. In addition, owners may not supervise their dogs well, because they are busy socializing with the other people at the park.
In my experience, it is difficult to find a good enclosed dog park. In addition, there is always an element of danger, because all it takes is one irresponsible dog owner, for a dog fight to occur. More on my enclosed dog park experiences.
While Dog Parks can be fun, they also bring plenty of NEGATIVE interactions by forcing your pet to come up against dogs that might be overly stimulated, short-tempered, outwardly aggressive or otherwise badly managed. Smart Socializing means keeping your friend dog-tolerant, and that involves AVOIDING dicey situations where conflict can spark.
~~[Smart Socializing]
I have an approximately 1.5 yr old rescue who is a Shiba mix. He is very chatty and an expert in the Shiba scream.
Since he is a rescue, we know nothing about his background other than that he was found running at large. He has many scars, one that looks like it was a serious abdominal injury. He is missing bits of his ears and tongue. He was very thin and covered in fleas and fly strike and had a serious upper respiratoelry infection when we got him.
Here are the problems. He is terrified of any human besides my 20 yr old daughter and myself. Especially men. Even hearing them or seeing them thru a window. Oddly, even at the shelter, he did not fear us.He is terrified being outside, tho when he manages to avoid his fear he enjoys being outside. He is terrified of loud noises like an ambulance, motorcycle or even loud cars. He is terrified of other animals including dogs, squirrels, birds and even tiny lizards.
Obedience classes are out of the question at this time. We’ve had him 5 weeks and he has been neutered and his body weight is now normal and he jas had all his shots and is very healthy. We are slowly working on basic commands. So far he knows sit and off. He doesn’t respond to either when overly excited and he usually does fairly well about going out to eliminate tho he has wee accidents usually first thing in the morning. Our highest day count without an accident is 3.
Inside, he is quite affectionate and loving and an absolute tasmanian devil. He wants to nonstop play interactively and when he gets excited he bites and chews on arms, feet and even faces. The more excited, the harder he bites. He does understand no bite and if you go limp he stops but the minute you move he bites again. Its playful, not mean. We try redirecting with toys but the minute you become slightly distracted, he bites again. He’s a young dog and full of energy but we have no good way to burn it off. Advice would be gratefully accepted.
Hi there
My son recently went on a coastal hike where there were many wild dogs roaming. A particular dog latched onto him and his mates and remained with the group walking for 5 days. On his return home, my son brought the dog with him as the dog was now way out of its natural territory. This appears to have been a huge mistake as the dog clearly has an abundance of pent up energy and is very frustrated. We have spent a fortune on fencing to stop him getting off our large property. The dog presents with 2 opposite personalities…… He displays wild behavior during the day but at night is the cuddliest happiest docile chap. He shows huge aggression towards any other dog without being provoked in any way.
We clearly have messed with nature and should never have brought him out of his enviroment.
We are considering driving him back to where he joined up with the group and releasing him.
Do you think he will revert to his natural instinctive ways and survive, or would it be kinder to have him put to sleep.
First and foremost why should putting the animal to sleep even be an option. It’s not his fault this all happened so why should he die.. Thats horrible.. He’s a living breathing animal.. not a tissue to be thrown away when done with.
If you’re going to keep him, you need to spend the time and effort in training him and taking him to obedience classes and work with him.
Or if thats not an option, talk to a vet about what they think is best for the dog, you can call and ask for advice, it’s free if you don’t want to spend the money. Ask if he could he go back to the wild or would he be better off being rehomed to someone with more experience and a more suitable home life situation.
Failing that… try contacting an animal conservation for wild dogs, or someone who deals with high energy dogs or feral dogs and explain that you removed an animal from his pack and home to bring him into your family and then decided he was too much work so you’re debating if you should release him or kill him.
Hopefully someone will help and either take him off you and give him a better home or rehabilitate him to the wild so he can survive back in his natural habitat.
Either way hopefully you and your son have learned a valuable lesson. However I’m still baffled how having him put down was even an option.
hi we just got a 2yr 10 month old shiz su . he has been to 3 homes befor us . he use to live with 4 kids so he is realy hyper and jumps up at people and humps people . he barks when my nanna leaves the house and dosnt obay simple comands . it panics me when he barcks or scraches the door because we live in a elderly peoples home . what can i do ?
(sorry about spellings )
Living in an elderly person’s home should not matter at all, although it does make me wonder why you have a dog in the first place if you’re worried about the elders. If you just wanted a dog, try one which is at least 3 yrs or more and a breed known for being friendly and calm. Corgis, English Bulldog, Brittany’s, Labs once they’re older. You want a low energy dog.
You need to train your dog, spend time with him and if able take him to obedience classes. If you don’t have the time to commit find someone who does. Trainers will train your pet while you’re out at work or away. There are Doggy Daycares which offer all manner of services.
Of if you don’t have the time, money or will to do any of that, take him to a no kill shelter say you’re sorry you bit off more than you can chew and hopefully someone more equipped will take him on. Or find someone who wants him and has the time, money and energy to put the effort into working with him.
is it neutered it really helps and get one thing it really likes so when she goes out it has the smell of her so can sit or play with it till back
There are places ,if you can afford it where you can take your dog and leave him, to be trained to basics , money well spent in the long run.
check out on the internet for place near you . two week camps.
OR you can start basic training your self ,
SIT , WAIT ,LEAVE , COME , DROP.
Weigh out his daily food and use it for training so he is working for his food , check out a book by DIMMER , AMAZON. ANY FOOD LEFT OVER HE GETS AT THE END OF THE DAY.
If he likes to play ball , great get him running twice a day then fun time then do training in between , read as many dog training books as you can. watch , tv, its me or the dog all good ideas.
working with a dog is persistants and kindness.
The dog knows persistant works so you have to be more persistant or the dog will train you ! GOOD LUCK. JUST SOME IDEAS
We have a 6month old Amstaff Tyson, i potty trained him by 3months old. He asks to go out. We do treat finding exercises, 10-15 min obedience training couple of times a day, he has couple of friends he plays with, he gets nice long walks and hikes. and on top of that he plays with our cat quite a lot. He is not very food orientated when excited though. And as i live in the country where people don`t really care about dog training it is difficult to find a doggy friend which knows the basic commands and has almost zero discipline. When Tyson sees another dog, person he wants to go and play and if he cant get it he starts communicating (whining in all different sounds). the same is with ppl coming over. I have to train our friends when they come over – no touch, no look etc and I have to admit it is the most difficult part. It is usually easier just to put him in his crate until he calms down. After that it depends on the people`s energy how he treats hem (he also is trying with everyone how rough he can play and usually I am the babysitter who has to stop the people acting wrong) He is not into playing fetch but tug – war. I will try frozen Kong toy if it works for him. Been thinking to start agility when he is old enough. I am hoping that with age and consistency we will work through the excitement issue. You have any extra ideas?
I have five dogs 1.giant snauzher, Sophie, 10 2.bashan Maltese, Boo, 10 3.english setter, Davy, 10 4.bashan frisée, fuzzums, 10 5.boxer, Bruno, 10 and Davi is NOT potty trained. And I tryed it on Sophie and it SO SO SO worked on her.
Nice pictures
I have a 3 year old englishbull dog it dose not matter what i try she is always extreamley hyper and i can not excircse or take walks with her because she has extream breathing problems. i cant get her to be still to teach her anything or trust her to sleep out side of the cage.. do you have any segestions on what i could do!!!
Your vet may not have mentioned this, so I am drawn to write. 20 yrs in Bulldogs, rescue and have a vet tech background.
Some. (Not all) Vets hesitate to tell some owners WHY their dog has breathing problems. A well bred bulldog from a reputable breeder will have had its trachea size checked and health clearances done. However some less than reputable breeders do not do clearances, and breed unhealthy dogs.
Have your vet (and if hey don’t do it, ask for a referral) check your dogs soft palate, tonsils, and see if it has pinched nostrils). Your dog may need a surgery to remove all this tissue so he/she can BREATHE. Does your dog vomit frothy foam? Vomit after eating? Signs of a surgery needed. If not checked, surely a dog with breathing difficulties will live a much shorter life and succumb to pure exhaustion, pneumonia, etc. if you cannot afford surgery, there are financing options available through your vet, go fund me accounts, or surrender your dog to bulldog club of America rescue if you absolutely are at a loss. http://Www.rescuebulldogs.com.
Then, after the treatment and healing, sign up with a great trainer and learn with your dog. Bulldogs in general are so very smart, and wanting to please, that they are a true pleasure to train with and work with. A treadmill on low ((walk)for short periods (10min)is always a great way to do a quick exercise session if you can’t go outdoors(too hot or too cold out) but nothing beats the mental and physical stimulation of a great walk outdoors around the block. A “bully stick”(never rawhide”)or stuffed Kong is great for training”settle” on a mat or wherever your dog should go to rest and quiet down.
Best wishes to you and your pup
I have a 15 week old German Shepard pup she’s only pees in our garden won’t do the toilet any where else even when we take her Long walks! Constantly hyper too teething so biting feet and other things constant we got her loads of teething toys but unsure as to wht to do next!
Leash your dog and take her to the designated area and give her a verbal que. DO not walk around stand in one spot let her circle while leashed. Give her 15 minutes…if she goes praise
and play. If she doesn’t go crate her wait up to 30 minutes and repeat. Keep doing this and eventually she will go to the spot on command and hurry back for her reward.
Just found your page. Love it. I have a 12 week old Siberian Husky, named Chinook. She’s a real gem. Stubborn at times, but very, very smart. You’ve got lots of useful information on here. Thank you!
Hey there,
So, we just bought a new puppy (12weeks old). She tends to bite a lot and when we put her in the cage she will start barking at us. We also have two cats, the cats and dog are not getting along too well. The dog hasn’t tried to attack the cats but the cats are not too friendly to the dog. She’s overly hyper and we’re trying to get her calm. What is the best way to handle these situations?
Thank you,
Clay Williams
This article from the ASPCA has more on how to introduce a new dog to existing cats.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/cat-behavior/introducing-your-cat-new-dog
In terms of biting, I do-
1. Bite inhibition training.
2. No-bite conditioning.
3. Structure and control.
More on how I deal with puppy biting.
More on how I train my puppy.
I had the same problem when introducing a new kitten to my three dogs. My vet said to let them go and work it out themselves as long as they are not hurting each other. Mine did work it out and now love each other. As for being hyper, I can’t help you with that. I’m still working on that with one of my dogs. Good luck!
Thank you so much! We adopted a boxapoint puppy and had no idea what we were in for. I was at my wits end until I saw your “flirt pole”. Perfect! She’s exhausted in 10 minutes. I used a broom pole and which gave a great reach so she runs in circles at top speed.
thank you so much i will give it a try!
Me too
I have a 4 1/2 month old pitbull puppy. She knows comands such as sit, stay, lay, paw, etc. she is the sweetest thing she wouldnt hurt you for the world. But she is super hyper.She does speed rounds around my house at least 3 times a day . I take her to the park everyday and take her on different trails there and I play with her and her toys. I also go in the yard and play frisbee and throw her ball for her because she loves to play fetch. But she is still hyper. she only calms down when i put her in her cage at night. Any tips?
Haha, yeah my dogs were also very hyper during puppy-hood. Puppies have a lot of energy, are curious about everything, and have very short attention spans. 😀
Some things that help with my puppy-
1. I set up a fixed schedule.
In this way, my puppy knows when it is play-time, training time, food-time, and nap-time. I make sure to schedule enough activity time so that puppy has good outlets for her energy, however, nap-time is important as well. I needed the break! 😉
2. Frozen Kongs.
Frozen Kongs were a great way to keep my Husky puppy occupied. Puppies need to eat quite a lot, so working on the frozen Kongs took up a fair amount of her puppy energy. I got good quality puppy wet food, and froze them in rubber Kongs. Initially, I help my puppy get the food out if needed.
Generally, I follow the Nothing in Life is Free program with all of my dogs.
3. Good social puppy classes.
Puppy classes were also great for my Husky puppy. I make sure to pick good classes that focus on socialization and structured play. They also check all puppies for vaccination records.
The classes helped my Husky puppy with socialization and impulse control during play. Playing with other puppies in a structured way also helped to drain her puppy energy.
More on dog socialization-
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-behavior/socializing-your-puppy
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-socialization-what-why-how
I also did obedience exercises, grooming exercises (touch, fur brush, teeth brushing, nail desensitization), recall exercises, etc.
Keeping up with a puppy is always hardest for me in the beginning. However, as my puppy matures and learns more impulse control, things get a lot easier.
The first 10 days with my Husky puppy. 😀
Big hugs to your puppy girl!
thanks about that ile give it a try
Hi I have some concern about my 2yr 2 month old female boxer/ American bull dog. We got her at 10 weeks old from a rescue. We also have a 10 year old golden retriever shepherd/border collie. About a year ago she would show some dominance over both male dogs. My daughter lived with us and had a pit bull who was 6 moths older then the female. The female gets to the point where she will go after the older male by growling and pushing him to the ground, plus standing over him, not broke skin. So just recently three weeks ago the older male walked into the room where my son and I were. The other two dogs were already with us. The female went at the older one and growled and went to push him down on the ground but then the pit bull jumped in and it got terrifying . The pit attacked and ripped part of the older dogs ear off and tore his snout. The female put a tar in the back of his neck. Since then my daughter moved out with her dog. She has gone after the older dog twice since then but has not broken skin. What is your opinion on what we should do with this situation? I really don’t want to get rid of her but afraid of both dogs being left alone or watching very closely when we are home. Oh and one other thing she did tonight was, our cat will hit the dogs with his paw at times. He did that to my female tonight and she growled at him plus went after him to bite. Thank you for reading my email.
Given what you describe, I would consult with a good professional trainer.
Dog behavior is very context dependent, so especially in more serious cases of aggression, it is usually safest to have a trainer observe our dog, read his body language, and evaluate his behavior within the context of his regular environment and routine.
When I was having issues with my Shiba Inu, we visited with several professional trainers, and I learned something from each one. However, the dog training area is not well regulated and there is a lot of misinformation in the field, so I was very careful to find trainers with good experience, proper certifications, who understood behavioral conditioning, and who knew what they were talking about.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/finding-professional-help
https://apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
I use leashes, gates, a basket muzzle, and other management equipment as necessary to make sure that everyone, as well as all my dogs are always safe.
With my dogs,
– I set up clear dog-to-dog interaction rules. I supervise and slowly teach them what those rules are. In this way, they know exactly what to expect from each other, what to expect from me, and what I expect from them in return.
– I make sure to redirect bad behaviors before they escalate into something more serious.
– I make sure there are always safe areas that my older dogs can go to rest without being bothered by my younger Husky. If my older dogs do not feel like playing or interacting, then I make sure my younger Husky leaves them alone.
– I do not leave my dogs together alone until I am very sure that they will not cause each other harm, even accidentally.
– I set them up for success by carefully managing their environment and keep things safe by using management equipment (leash, gates, etc.) as necessary.
– I give them positive and structured outlets to expend their energy, e.g. structured play-time with me, daily walks, obedience exercises, grooming exercises and more.
– I try to create positive and calm together time, in a structured and controlled way, for example through desensitization exercises.
More on what I do to help my dogs get along.
However, as I said above, dog behavior is very context dependent and each dog and each situation is different. My dogs do not have a bite history and I have trained them since puppyhood, so I know their temperaments, quirks, and behaviors very well. This is why, especially in cases of more serious aggression, it is best and safest to get help from a good professional trainer.
Hey ShibaShake,
I recently got a 6 week old German Shepherd (5 weeks ago), and he’s doing great. Currently about 80% potty trained, slowly getting used to our cat, has all ready learned a ton of commands (sit, down, up, come, stay, paw, etc.) – however, he’s recently began having bursts of energy. We live in an apartment, and I don’t mind taking him out – however, our vet has advised us to keep him indoors until he’s had his final parvo injection in a few weeks.
Is there any way I can properly exercise him inside my 2 bedroom apartment, while not taking him outside? He’ll be able to go around no problem a few days after his final parvo injection, but he’s tearing our couches, tables, beds, etc., up, and it’s getting to the point where it isn’t cute anymore!
Thanks for your time, and I hope to see a reply here in the near future when I check back.
Regards,
What is your puppy’s current routine?
Some things that helped with my Shiba and Husky during puppyhood are-
1. Puppy classes.
I specifically picked ones that did socialization and they also checked each puppy to make sure they have immunization records. This reduced the risk of infection while at the same time allowing me to start socialization with other dogs and with people.
More on dog socialization
2. Puppy play-groups.
There was also a dog daycare place nearby to us, which organized free puppy socials every weekend. The sessions were supervised by their trainers and they also checked each puppy for immunization records. We visited the daycare first to make sure that they are properly managed before bringing our puppy. This is more risky because there are a lot of dogs at the daycare, so the effectiveness of the staff is very important.
3. Nothing in Life is Free.
At home, I have my puppy work for all of her food. Frozen Kongs were great to keep my Husky puppy occupied. I also start leash training inside the house, just to get my puppy used to having the leash on (only under supervision). Grooming exercises (fur and teeth brushing) are also good to practice during puppyhood.
http://shibashake.com/dog/nothing-in-life-is-free-dog-training
I also set up a fixed schedule for my puppy and I supervise her closely. If I cannot supervise, I put her in her crate temporarily or in a safe enclosure.
More on how I do crate training.
I do not take my puppy for outside walks until she is fully vaccinated, which took several months for my pups.
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2115&aid=950
My Australian Shepherd pup is 10 weeks old. She goes crazy when we first get up and whenever food is involved. She has zero attention span but understands about going outside. She isn’t dumb but she surely can bite and launch a world class temper tantrum. Any ideas for slowing her roll?
Haha, yeah my Huskies were also big energy balls of Brownian motion when they were pups. 😀
Some things that help with my Husky puppy-
1. I set up a fixed schedule and routine.
2. I set up a consistent set of rules and structure. I slowly teach those rules to my puppy, but she learns that there are boundaries right from the start. I also follow the Nothing in Life is Free program with all of my dogs.
3. I use a drag lead for control. I only do this when I am there to supervise and only with a safe flat collar or harness (no aversive collars).
4. I keep training sessions very short and rewarding. It works best when I make it fun and more like a game. In this way, nobody gets frustrated, and puppy is ready for more. 😀
5. More on how I trained my Husky puppy.
More on what I do to calm my hyper puppy.
Big hugs to your new furball! 😀
Ok so I have an American bulldog and he’s 8 months going on 9 months old and he is very out of control!! I honestly gave up with trying to train him he doesn’t know how to walk on the lease he eats everything including his lease and collar when we put him in the cage and hold him by the collar he bites our arms and jumps up and down and slashes around like a fish I honestly don’t know what else to do PLEASE HELP ME
Yeah, my Shiba Inu was a furry terror as well when he was young. Some things that helped with my dog-
1. I established a fixed routine and a consistent set of house rules. Structure and routine are very important, and helped to create some amount of order.
2. It was overwhelming for me to deal with too many things at once, so I picked two of the most important things and worked on those first. Once I fixed those, I picked another two more and so on.
3. I always try to set Sephy up for success. The more successful training sessions we have, the more I can reinforce good behaviors, and the more likely we will be successful in the future.
4. Consistency, timing, and repetition are all very important in training my puppy. I set up a consistent mark and no-mark, and teach my puppy what these mean by tying it to appropriate consequences. More on how I trained my puppy.
5. Sephy was very sensitive to my energy. If I am angry, frustrated, or stressed, he will pick up on that, get stressed himself, and act even more crazy. Once I controlled my own energy, Sephy’s behavior also improved.
I also provided a lot of positive and structured activity for Sephy, so he has good ways to expend his puppy energy. I talk more about this in the article above.
Finally, we also visited with several professional trainers to help us troubleshoot particular issues with Sephy. Dog behavior is very context dependent, so it was useful to have someone observe Sephy and guide us on how to manage his environment, as well as how to retrain his problematic behaviors.
http://www.apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
More on how I leash train my dog.
More on how I discourage puppy biting.
How I deal with my dog’s bad behavior.
Hi ShibaShake,
We have a 5 month old Shiba & she is very excitable when it comes to meeting other dogs.
We tried the various techniques recommended online such as making her sit first or moving away when she gets too excited but with limited results so far.
Some times she can approach another dog calmly (but goes straight to sniffing the nose which I recall reading somewhere that this can be viewed as offensive by some dogs) & after 1-2 second of sniffing she will start jumping & spinning around making snarling noises. Most of the time the other dog will just be “stunned” or back away from her growling.
I’m under the impression she’s not aggressive & just want to initiate play but other dogs seems offended by her “technique”. Did you have the same experience? If so, what did you do?
Thanks!
Vivian
Yeah, Sephy was also pretty reactive when he was young.
We did a lot of dog-to-dog desensitization exercises with him, which was helpful. We did the training at our local SPCA, under the direction of one of their trainers. They would pick appropriate dogs for us, we would do a bunch of training, and then at the end, Sephy got rewarded with a fun play session. He loved that more than anything, so he is willing to do good work for the play reward.
During regular walks we mostly ignore other dogs, thereby creating neutral experiences. I only let Sephy meet dogs that I know he will be successful with. He can be a bit forward in his greetings as well. 😀
We also did one-on-one, highly supervised play sessions at my house. There was a really friendly neighborhood dog who lived right across the road from us, and her temperament really suited Sephy’s. She is larger, goofy, likes to play, and totally not dominant, so they got along very well. I still set up structure, play rules, and supervise during play, but it was a great way for Sephy to invest his play energy in something positive.
In general, I try to maximize successful positive greetings and minimize negative encounters. In this way, he gains confidence and learns to associate other dogs with positive events.
More on dog socialization.
Big hugs to your Shiba girl!
Thank you! Will def try all of this!
Remember that the things I talk about are what works for Sephy. I always observe my dogs carefully and tweak things to suit each dog and each situation.
Good luck and let us know how things go with Emi. 😀
Thanks for the speedy reply!
Emi is full Shiba! Which also means she is full intelligence and stubbornness. 🙂
To answer your questions:
1. What were her interactions with the bigger dog?
– Their interaction was very minimal. My brother in law wanted to introduce them, so he held her up and let the big dog some by to sniff her. But the big dog ended up biting her tail and paws!! She whimpered and kept her tail between her legs for a good few minutes. 🙁
– I kept the big dog outside from there, and Emi in a playpen
– But the big dog busted into the house at one point and marked his territory all over the play pen, blanket, and toys!!
2. Did they play? Was she trying to get away?
– they definitely didn’t play
– she didn’t really squirm or try to get away
– I’ve noticed that Emi is a little anxious/shy at first, but she typically goes crazy after everyone/everything is gone and things are calmer
3. What did the bigger dog do and how did Emi react?
– I think the above answers this 🙂
– by the end of the night with the big dog and my niece/nephew, Emi started running around SUPER FAST in circles, bumping herself into corners and everything, and she even started digging constantly in our floor
4. Similarly, what were the interactions like with your niece and nephew?
– oh my…this is tough to say
– my nephew would pet her nicely whenever i was looking, but i’d catch him kicking her / poking her eyes whenever I turned away
– he also threw her toys at her face to make her “fetch,” so i REALLY had to monitor them. at one point, i even had to remove my nephew to a different room
– my niece is a chunky little girl with a super high pitched voice. she typically screams at the top of her lungs and thinks it’s funny. of course, she was no different when meeting Emi. so her “fun” screams/shrieks really freaked out Emi
I’ve been reading your blog on puppy obedience. She’s definitely very nippy at my hands and tends to put her paws on my hand when I come in calmly and let her sniff me first. but, she never fails to chew my hand as if it were a toy. i try to redirect her, but she only wants my limbs/clothes. even when i try to leave the pen, she’s jumping on my and attacking my shorts. any suggesitons?
When Sephy was young, I put a drag-lead on him so that I could more easily control him when he jumped on me, tried to do humping, etc. I only use a flat collar or harness and *not* an aversive collar. I also only do this when I am fully supervising him. In this way, I can more easily control him and lead him to timeout if necessary.
I talk more about what I do to train my dogs not to bite on me here.
I also try to only expose Sephy to positive interactions with people and other dogs, so that he will associate them with calmness and rewards, and not become reactive or afraid of them. I have found that bad social experiences can cause Sephy to learn the wrong things, which may then lead to undesirable behaviors down the road that are harder to fix. Prevention seems to work best with a Shiba. 😀
More on dog socialization.
Hello, Shibashake!
I’ve been a huge fan for a while now…before I even got my pup, Emi!
My babygirl Emi is only 10 weeks old. When I first brought her home (at 8 weeks) she was absolutely wonderful. Slept through the night. Called whenever she had to potty. Was suuuuper sweet and affectionate. Stopped biting as soon as I said “No.” Etc. Etc. Etc. Soon after being over stimulated by a bigger dog and my crazy 1 and 3 year old niece and nephew, Emi became really hyperactive and skittish. She started bearing her teeth, attacking me, digging into the floor, running around in circles, wouldn’t let anyone hold her, etc. First I thought she was traumatized. So instead of disciplining her, I tried to comfort her. I felt horrible for putting her in danger with my parents’ bigger dog and my terrorizing niece/nephew! After a day or two, she went back to being the sweet girl I first knew.
I don’t know if this is just normal puppyhood, but she seems to be a bit of a terror again. There are times when she’s super obedient and will do all the commands I ask of her. She seldom likes to snuggle. But, for the most part, she gets extremely high energy during lunch and after dinner. She also decided to stop pooping and peeing outside. She’s extremely curious and whines a lot when we’re outside trying to get her to do her business. She ends up having a couple accidents in the house as a result.
She’s also been really snippy and will not stop biting my shirts, legs, arms, etc. I can’t tell if she’s playful or aggressive. Please help!
What were her interactions with the bigger dog? Did they play? Was she trying to get away? What did the bigger dog do and how did Emi react? Similarly, what were the interactions like with your niece and nephew?
With Sephy, consistency and routine are very very important. I set up a fixed routine and a consistent set of rules. I make sure to reward good behavior and *not* bad ones (this includes giving affection, which is a reward). I also try to be very consistent about my response to his behavior. In this way, he understands exactly what he can expect from me, and what I expect from him in return. This creates certainty, and reduces stress, for both him and me. 😀
More on how I train my puppy.
More on training techniques that worked well with Sephy.
More on how I potty trained my puppy.
More on how I discourage biting.
More on dog socialization.
How I train my dog to control the force of his bites.
How I deal with bad dog behavior.
Congratulations on your new puppy! Is she a Shiba?
Thank You so much! I have been looking for a clear solution to this problem and this is very clear to me. Again thank you for all of your help. Now my dog is way more calm and active. I owe you one!!!
Thank you so much for letting me know. A happy dog is the best reward. 😀
Big hugs to your furry family member.
I have a Labrador who 1 and he is very very hyper. I love to take him on long walks at the park sometimes I take off the leash and he goes and plays with other dogs . But when I try to train him he doesn’t listing, he gets really excited for the treats. He knows how to sit, stay, give paw,come,and do hooray. But he only listens when there is food involved.
Different dogs are motivated by different things. Food motivated dogs are actually one of the best, because food is pretty easy to carry around and to have on hand.
More on how dogs learn.
I also follow the Nothing in Life is Free program with my dogs. It teaches them that they have to work for the things that they want most, that good things come from me, and that following rules or doing commands is fun and very rewarding.
I see your problem. what I did was I slowly started to reduce the amount of food I gave my dog smaller and smaller amounts of food treats every time so now I don’t need to give her treats when we train.
We have had our huskie/sheltie dog for 5 years — since he was 9 months old. We live in a suburb of Chicago and this winter has been extremely cold and snowy. So, we have been unable to walk Doc as much as we usually can. Because of this, every evening after he has finished 3 stuffed kongs in record time we have a horrible period until about 9:15 p.m. when he finally calms down. His inner clock seems to tell him it’s 9:15 and time to settle down.
He is a totally different dog in the morning. I joke that the huskie is here in the a.m. and the sheltie in the p.m. (or visa versa)
His attention span is minimal. He will only play fetch, “find me” (hide and seek), and dog train for a short period of time. He will not let us brush him or pet him and barks at us constantly. Everything has to be on his terms and he will only do something when he wants to do it.
He does not run the house and this behavior only started when the weather got bad. But, it is hard for us to keep our “cool” and can only hope that spring will be here soon (wishful thinking).
Does he like playing with other dogs? My Shiba Inu loves playing with other dogs, and that was a good way to release some of his energy. We did one-on-one or very small playgroups in a playroom inside the house. I made sure to pick compatible dogs, set up play-rules, and supervised them the whole time. It was a lot of fun to watch them play.
Sephy’s best friend was this goofy, playful dog who lived across the street, so it was really convenient.
I’m am going through the same exact situation with my 8 month old German shepherd, it has been hell to say the least all she does is bark and bite and I can’t control here I am hoping the spring weather changes this as well! Good luck!
Any thoughts on medication? My puppy is SUPER HYPER ALL THE TIME. He also thinks he is boss and tries to run the show. He won’t walk on a leash no matter what I try or even potty out side. I think he may have puppy ADHD or something…That may sound silly, but this isn’t my first time owning a puppy, let alone a dog. This is however, my first dog bought from an actual store. Since nothing I do seems to work, I was thinking I might talk to his vet about getting him on medication to help calm him down a bit. I know most puppies are usually hyper, but he’s on his own level that’s set WAAAY higher than most other puppies…If you have any thoughts on this or other ideas on things I might be able to do to help him be more obedient and less hyperactive without the medication, please let me know! It’s defintely a challange for me!
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-medication-good-bad-dog-behavior-modification
What have you tried? What was the puppy’s response?
Here are some things that I do to train my puppy-
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-i-trained-my-husky-puppy
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-obedience-training
I really love your website – thank you!
Hello. I just wanted to say thank you for your site. I think this is just what I’m looking for. I have a very hard-headed 1-year-old German shepherd. Such a delight she is, but we have a few issues we need to turn around. All my years of dog mothering have taught me nothing when it comes to this gal. I’m reading through some of your experiences and suggestions, and I feel a little more in control. Again, thanks! It’s all a process.
“Hard-headed and delightful” sounds a lot like my Shiba too! 😀
Big hugs to your girl. She is lucky to have such a good mom.
Hi ShibaShake!
I recently got a Shiba puppy named Ammy. Boy is she a handful! I take her out to the backyard sometimes to walk around and she smells the plants and then proceeds to eat it. Same goes for rocks and bugs! She drags me everywhere and walks in front of me all the time. Most of the time pulling me. Sometimes she bites the leash too when I give her a quick tug or not following her.
Haha, yeah Shiba puppies can be a big handful.
For leash training, the red-light-green-light technique and the 180 turn around technique worked best for Sephy.
http://shibashake.com/dog/leash-training-your-dog
A few more things that helped with Sephy.
Here are some of my leash biting experiences. We had a very difficult beginning, but things have improved significantly. Being calm and decisive was very important with Sephy. 😀
Congratulations and big hugs to your Shiba pup!
Hi! I just got an 8 month old terrier mix (I don’t know what he is mixed with, I got him from a shelter). He is very hyperactive. Is it possible that he will relax as he gets a little older?
Yeah, terriers can be handful. 😀 One of my neighbors has a terrier-mix and she tells me that her pup requires a lot of structured activity, supervision, and training.
If you out your dog on a short leed when meeting another dog it can cause your dog to attack because your dog will think that you are uneasy or nervous about the other dog and causes your og to attack because your dog is gonna try and protect you x
Yeah, this is also commonly known as barrier frustration.
http://www.allthingsdogblog.com/2011/11/ask-dog-trainer-working-with-barrier.html
http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/how-do-i-manage-my-dogs-barrier-frustration
I recently took in an older dog (female Sheltie) who is completely hyper. We go for walks, try to play with toys, practice obedience, you name it and she is so hyper she can’t do any of it. On a walk she darts in front, behind, between my legs and the only way to prevent this is to hold her so short she can’t. She has no interest in a toy–she will grab a chew but immediately spits it out and takes off pacing around the house/yard. She is loving, loyal and wants to please so bad but she honestly can’t stand still when you are sitting on the floor with her holding her leash. I think she is losing her hearing though she does hear–doesn’t always seem to know where the sound is coming from. Also, her sight is bad on and off. She relies heavily on her head to search you out and tries to keep her head on my leg. I think her years of confinement and life style have probably left unrecoverable scars but as I said she is so kind and loyal and I just want her time left to be quality and know we love her. She adjusted to our other dogs well and occasionally she will play with one of them but for the most part she just paces back and forth in the yard when out there. She does the same in the house and never stops. Do you know of anything “natural” that might slow her down or maybe even a script we could try and then try to wean her down slow at the same time working with her? It’s so sad to see her so worked up all the time. She is quiet when in a crate for the night.
Thanks for any help you might have.
Hmmm, it sounds like perhaps it could be anxiety. Given her hearing and vision issues, it is likely stressful to have a big change in her environment and routine. Does she show other signs of stress in addition to the pacing? What is her body posture like?
The last time we moved, our Shiba got a bit stressed so I set up a fixed routine for him right away, I set up very consistent rules for at home, and I also made sure that he had a peaceful place that he could go to rest, where he won’t be disturbed by my other dogs or by people. I also led him all around our house and backyard (on leash) together with me, so that he can get accustomed to the layout, in a calm manner, with me there to redirect and offer encouragement as necessary. I make sure the other dogs don’t bother us during this time.
I played his favorite games with him so he had an outlet for his stressful energy, and we went on longer walks, just the two of us, in quiet hiking trails where there are very few people and very few dogs.
Here is a bit more on dog anxiety.
It may also be helpful to see what a vet says about her hearing and vision, as well as overall physical condition. With my dogs, I have found that their physical condition can greatly affect their behavior, and sometimes in unexpected ways. My Husky Shania, for example, really does not like showing weakness or pain, so it comes out in other changes in behavior. I know her well, so I can usually tell when she is not feeling her best.
Big hugs to your pack. Let us know how it goes.
My Australian Mix 2 year old is still jumping and is way to hyper to have inside. We also have a 4 year old Lab mix. My mom said we could have our lab inside but my auzzie is too hyper. So I have them both outside. At night they sleep in the kennels at night. I am trying to find ways to calm my auzzie down so she can be inside also so I don’t have to give her away. she jumps way to much and hurts my little brothers sometimes. I told everyone to ignore her when she jumps but when she jumps towards my mom, my mom scolds at her saying no over and over. Do you have any tips or anything that I could try?
Here are some things that I do with my dog to teach him not to jump on people-
http://shibashake.com/dog/stop-your-dog-from-jumping-on-people
Hi, I have an eight month old neutered male Bichon Frise. He is extremely hyperactive and is still biting and pulling at clothes. He is also constantly chewing the furniture despite having access to rawhide chew bones. An elderly member of the household is constantly roaring at him and whacking him with a newspaper. I think this is making his behaviour worse as he defies them and stands barking at them. I am at my wits end. He can be a really sweet dog most of the time but seems to be especially hyper in the morning and evening. I give him a half hour walk every day, because I read if you walk them too much they get arthritis.
Yeah, I think you are right. My dog picks up on my energy, so if I get angry or frustrated, he will pick up on my unbalanced energy and act out even more. To calm him down, I need to stay calm myself and teach him how to behave.
This is what I do to teach my dog not to bite on me.
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-i-trained-my-husky-puppy#bite-training
Here are more puppy biting tips that I use.
As for arthritis, it is best to ask your vet about it. This UCDavis article on arthritis may also have some relevant information. I like UCDavis because they have some good articles on dog health, and they are ranked highly for Veterinary Medicine. Some excerpts from the article –
Love it worked
Excellent suggestions! All of these ideas sound like they will help keep my very rambunctious puppy happy and more occupied!! Thanks for taking the time to put these ideas together.
I have a lab Shepard mix who is 1 year old. Whenever I take her on a walk she seems to become very hyper when she sees other people and/or dogs. She is never aggressive but she will whine and lunge at them and it is difficult to get her back under control and continue our walk. She also becomes very hyper when we have people come to our door (jumping, whining,etc). We have another puppy who is 5 months and we thought having a friend would calm her down but nothing yet. I just need her to be a little more relaxed or at least respond better to training commands we’ve taught her.
Yeah, my Shiba Inu Sephy was the same way. Here are some things that I do with Sephy.
Hello. I have a seven month old Boxer and Australian Shepherd (mamma was a pure bred boxer and daddy was an Aussie Shepherd. gotta love it when breeders live right next door to each other lol) mix puppy.
I’ve been keeping him for about a month now. My family wants him gone because he’s always whining or extremely hyper.
I usually walk him 2 or 3 times a day, but I’ve been sick for the last week so haven’t been able to. I still play with him, though I’m not as active with it as I was.
For the last week he has been tearing things up, digging, and barking at the neighbor dog. I have 2 other dogs that he is fine with, but they are older and can’t keep up.
I was walking and playing with him pretty regular but as I said, I’ve been sick with walking pneumonia. I can’t really punish him for the digging because no one sees him doing it to catch him and let him know it’s wrong( he’s not the only one digging, just the one with lots and lots of evidence, the other dogs just have dirt covered noses…Zeus is covered in dirt and his paws are caked with it.) We never catch him destroying anything either, but he is always there caught with the evidence when he was the only one outside.
So I think it’s mainly due to my not being able to take him on his after meal walks and I haven’t been able to take him to the park for a really good long walk (dogs must be on a leash at all times so there is no free run and play there which really suck)
His whining has gotten a little better, but not much.
My family wants me to take him to the shelter, but they are pretty much a 3 days and your done place out here.
I need to be able to curb his behavior while I’m sick or I’m gonna lose my dog.
Any idea on how to get this excess energy siphoned off without being able to be as physically active as I really should be?
I’ve had him since he was 5 weeks old and He is not going to be neutered because I don’t hold with that after having several dogs who were, they just weren’t the same after. When I take him for walks and things, he is not as bad, still tears things up when he’s left alone, but the digging stops.
Could a lot of this be him going through puberty?
I know at least some of this is because I can’t take him out and play with him as much as I should.
I don’t know what to do right now.
Hello Mike,
I am so sorry you have walking pneumonia. I am currently fighting off a bad flu and it really sucks. Luckily my other half is taking good care of the dogs and making sure everything runs smoothly.
Puppies need a lot of exercise, supervision, and direction. It sucks that nobody in the family is willing to step in. Other possibilities are to –
1. Send him temporarily to dog daycare.
2. Hire someone to help for the interim (pet sitter, dog walker).
3. Get a neighbor or friend to help out.
Fetch can be a lower people energy game, but that still requires that we be outside, and the dog needs to be taught how to do Fetch.
Hope you get better soon.
I have two young dogs, a 2-year-old French bulldog, and a 11 month old pit terrier mix. The Frenchie is and always has been hell on wheels. He is not mean or very destructive, but he has endless energy and is sort of anxious and very excitable and whines for attention constantly. I simply cannot drain through mental or physical exertion. I have resorted to benedryl on quite a few occasions just to get him to calm down sometimes, and have taken him to daycare on a weekly basis for over a year now. He just comes home from the daycare like it was nothing and actually wants to play more. It’s ridiculous. And recently we adopted that pit puppy as a playmate for him too, she isn’t high energy like him but is able to keep up since she’s a puppy. But even now after having her for 3 months, I notice he is still surpassing her energy levels and wearing her down even.
Recently we went on vacation to the seashore and rented a house with others. We had many distraction and smart toys for them like kongs and puzzles, and we took them for SEVEN WALKS a day, 45 minutes to an hour each at least. We wanted to make sure they were good tired house guests. But as soon as they would go back to the rental house, they’d get zoomies and want to wrestle and chase each other, fight and tug over toys, etc. Or the Frenchie would walk around whining because the puppy wanted a nap, and/or all the vacationers were just sitting around relaxing.
The dogs play roughly and loudly when they do play. At home I don’t mind this so much usually, but I could tell that the other people at the house were very irritated by it. We had to leave vacation early because of this behavior, I was so upset. I feel imprisoned by them, I cannot take them anywhere, especially the Frenchie. What is going on and what can I do about it? I have talked to my vet about it and he doesn’t believe me that the Frenchie is this crazy. No one believes me. It’s like he is CONSTANTLY BORED no matter how many walks, games of tug, flirt poles, clicker training, puzzles toys, etc we do with him. My husband and I are at our wits end, our lives literally exist around tiring this dog out every single day or else he makes our lives a living hell. A girl at my work has a husky and it just like “wow” when I tell her all the activities and things we have to do with him.
Basically, this is like a behavior thing, right? Does this sound like a condition or something mental with him? I know you cannot diagnose, but I need to start somewhere. He is not bi-polar, but almost neurotic/obsessed with playing. Does this sound like something you know of or have heard of? I have never had a high energy dog before. I know french bulldog isn’t a high energy breed at all, but for whatever reason that is his personality. I have had dogs before but none like this, so I am just not sure what is normal for hyperactivity versus a real problem, versus just being a young dog.
With Sephy, having strict rules and a fixed routine helped a lot during his younger crazy puppy days. I make sure his routine includes enough exercise, games, training, etc., but we stick to the routine. I also introduce a lot of structure into each activity (i.e. consistent rules) so that he knows exactly what I expect from him and what he can expect from me in return.
All these things help to reduce stress and help him to calm down because then he *knows* what to expect from his environment and the people around him.
I also make sure *never* to reward him when he whines – with play, attention, or anything else. I usually ignore whining and just tune him out. If he whines outside, he loses his backyard privileges and has to come inside the house. If he starts getting destructive, then he temporarily loses his freedom and goes to timeout. At the same time, I make sure to reward him *very well* for following house rules and for calmness.
I follow the Nothing in Life is Free program with all of my dogs.
During play-time, I supervise my dogs closely and manage their excitement level. I make sure to have clear play-rules and I throw in many play breaks so that they do not play too rough or get over-excited.
http://shibashake.com/dog/second-dog-introducing-a-second-dog#play-time
Getting help from a professional trainer can also help with troubleshooting specific problems. The trainers we met first start by doing an evaluation session with Sephy. Here, they observe his behavior, environment, temperament, etc., while engaging him in various test exercises. Then they talk to us about what they think the issue is and how we should proceed.
http://www.apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
My dog is a 1 and 7 month old Shepard lab mix. She is very hyper and she tries to test her dominance on me. How do I get her to know that I’m the boss
Here are a few articles on dog dominance –
1. Dealing with dog dominance.
2. Dominance and bad dog behavior.
3. Dominance and aggression (UC Davis)
We have a German shepherd puppy that is almost 7 weeks old she wakes my family up through out the night. Is there a way I could calm her down before she wakes them up?
Congratulations on your new puppy.
Where does she sleep? Does she bark during the night and that wakes people up? What does she do that wakes people up? What is her daily routine like?
Here are some things that I do to train my puppy.
I have a 10 month old samoyed. She is extremely hyper and love to eat.
I have ADD when I grew up, so I understand and have patience with her.
As soon as she is spayed, she will be enrolled in social classes for dog,
Ruby is very naughty, so I have to be firm with her at all times!
hello,
i have two german shepherd puppies…90 days now…and i put them in the bathroom with their water bowel and their wiwi pad…
and i train them everyday for obedience….but as soon as they r out of the bathroom..they start to play with eachother in a very hyperactive way…i just want them to relax with me in the living room and enjoy the TV time with me without them running and jumping on eachother…they r very well trained for basic obedience commands sit , down and stay…
any ideas for them to relax….???
Some things that help with my dogs in terms of managing their excitement during play –
1. I supervise them during play time.
2. I throw in many play breaks, so that they refocus on me, and calm down some before going back to playing.
3. I teach them clear play rules, so that they learn good social behaviors.
However, all dogs are going to need daily exercise to drain their energy. Some dogs, especially younger dogs and puppies will be more energetic and will need more structured exercise.
A well exercised dog will be happy to sit with us and enjoy tv time. I talk about some of the activities I do with my dogs in the article above.
Hi, I have a very hyperactive silky terrier pup that won’t listen to a word I/my family says. She’s too active, she won’t even sit still for a minute. She’s constantly nipping and scratching, and she jumps up on everyone everytime. She also has an aggression problem when it comes to grooming sessions – she always snarls everytime she sees a brush or comb. Other than that, she’s a sweet little dog, but simply a bit out of control most of the time. I want her to know who’s boss before she grows any older and thinks she’s in control of the house. Any advice besides the tips you have given here? 🙂
Hello Jo,
Here are some things that work well with my hyper Huskies-
1. I follow the Nothing in Life is Free program. I make my dogs work for their food and for anything else that they really want. This greatly motivates them to follow house rules and helps me to become pack leader through the control of resources.
2. I redirect their hyper energy into positive sanctioned activities, like the ones I talk about above. I also set up a fixed routine and a consistent set of rules.
3. I do bite inhibition training. This trains them to control the force of their bites while interacting with people.
Here is a bit more on –
How I trained my Husky puppies.
How I stop my dog from jumping.
Touch exercises and grooming..
With grooming, I start small, go very slowly, and reward my dogs very well. In this way, they associate it with positive experiences and grow to at least tolerate me touching them all over, or putting my fingers and a toothbrush into their mouth.
They are giving me a lot of trust by allowing me to do these things, and sometimes, grooming is uncomfortable or scary for them. After all, I am invading their personal space, tugging at their hair, and using a lot of grooming implements that they are unfamiliar with. Therefore, I make sure to go at a pace that they are comfortable with, make the experience short, and very very rewarding.
Here is an article on how I go about brushing my dog’s teeth. I use a similar process for other grooming tasks as well. The key is to slowly build trust through repeated positive sessions.
I recently got a new puppy, she was stray found while on a trip. We assume she’s a shepard mix but we’re not certain. We brought her back home to our (almost) year old male chihuahua who is very calm and settled. But Penny, our new pup, is very hyper and playful and often over powers him, like when their eating for instance, she won’t let him get to either bowl. At first he was playful with her and very welcoming, but its been a little over a week and he’s not listening to commands, cowards down, and even staying isolated when company is around. We think he may feel bullied or jealous, and we don’t know how to handle it. Should we train her and get her to how his accommodation or should we work to him to accept her?
I would really appreciate some advise, I don’t know what to do!
Thank you.
Some things that help my dogs get along –
1. Clear dog-to-dog interaction rules. I teach all my dogs what is acceptable and what is not, while interacting with each other. In this way, Puppy knows what to expect from my other dogs and vice versa. If there are any issues, I step in and manage them. I make sure to be fair and consistent about enforcing the rules.
2. A place to rest. My young Husky, Lara, has a lot of energy and wants to play all the time. I make sure she does not bother my other dogs when they want to rest. I also set up a very fixed routine and schedule for Lara so that she knows when it is time to play, walk, eat, and most importantly sleep. 😀
3. Close supervision during play-time. I supervise very closely during play-time and do not allow humping, stealing, or any other anti-social behaviors. I also throw in many play-breaks to calm my dogs down, get them to refocus on me, and manage their excitement level. I stop play if I notice anyone getting overwhelmed.
4. Group obedience training. I reward my dogs extremely well when they are all calm, and working cooperatively together for me.
This is more on my experiences with introducing a new dog into the family.
Hi! I have a 5 mo old shiba (Luke) who is soo hyper..all the time. He would do this mad dash across the living room at the couch toward your face! I tried your Kong suggestion: I soaked some of his dry dog food for 5 min, and smashed it into a Kong; problem solved!!! Thank you so much!
I spoke too soon =\
Heh yeah, frozen Kongs are helpful with Sephy, but Kongs alone are not enough to contain his great Shiba powers. 😀 Some things that help with Sephy –
1. I follow the Nothing in Life is Free (NILIF) program and make him work for all the things that he wants, including attention, affection, access to the backyard, etc.
2. I set up a very consistent set of rules and a fixed routine. Sephy is a lot more calm when he knows exactly what to expect from me, and what I expect from him. I also established a consistent way of communicating with him.
3. When Sephy was young, I put a drag-lead on him (only with a flat collar, and only under supervision). The drag-lead gives me better control and allows me to more easily catch him when he tries to run away.
Here is a bit more on my early training experiences with Sephy-
http://shibashake.com/dog/shiba-inu-training-secrets
Hugs to Luke!
I have a 7-month old swiss shepherd/husky mix, who takes a three hour nap in the afternoon, and wakes up around 7am after maybe 8hrs of restless sleep. I’m going to try out your Husky methods, because despite the walks, once a week obedience training, and random obedience sessions at home & games meant to drain his energy, he still manages to get into trouble that may lead us to trying to rehome him. He’s beautiful, smart, affectionate & we all absolutely love him, but we feel at the end of our rope. Any advice, or ways we can keep him quiet at night? When he’s alone at night he howls and somehow manages to move the baby gate before making a mess downstairs.
It sounds like it could be an anxiety issue. Does he only howl when he is alone? Does he howl during the day when he is alone?
My Shiba Inu, Sephy, used to howl at night when he was young. As soon as we moved his crate into the bedroom, he stopped howling. I think he was anxious, and did not want to be on his own during the night.
Now that he is older, he will sometimes prefer to be on his own, even during the night. We let him out if he wants to, but he does not get to come back into the bedroom once he chooses to leave.
Here is a bit more on dog anxiety problems.
Hi, im not certain what breed my dog is she’s half chihuahua and the other half unknown, i got her from a friend’s friend and she’s a year old but she’s too hyper. i lose patience to much and I try really hard but no matter what, whenever I come home or step foot in the yard she jumps on me like crazy and runs around me I’m just not in the mood for that at times. sh’es just too much. HELP!!! I don’t want to give her away but if i have to I will.
Hello Nancy,
Some things that help with my dogs in terms of jumping-
1. When they jump, I no-mark (Ack-ack).
2. Then, I give them an alternate pre-trained command, e.g. Sit.
3. As soon as they Sit, I calmly praise, and give them some calm affection.
4. If they continue to jump, then I turn away, fold-up my arms, and ignore them. This teaches them that jumping and not listening = no affection, but Sitting and listening = Attention and affection.
5. If they escalate their behavior and start biting on hands or clothing, then they go for a brief timeout. This teaches them that if they bite on people then they do not get to be with people.
Here is a bit more on why dogs jump.
i have a very hyper lab..he gets plenty of exercise, he jogs with me and my dad every morning two hours macimum which is kind of hard since we also can’t get him to stop pulling on the leash..
he takes naps in the middle of the day..we also go to dog parks om weekends..we give him plenty of bones to chew..
at night when i gey home from work, i play fetch or other games like hide and seek with him for an hour or two.. we can’t teach him anything ecen if i get a bag of treats..
he’s one year old already and still we can’t work him and he doesn’t even know basic obedience even though we practice it with him everyday
what i don’t get is that he gets plwnty if exercise and he’s still so disobedieny and hyper.. i’ve just about resorted to trying everything. i’d love for him to get trained by a professional but i can’t afford that
My Shiba Inu, Sephy, is also challenging to train. It was difficult to hold his attention for any length of time, when he was young. He is also aloof and not very motivated by attention or food. He likes new things though, so he will work for something new, e.g. new toy or new food. He also likes his freedom, so he will work for access to the backyard. He loves chasing games, so that also works well as a reward. Training success depended a lot on identifying what motivated Sephy most.
With Sephy, I started with very simple commands. The first one that I did was “Look”. I would just bring my hand up to my eye level and say “Look”. If he looks at me, even just briefly, I would mark the behavior (Yes), and play his favorite game with him as a reward. Then, I just keep repeating.
I also follow the NILIF program with Sephy. Through NILIF, he learns that in order to get what he wants, he first has to do something simple for me.
Here is a bit more on our early training experiences-
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-i-trained-my-husky-puppy
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-dogs-learn-how-dogs-think
We have a 10-week-old Beagador (Beagle/Lab mix), and we saw the game you call flirt pole on Dog Whisperer and he called it furball. Whatever you call it, you can make a great pole from a lunge whip that’s used for horses. Any horse supply has them and I think places like TSC do too. We just tie a stuffed dog toy to the end of the whip and it has a long reach so we can make our little guy run like crazy without wearing us out. It’s also flexible so we can make the toy bounce really easily. Make sure you get a whip that’s rigid enough to hold the toy on the end without bending too much, some of the cheap ones wouldn’t hold up very well. We’ve found this game to be a great opportunity to practice making our puppy give up his toy. We started out using his favorite treats to distract him as we said, “Drop it”, and he’s picking it up quickly! He also sits if he sees your hand go in the treat bag. 🙂
Great idea!
Play time is fun and can be a great teaching opportunity as well.
Big hugs to your new puppy!