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
. This Premier toy works well with my homemade flirt pole, because my dog loves chasing the fox-like tail on the 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 need help with my 13 week yr old puppy.she doesn’t. Play with toys she chewed my socks and she eats everything she had time to grab without me seeing and she is so hiper I dnt know what to do please reply back
Hello Summer,
Congratulations on your new puppy!
I got a new Sibe puppy early last year, and she was also a big cyclone of energy. 😀 Puppies are excited about everything because everything is new and interesting. Puppies also do not know what things are considered ‘toys’ and what things are socks, clothing, and our designer shoes.
Here is how I trained my puppy-
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-i-trained-my-husky-puppy
Here are some other things that helped me calm puppy down and gain better control in the house-
http://shibashake.com/dog/puppy-obedience-training
hello! Our family has a 10 month old shiba puppy named Mari. She’s a very good girl most of the time, but sometimes she does some destructive things while we aren’t looking (chewing walls, getting things that aren’t hers, etc). We are almost always there to watch her, but sometimes its inevitable (such as needing to do something in another room). We have a kong toy (which uses dry food) but she’s never interested in it. We have tried some of these “puzzle toys”….but she only enjoys them when we’re around-of course :). Do you have any ideas for some puzzles or quiet activities she would enjoy on her own? Thanks so much-and we’re really enjoying this site…it has so many wonderful ideas that we’re working on adding into our everyday routine with Mari. Thanks so much.
-Mari’s Family
Yeah, it is not easy finding quiet activities for a Shiba. Mostly, Shiba Sephy likes chasing games and wrestling with other dogs.
One thing that Sephy likes doing on his own is chewing. The problem is that it is not always easy to get interesting and safe chew toys. Several years ago, Sephy found a deer antler while out walking and he totally loved it. Seeing this, we bought him some processed deer antler, which turned out to be a bad idea because he cracked one of his teeth on it.
Now I am a lot more careful about chew toys.
My two Sibes love bully sticks. Sephy likes them as well, but he only works on smaller pieces. When he gets a large piece, he cannot finish it in one sitting, and gets stressed about finding a good hiding spot for it. 😀
Have you tried frozen Kongs? Sephy is not really into those, but my Sibes love them.
Shiba Sephy also likes shredding things. The issue here is making sure he does not eat the bits and pieces of stuff that he shreds. Sometimes, I let him shred the cardboard stick that you find in wrapping paper. Other times, I put things in cardboard boxes or wrap some pieces of chicken in cardboard and let him work at getting it out. In the beginning I supervised him carefully to make sure he doesn’t eat any cardboard. He seems to be only interested in shredding and not in eating.
NOTE – Cardboard is not good for a dog’s digestive system so these shredding games would not be appropriate for a dog that likes eating paper or cardboard.
Another thing I have noticed about Sephy is that he will work on interactive toys by himself if he is hungry. I make him work for all of his food. He gets some for doing grooming and obedience exercises. They rest he only gets through his interactive food toys. A half hungry Shiba is an industrious Shiba. 😀
Hope this helps. Let me know if you find other alternative quiet activities. I am always looking for new things for Sephy to do.
Big hugs to Mari!
Thank you! I think we’ll start making her work for some of her food as well. And she also loves bully bars, but she doesn’t always chew on them. She also enjoys shredding too, and doesn’t seem interested in eating it! 🙂 Thanks so much!
-Mari’s family
Hi i have a 8month old male lab and i am finding it hard to want to let him off lead when we go to parks or dog beaches because as soon as i let him off leash he will bolt in the direction to the closest dog, and wont stop or come back, i have to chase after him. i dont mind him socializing but i just hate that he runs off. i feel bad not letting him off leash because i know he just wants to play… any suggestions? Thanks 🙂
also he goes to obedience training twice a week, but wont listent to any comands when he sees another dog he wants to play with..
Hello Rachael,
Well, I have a Shiba and two Sibes so I may not be the best person to talk about recall training. Both these breeds are extremely independent, and not really well-known for their recall abilities. 😀
I usually start recall training (Come) at home, where there are few distractions. There are a variety of methods that can be used to get a dog to come when called. This article from the ASPCA gives a good overview of all the methods-
http://aspcabehavior.org/articles/84/Teaching-Your-Dog-to-Come-When-Called-.aspx
Once recall is very reliable at home, then I tried it in an unfamiliar but quiet enclosed space, e.g. enclosed exercise space at a nearby SPCA, enclosed soccer field. The key to recall training is to start small, and set our dog up for success. Then we can very slowly increase the level of distraction.
After recall is reliable there, I tried it with a long line in the quiet hiking trails close to my house. There are more distractions there, but I go at off times so that we are alone. After a few times, I decided that it was too dangerous for my Sibe. She has high prey drive, and she bolted after prey. She came back to me after a short time and I also have the long line, but it was enough to convince me that off-leash time for her should only be in an enclosed space.
I am a proud owner of a Boston Terrier/Pug mix named Frankenstein. He just turned 1 and he has always had the problem of not being able to hold in his excitement/energy. If hes home with me and my girlfriend hes relaxed. On the other hand he goes nuts when I arrive home from work until about 30 minutes then settles down. When guests come by, he never eventually calms down. I also get texts from my girlfriend about him acting aggressive when it is just her and Frankenstein. I am very close to taking him to training classes, but money is tight and if we can get him to be calm then we can avoid the expense. Should I invest in the classes? Is it something that a vet can control. I love my pup and just want to have him contain his energy. What do you think about bringing in another puppy into the house? Thank you.
Hello Brian,
When I arrive home, I usually try to keep things calm. I walk in calmly and go about my own business for a short time. Then, if my Sibe puppy Lara is behaving well and not jumping, I ask her for a Sit. If she does this, I praise her well and give her attention, affection, and treats.
If she jumps, I no-mark her, fold up my arms, turn away and ignore her. If she tries to bite me or my clothes, she goes into a brief timeout.
In this way, she learns –
Being calm & Sitting = Attention, Affection, Treats
Jumping = Get ignored
Biting = Lose freedom
I put a drag-lead on Lara when people come over to visit. I only use it with a normal flat collar and *not* an aversive collar. If she is too crazy in her greeting, I lead her away and she does not get to be with the guests for a short duration. Then, I walk her slowly back on-leash. If she pulls, we move back. If she is calm, we move forward.
I also instruct guests to ignore her (this also means no eye contact) and only give her attention when she is calm.
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-to-meet-a-dog
In terms of classes, I found individual sessions to be more useful than group sessions. Group classes were useful for socialization, but I learned a lot more about controlling my dog from individual training sessions.
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-medication-good-bad-dog-behavior-modification
In my experience, getting a second dog only adds a lot more work, and further increases the excitement level. 😀 I only got my second dog after I had solved most of the issues with my first dog.
http://shibashake.com/dog/getting-a-second-dog
I just got my 7 week old Siberian Husky puppy, Anya. I keep her inside, because one dog is enough for me, and I know she needs constant company — I work from home, so I’m always here, I take her for 20-30 minute ‘walks’ every two or three hours to drain off some of her energy. My only problem? She’s very, very hyper. And it’s not quiet hyper — She barks like crazy, almost nonstop, unless she’s in my lap. I can deal with this when I’m on my off time, but when I’m working? Not so much. I don’t mind petting her when I’m busy, or playing with her a little, but I just can’t make her be quiet for any small period of time unless she’s physically in contact with me.
Is this just separation anxiety, or hyperness? I’d love to take her for real walks, but she hates being on a leash more than anything; She only goes where she wants to go, and I won’t drag her around. That’s mean. But then again, she might be too young to understand ‘walktime’.
Help? D:
Hello Scott,
Congratulations on your new Sibe puppy. I love the name Anya.
In terms of the barking, do you go to her when she starts to vocalize? That is a natural reaction, but doing so rewards puppy for vocalizing, which reinforces the barking behavior.
With my Sibe puppy Lara, I make sure not do go to her when she is noisy, or to give her any attention. I wait until she stops making noise for a short duration, before rewarding her with my attention. In this way, she learns that being quiet = attention, being noisy = gets ignored. Then as she starts to learn, I slowly lengthen the time that she has to stay quiet.
Another thing that really helped with puppy Lara is to make her work for all of her food. Frozen Kongs were really awesome when she was a puppy. It kept her occupied, and she would usually drop off to sleep after working on it.
She also liked playing chasing games like the flirt pole. Sibes really love to run. 😀
Here is a bit more on dog barking-
http://shibashake.com/dog/woof-woof-stop-dog-barking
In terms of leash-training, what seemed to work well with Lara is the red-light-green-light technique. I just stop when she pulls, and only walk when the leash is loose. Sometimes, I turn around and walk in the opposite direction, but most of the time the start-stop works well with her.
http://shibashake.com/dog/leash-training-your-dog
Hugs to Anya.
I have a two year old husky (we were told by the breeder that her sire was halfwolf). She is very very hyper. I think I’ve seen her exhausted only once in the two years we’ve had her with us. She’s also extremely skittish.
Now, we’re in the process of finding another dog to be her companion, but do you have any suggestions for what we could do? (we have tried food rewards, she won’t have anything to do with treats or even dog food)
Hello McKenna,
Some of the things that my Sibes, Shania and Lara enjoy doing-
1. Digging for earth critters. They really love to dig and are good hunters. I leave a large section of my backyard un-landscaped and they have fun digging there.
2. Going for walks, meeting people, looking at people, and exploring along the hiking trails. Shania likes going where there are more people, and Lara prefers going on more quiet hiking trails. I take them out for about 1.5 hours each day. When it is hot, they are less energetic.
3. Playing with each other and other dogs. They also expend a lot of energy playing, wrestling, and chasing each other.
4. Working for all their food. They get all their food through obedience, grooming, or interactive toys. Sometimes, I also spread some of their kibble in the backyard, and they have fun looking for food under bushes, in the grass, etc.
Sometimes, I also play games with them. They all seem to enjoy playing chase games such as the flirt pole. I play tug-of-war with Lara, but only with very strict tug rules. Games together with strict game rules, can be a good way to teach them obedience, as well as exercise them physically and mentally.
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-play-fun-games-to-play-with-your-dog-or-puppy
Each dog is a bit different in terms of what they enjoy doing most, so I try to identify what they enjoy and then construct fun activities around it.
I have a 4 1/2 month old Pomapoo. We have had her for 2 months and have gotten her pretty well trained at home. We do obedience daily with ‘sit’ ‘shake’ and ‘lay down’- which she does very well at. Its when we go out in public that she acts like a maniac. Every time she sees another person or another dog she runs after them on her leash and is pulling so hard that she gets herself standing up. She usually doesn’t bark, but rather whines a lot. We have tried since day 1 to have her sit, tell her ‘leave it’ and hold one hand on her back to try to keep her calm. We have also tried picking her up, but have stopped because she wiggles so much and always gets loose. We have also socialized her A LOT since the very first day we brought her home. We have a doggie park that she goes to regularly as well as taking her with us on trips where she has interacted with many other people and dogs. We also just had her spayed 4 days ago and she is already back to her crazy self. We are just running out of ideas and methods for keeping her calm in public. Thank you!
Hello Katherine,
My Shiba Inu Sephy also used to be very reactive, especially wrt. other dogs. Here are some of the things I did to help him with his dog-to-dog reactivity-
http://shibashake.com/dog/dog-to-dog-aggression
With people, I did some desensitization work with Sephy in the beginning, and he is usually pretty good when meeting and greeting people.
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-to-calm-a-fearful-reactive-dog#people
I have a Golden Retriever/Beagle mix. She is 3 1/2 years old and her name is Tempest. She is very hyper still and jumps up on people. Over her 3 years she has gotten better but still jumps up when someone (friends, family or strangers) shows her affection or enters our home. I have a friend whom is pregnant that is coming to live with me and I am afraid that Tempest will hurt my friend or her unborn baby. What are some good techniques to use to get her to not jump? We have tried the ignore her until she calms but that just makes her angry so she does it more.
Also, along with Tempest we have an almost 6 year old Terrier mix named Eli. We have recently (4 months ago) moved to Japan due to my husband being in the military. Eli has not adjusted well to our move with his failing eye sight. I was wondering what I can do to help him adjust? He used to be very outgoing and friendly to strangers and a big little lover of children and now he wants nothing to do with anyone outside of our home. He gets so scared when other people are around that he shakes and will either freeze or will tug and pull to get back to our apartment.
I usually put my dogs in a short time-out if they continue to jump after I have turned away from them. Here is more on my experiences with dog jumping.
Yeah, my 3 legged Sibe Shania is also more wary of new dogs and new environments because she feels more vulnerable. What has worked best for her is to quickly establish a fixed routine. In this way she knows exactly what to expect every day, which will help to reduce stress.
I also did desensitization exercises with her, to help her with things that she is most fearful of.
Here are a couple of articles on dog anxiety and desensitization.
Big hugs to your dogs. Love the name Tempest! 😀
I think your site is wonderful, nice work, great advice.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Stephanie! 😀
Hi, I have an eigthh month old pug who seems to not be socialzed, whenever people come around our home, or she hears nosies or voices…when we’re out walking…or in the car nad she sees people or other dogs she starts bbarking. How can I get her to stop barking so I can addressed her fear or the problem, resulting in getting her better aquainted with people and other dogs in a more calm enviroment to get her socialized?
What has worked well for my dogs is desensitization training. My Sibe Shania was very afraid of the garbage truck, so I slowly desensitized her to the sound and ultimately to the truck. She is a lot better now.
My Shiba Inu was very reactive to people and other dogs. Here are some of my experiences with people desensitization –
http://shibashake.com/dog/how-to-calm-a-fearful-reactive-dog#people
Here is some of my experiences on dog socialization