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Your puppy seems to have boundless energy, right? Sure, he's also sleeping for quite some time every day. But boy, when he's awake, those zoomies are out of control! Does that sound familiar? Well, that describes my experience with my Mini Poodle Baloo's puppyhood pretty accurately. My goodness, his energy was just insane. I've literally never seen a dog this hyper in my whole life! Well, it has luckily improved a lot. But back then, he was barely able to sit down, let alone lie down and relax... Thank god for crates! In this article you'll learn why your puppy is so hyper. Plus, you'll also get 4 tips and a free pdf to get your puppy to calm down. One more thing before we get started: If you’re serious about getting your puppy to calm down, I’ve got something for you! Why Is My Puppy So Hyper? Aww, your new puppy is so cute! That is, until he starts zooming all over your house and just can’t seem to settle down. Wondering why your puppy is hyper all the time? Here are a few reasons why your puppy is so energetic. Puppies Can’t Control Their Energy Levels Just like kids, puppies won’t be able to control their energy levels. When they are very young especially, everything will be super exciting for your puppy. After all, they’ve never experienced any of this before! For the first year or so, your puppy will have a lot of energy. As he gets older, and as you continue to train him, he’ll start to settle down. But until then, you can expect your puppy to be energetic and enthusiastic about, well, everything. Puppies simply can't control their energy levels very well. One second they're super excited and the next sound asleep. Lack of Mental Stimulation It’s not enough to just physically exercise your dog. You need to make sure his brain is getting some work too! A lot of the time, puppies get hyper because they’re bored. He’s making his own entertainment by running around and being over active! There are a lot of great ways you can make sure your dog is getting enough mental stimulation. More on that later. Overtired It seems weird, but being overtired can actually make your dog hyper. Even though it seems like logically your puppy would crash completely if he’s overtired, the opposite might happen and he could have an even harder time settling down. Think about human toddlers or kids. When they get overtired, they might have tantrums or avoid going to bed by hiding or running around the house. Just like them, when puppies get overtired they lose control of themselves and start acting out. Not sure if your puppy might be overtired? Here are 10 symptoms of an overtired puppy, and what you can do about it. Surprisingly, your puppy's hyperactivity can also stem from him being overtired or overstimulated Overstimulated Just like being overtired, if your puppy gets overstimulated, he might start acting out and getting hyper as well. For puppies, the whole world is exciting and stimulating! There's so much to see, sniff at and interact with. That can become pretty overwhelming. If your pup had a long day and met a lot of new dogs or people, he might be overstimulated. Make sure to check out my article about how to calm an overstimulated dog to learn more on that topic. Your Behavior Dogs are super emotional animals, and very intuitive when it comes to their owners’ feelings. Your dog is surprisingly good at picking up on what you’re feeling! And, depending on what you’re feeling and how you’re dealing with it, that might be the reason for your dog’s zoomies. If your dog suddenly starts acting hyper, you might want to consider what your own behavior has been like. If you’ve been running around the house or being loud, that might be what’s encouraging your puppy’s energy! I know that this is a big trigger for Baloo. If I'm anything but calm and relaxed, he'll get nervous. Can be a little annoying sometimes... If you stay calm, your puppy will most likely reflect your energy level How Do You Calm Down a Hyper Puppy? Now that you know some of the reasons why your puppy might be hyper, let’s talk about some ways you can get him to settle down! This is a brief overview of how you can help your hyper puppy. For a more in depth look, here are 13 ways to tire out a puppy. Set Up a Daily Routine Dogs operate best when they have a schedule. Knowing what to expect and when will eliminate uncertainty in your puppy’s life. It will also help you stay consistent with training and brain games for your dog! As your dog adjusts to his new daily routine, you’ll likely find that he’s less hyper. This is because now he knows when it’s time to play, and when it’s time to settle down and relax! Speaking of routine, that's also one of the most important things that helped me get Baloo from being super hyper to finally calming down: Enforce Regular Naps If your puppy gets hyper because he’s overtired, then making sure he’s napping regularly is an awesome way to keep him from getting hyper. Puppies need a lot of sleep anyway. Just like human babies, their bodies and brains are growing, and sleep helps them do that healthily! You can expect your puppy to spend 18 to 20 hours a day sleeping. Help him make sure that he’s getting enough sleep to develop properly and stay calm but enforce a nap schedule. Your new daily routine will be able to help you do that! Make Sure He Gets Enough Mental Stimulation If your dog gets hyper because he’s not being mentally stimulated enough, it’s time to incorporate more brain games into his daily routine! Luckily, there are a lot of great ways you can give your puppy some mental stimulation. Try teaching your puppy some new tricks, or play games that make your dog think. Getting your puppy to work for his food with a food puzzle is another great way to keep your dog’s brain engaged. Mental stimulation can be super fun for you too. Plus, you’ll probably be impressed by how smart your dog is! Stay Calm Since dogs can pick up on our emotions and energy so easily, it’s important to remember to be calm. Not only will this help your dog stay generally calm, it will also teach your dog to keep a cool head during intense situations. When you have visitors, for example, if you answer the door super enthusiastically, that will teach your dog it’s okay to bark and jump all over people when they come in. On the other hand, answering the door calmly will teach your dog that even though it’s exciting to have visitors, it’s important to stay relaxed. This will apply to basically every situation in your dog’s life. It will take time and consistency. But both you and your dog will learn to stay relaxed even in exciting situations. Related Questions Now let's look at a few related questions that will help you understand your hyper puppy even better. Will My Puppy Ever Calm Down? Your puppy sleeps a lot, but during his waking moments he’s going non-stop! It might seem like desperately trying to herd your puppy and getting him to settle down is just what your life is now. It seems impossible to imagine your puppy will ever calm down! The truth is that as your puppy ages, and as you continue training him, he’ll start calming down. Everything will eventually stop being so new and exciting, and you and your puppy will both start to relax. It’s important to remember, though, that some dogs are naturally more energetic than others. Even though your puppy will calm down as he ages, depending on his breed he may continue to be a very energetic dog well into adulthood! Baloo, for instance, has still much more energy than many other dogs. But if channeled correctly (for instance through Agility training), he's happily snoozing for the rest of the day. Trust me, your puppy will calm down. Even if it might take a few months Why Is My Puppy So Hyper at Night? If your puppy is getting super hyper at night, there are a few reasons why that may be. One surprising reason might actually be his food. If your dog isn’t eating the right kinds of food, that might be what’s making him hyper. Take a look at the AKC’s tips for choosing the right food for your dog. You might also want to consider feeding your daw raw or home cooked food. Here are some great dog food delivery services for fresh cooked food. Other than that you should also consider what time you’re feeding your dog. Feeding him too late in the evening could be what’s making his energy levels spike. Other culprits for your dog’s late night hyperactivity could be that he’s not getting enough mental and physical stimulation, or he’s experiencing some separation anxiety if he’s away from you at night. Why Is My Puppy So Hyper All of a Sudden? Does it seem like your puppy is hyper all of a sudden? There are a few reasons why that may be. It could be that your dog is uncomfortable and itchy and trying to get rid of the feeling. It could also be because he’s bored, or feeling overwhelmed. For more information, check out my previous article about why your dog is so hyper all of a sudden, as well as some tips and tricks to help him settle down. Why Is My Puppy So Hyper and Aggressive? As your puppy ages, he might go through a phase where he starts biting or jumping at you and other people or animals. If you leave this behavior unchecked, it could grow into a problem as he gets older. A lot of the time, this behavior might be your dog acting out because he’s overtired. If that’s the case, learn more about overtired puppy biting. If you’re trying to curb your puppy’s biting, here are some tips and tricks to stop your puppy’s biting habit for good. Conclusion Puppies are so cute, but when they’re up and moving it can feel exhausting. Sometimes your puppy’s hyperactivity is just because he can’t control his energy levels. Sometimes it stems from a problem, like being overtired or overstimulated. No matter what the reason is, there are ways you can help manage your puppy’s energy levels. Setting up a routine is one great way, as is enforcing naps and making sure he gets enough physical and mental stimulation. Even if your puppy is just naturally energetic and maintains his energy as he grows up, at least you’ll have ways of managing it!

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