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“What age does puppy witching hour stop?” is what a lot of puppy parents are wondering about.
It’s cute at first when your puppy seems to have his 5 minutes. But that gets old really quickly. And after a few weeks the only thing you can think about is “when does puppy witching hour finally stop?”, right?
Well, the good news is that you can influence your puppy’s crazy behavior a lot.
So, in this article we’ll look at the questions “what age does puppy witching hour stop?”, along with some tips that will help you have a calmer puppy much sooner.
What is the puppy witching hour?
At a certain time of day, does your puppy seem to go absolutely crazy? Does he lose his manners and refuse to listen to anything you say?
Maybe he’s zooming around the house and you just can’t get him to stop.
If this sounds like your situation, then you may be experiencing a puppy witching hour!
Dogs of all ages can experience a witching hour. But they are particularly common with puppies. Unfortunately, they can also be extremely frustrating. Your puppy refusing to listen to you or settle down is never fun!
Don’t worry though, there are ways that you can manage your puppy’s witching hour. But before we learn more about the dreaded witching hour, check out these related articles:
- At What Age Are Puppies Most Hyper?
- Why Is My Puppy So Hyper? 4 Tips for a Calm Puppy
- 9 Hyperactive Dog Symptoms and How to Help Your Dog Calm Down
Your puppy sometimes goes a little crazy
So, what exactly is a puppy witching hour?
It’s usually a period of time in the morning or evening where your puppy may begin misbehaving more than normal. You may find that he’s mouthier or barking a lot even if you’ve been training him not to do those things.
Basically, your puppy just goes a little crazy. He might start losing control of himself, and acting out. It may seem like he’s completely forgotten all the manners you’ve spent so much time teaching him.
If your puppy goes crazy like this, you should try to keep track of when this happens. You may begin to see a pattern. And once you notice the pattern, you may be able to figure out what’s triggering the witching hour and stop it before it happens.
It’s also called the zoomies or a temper tantrum
Some people have different names for their puppies’ witching hours. You may have also heard these periods of time called the zoomies. They can also be very similar to temper tantrums.
So what causes puppy zoomies? These periods in the day can be caused by a few factors. Sometimes your puppy is just bored and trying to get all his excess energy out.
The reverse could also be true. Puppies that have been overstimulated tend to lose control and start getting the zoomies. If your puppy is feeling uncomfortable, or he knows that the zoomies will get him attention, that can trigger the them too.
If you’re wondering how to deal with puppy tantrums, then the best thing to do is ignore the behavior while it’s happening. Then, when your puppy is acting calm, make sure to reward that behavior to show him what is appropriate.
What age does puppy witching hour stop?
Dogs of all ages can experience witching hours. But with adult dogs, these witching hours are usually fewer and further between, and are usually caused by being over or under stimulated.
Do puppies outgrow the witching hour?
Whether or not your puppy ever fully outgrows his witching hours depends on a few factors. Some breeds are simply more active than others. If these breeds don’t get enough daily stimulation, then they may have witching hours even as adults.
Some puppies who are naturally calmer can grow out of their zoomies within a few months. Other puppies, however, may experience puppy zoomies even when they’re six months old and up.
You also play a huge role in your puppy’s witching hour. Providing your puppy with the right amount of exercise will help him settle down faster. Keeping up with training will also do a lot to help.
Just remember that your puppy is an individual. It would be nice to say that there’s a specific age when your puppy’s crazy zoomies will stop. Unfortunately, every puppy is different, and there’s no way to say for sure when your own puppy will start settling down faster.
How long does the witching hour last?
It’s hard to say when a puppy will outgrow their witching hours—or whether they’ll outgrow them at all! But it’s a little easier to say how long a dog’s witching hour may last.
Most puppies get their witching hours in the early morning or in the late evening. During these periods, your puppy will likely refuse to listen to you, and act completely crazy. Most puppies tend to experience their witching hours between 5:00pm to 8:00pm.
This can make these moments really frustrating, but generally the witching hour doesn’t last too long.
Most puppies can get over their witching hours within the hour. But there can be a lot of variation depending on several factors. If your puppy is particularly riled up, then his witching hour on one day may last longer than it did another day.
Whether or not you’re able to intervene and help your puppy also plays a huge role in the length of his witching hour. It may seem like your puppy simply can’t focus on anything you want him to, but there are ways you can help him.
What to do during a dog’s witching hour
Are you looking for ways to deal with your dog’s witching hours when they happen? These tips will help you out.
You’ll also want to make sure you’re checking out these 5 tips to deal with puppy witching hour to get the complete guide.
Stay calm
If your puppy is having a witching hour, then the number one thing you need to do is stay calm.
Your puppy is super intuitive. Dogs are naturals when it comes to picking up on the feelings of those around them. That means that the way you respond to your dog when he’s acting out plays a huge role in his behavior.
If your puppy is experiencing a witching hour, then it’s really important to stay calm. You want to model the behavior that you want to see in your puppy. Yelling at him to settle down or acting in a similar way to him will only excite him even more.
Instead, remain calm, and speak to him in a quiet and slow voice. This may not do much right away, but it will help him settle down faster.
Hold him still
When your puppy loses control of himself during his witching hours, he loses control of all parts of him. It might sound weird, but he may actually stop being aware of his own body.
One of the best ways you can help him is by holding him still. This will help bring his awareness back to himself.
To do this, hold him from behind in a sitting position. Keep one hand holding the back of his collar with the other hand gently and firmly holding his chest. This position will keep him from being able to bite you. Hold him steady like this for about a minute or two.
Try to prevent it next time
The best way to deal with puppy witching hours is to prevent them from happening in the first place.
You play a huge role in your dog’s overall behavior. When you make sure that you train your puppy regularly and provide him with the right amount of exercise during the day, this will help him settle faster.
To make sure that your puppy is getting the stimulation he needs during the day, check out these articles:
Giving him the right amount of stimulation during the day may also stop them from happening in the first place.
Crate training your puppy and providing him with a quiet place to calm down when you notice the signs coming up can also help. Here’s how to crate train a dog easily in 13 steps.
Why does my puppy come alive at night?
Is your puppy completely calm during the day, but at night a switch seems to flip? You may be wondering why your dog is so hyper at night.
It could be that your puppy just didn’t get enough exercise during the day. You may want to spend more time playing with him or working on training.
Your puppy might also be unaccustomed to sleeping at night yet. With practice and consistency, your puppy will understand his new routine and start settling down for the night.
At what age are puppies the naughtiest?
All puppies have their moments. It’s normal for even adult dogs to every, once in a while, misbehave and test the boundaries.
But it’s definitely more common at some ages than at others. For most puppies, this tends to be their adolescent phase, when they reach around 6 to 18 months old.
During this time, you may find your puppy listening less and acting out more. Just stay patient, keep up with training, and you’ll get through it.
Conclusion
You love your puppy, but you might love his witching hours a lot less. As your puppy gets older, he’ll likely experience fewer and fewer of these moments in his life. However, the way you handle them plays a big role in whether or not they stop.
Follow the above tips to help manage your puppy’s witching hours—and hopefully stop them in the first place. With time and practice, you can help your puppy learn to stay calm.