What Causes Puppy Zoomies? 5 Common Reasons

If your puppy experiences a burst of energy on a regular basis, you’ve likely been wondering what actually causes puppy zoomies.

Zoomies were a daily activity when Baloo was still a puppy. It sometimes felt like all he did was zoom around when he wasn’t in his crate…

So, naturally, I started doing some research about the causes for this curious behavior.

In this article, you’ll learn the 5 most common reasons for puppy zoomies. Plus, you’ll get a bunch of tips that will help your puppy calm down faster.

What Causes Puppy Zoomies?

Puppies are funny animals. One minute they’re racing around the house with no sign of stopping, and the next they’re passed out on the floor.

When your puppy is awake, he’s probably pretty energetic. The world is still so new to him, and there’s lots to do and explore!

But there’s a difference between a puppy that’s just active and a puppy that has the zoomies.

So why do puppies get the zoomies? There are a few reasons why. Let’s get into them.

Boredom

Boredom is a really common cause of behavioral problems in dogs. Dogs are naturally active animals, and need plenty of physical and mental activity to stay healthy.

You wouldn’t like it if you had to lie around the house 24/7 with nothing to do either!

It’s even easier for puppies to get bored. Puppies are super curious, but they may not want to do the same thing for long. You may need to switch up whatever activity you’re doing with him frequently.

If you’re not sure if your puppy is really bored, here are 7 symptoms of dog boredom.

To help prevent your puppy from getting the zoomies, make sure to exercise him and give his little brain things to do too. For some inspiration, here are 10 brain games for dogs to play at home.

Uncomfortable Feeling (Like After Baths)

If you’ve ever given your puppy or dog a bath, then you may have experienced those very special bath zoomies.

But why do dogs get hyper after baths? One of the main reasons is because they feel uncomfortable and they’re trying to shake off the feeling.

Dogs don’t generally enjoy baths. So while you might like how fresh and clean your puppy smells, he’s most likely feeling super uncomfortable!

The zoomies are a puppy’s way of getting rid of that uncomfortable feeling.

Over Excitement

Puppies are constantly learning about how the world works. There’s so much to do and explore—and it’s all so new and exciting!

It’s normal for puppies to get excited as they get used to the world around them. But sometimes puppies can get a little overexcited.

If your puppy starts feeling overstimulated, then he might lose control of himself and the zoomies will kick in. There’s just too much going on for his little brain to process! And this is the only way he knows to release all of this energy he has.

If your puppy is overexcited, then be sure to check out the 5 tips to calm an overexcited puppy quickly.

Attention Seeking

Your puppy loves you!

After all, you’re the one that feeds him and houses him and gives him all the best belly rubs.

But sometimes your puppy may feel like he’s not getting enough attention from you. If that’s the case, then acting out might be his way of trying to get you to focus on him.

If your puppy’s zoomies stem from attention seeking, it’s really important not to acknowledge them! Talking to him or following him around will only give him what he wants. And that’s just going to encourage similar behavior in the future.

Being Overtired

Puppies need a lot of sleep—more than most people realize.

Your puppy needs about 18 to 20 hours of sleep every 24-hour cycle. Like human babies, puppies are doing a whole lot of growing. And most of that growing takes place while they’re sleeping!

That’s why it’s important to make sure that your puppy gets enough sleep during the day. Not only does it prevent those crazy puppy zoomies, but it also ensures that he’s growing into a healthy adult dog!

Is your puppy overtired? Here are 10 overtired puppy symptoms and what to do about it.

How to Deal with Puppy Zoomies

Learning why your puppy has the zoomies is one thing. But learning how to actually manage them is a whole other matter!

Let’s talk about how you can deal with your puppy’s zoomies.

Never Chase a Puppy with the Zoomies

Maybe you think you’re just playing a game, or maybe you’re trying to catch him to get him to stop. Either way, chasing your puppy is not going to help him.

Zoomies are normal and nothing to worry about. But you want to make sure he’s safe. If he’s having his zoomies in an area with lots of breakables or things that could fall on him, then you’ll want to get a handle on his zoomies quickly.

Encouraging your puppy by chasing him could make the situation more dangerous if he’s not in a safe area. And ramping his zoomies up will make it harder for him to calm down.

Instead, encourage your puppy to follow you by teaching him the “come” command. For some help, here are 13 tips to teach a dog to come when called.

Hold Him Still

When puppies have the zoomies, they tend to lose complete awareness of their bodies. You can help your puppy regain his sense of self by holding him still.

To do this, hold your dog in a sit position from behind. Gently take the back of his collar in one hand and hold his chest in with the other. Keeping your hands in this position will help prevent him from biting you. Another great way is to hold him by the shoulders to give him a feeling of where his body “ends”.

Make sure your grasp is gentle but firm. You shouldn’t have to hold him for too long, either. It will only take about a minute for your puppy to start to calm down.

Let Him Sit or Lie Down and Wait

If your puppy is overexcited or overtired, then getting him to sit or lie down could be what is needed to help him settle down.

Give your puppy a quiet space where he can sit down, and then wait and see if he relaxes. It might take a while, but it might help your puppy’s zoomies pass.

Give Him a Time Out in the Crate

One of the things that come along with dog zoomies is selective hearing. Your puppy might choose not to hear you say “come” or “sit.”

If your puppy is having some trouble listening, then putting him in the crate for a little time out might be in order.

There’s nothing wrong with putting your puppy in his crate to calm down. But it’s important to crate train him right way. You want the crate to be a place for your puppy to relax, not a punishment.

Not sure how to crate train your dog? Check out how to crate train a dog easily in 13 steps.

Let Him Zoom Around in a Safe Space, Like a Fenced Yard

All puppies will get the zoomies eventually. Even adult dogs will get the zoomies from time to time!

And that’s completely normal. If you’re ok with your pup zooming around from time to time, another way to help him calm down is to let him have the zoomies in a safe space.

Once you see those zoomies kicking in, try taking him outside into the yard. If you don’t have a yard, bring him to an area of your house where he can’t knock anything over.

This will allow him to get all that energy out in a way that’s safe.

Do Puppies Grow Out of Zoomies?

If your puppy is endlessly zooming around your house, you’re probably wondering if the zoomies will ever stop.

Puppies become over stimulated because there’s just so much to learn about the world. As they get older, and they get used to the way things work, they do start to calm down.

But don’t expect your puppy’s zoomies to stop completely or forever. Again, zoomies are a really normal part of being a dog! Your adult dog will likely experience the zoomies less frequently, but don’t be surprised if something still triggers them once in a while.

Baloo always gets the zoomies when he was wet. It doesn’t matter if I bathed him or if it was just raining outside and I dried him with a towel.

He just hates being wet!

Why Does My Dog Go Crazy at Night?

Settling down for the night to sleep is hard when your dog is too busy barking and running around the house.

But why is your dog so hyper at night? There are a few potential causes.

Dogs have super sensitive noses and ears. Your dog might be hearing or smelling something that you have absolutely no perception of. It might be helpful to turn on some white noise or relaxing music to drown out the sounds.

You should also make sure that he’s getting the right amount of exercise during the day.

Another thing you may want to consider is his diet. Try feeding him a few hours earlier, and remember to read the label on your dog’s food to make sure it has the right ingredients.

Conclusion

Puppy zoomies can be pretty cute at first. But you might find they get old fast.

If your puppy is frequently experiencing a lot of zoomies, then figuring out why he’s getting them is the first step.

Once you know the why, you can help prevent them from happening so frequently. And in the meantime, you can use all the above tips to make sure that your puppy is safe and to calm him down easily.