Have you ever been wondering: why does my dog have the zoomies when tired?
I certainly have, as my Mini Poodle Baloo used the have the zoomies all the time. But in hindsight, it was especially bad when he was tired.
So, in this article we’ll look at the reasons why your dog has the zoomies when he’s tired.
What triggers zoomies in dogs?
If you’re a dog parent, then you’ve likely experienced the zoomies at least once. Your dog racing around the house might seem super cute and hilarious at first.
But, once you realize that your dog just can’t seem to settle himself down, they can quickly become frustrating.
When your dog gets the zoomies, he may stop listening to you. This can make it super difficult to help him settle down!
If you’re looking for more information on dog zoomies, check out these articles:
- What Causes Puppy Zoomies? 5 Common Reasons
- Why Do Puppies Get the Zoomies Before Bed?
- 9 Hyperactive Dog Symptoms and How to Help Your Dog Calm Down
Boredom
Boredom is the cause of many behavioral issues in dogs.
That’s why it’s so important to make sure that your dog is getting enough stimulation throughout the day.
Dogs that are bored will find their own ways to have fun, which could get him into trouble. Plus, having all of that pent up energy from not doing anything all day could result in the zoomies.
You can help prevent boredom by providing your dog with enough stimulation. For some tips and advice, check out these related articles:
- 10 Brain Games for Dogs to Play at Home
- 11 Easy Dog Tricks for Beginners
- A Tired Dog Is a Happy Dog—11 Tip for a Tired, Happy Dog
Overstimulation
Making sure that your dog has enough stimulation is important. But if your dog is overstimulated, that can cause the exact same problems that boredom can.
Sounds confusing, right? If you’re wondering whether your dog is bored or overtired, here are 10 overtired puppy symptoms and what to do about it.
You need to make sure that your dog is getting enough sleep and rest throughout the day.
Your dog needs about 10 to 14 hours of sleep and relaxing every day to stay healthy. If you’re concerned that your dog isn’t getting that, provide him with a safe, quiet space where he can relax.
A crate is a great option. For some advice on crate training, check out how to crate train a dog easily in 13 steps.
Uncomfortable feeling
If you’ve ever been super uncomfortable, then you know exactly how it can make your skin crawl! That feeling can also cause a sudden boost in your energy.
The same thing is true for your dog. If something’s happened that’s making him feel uncomfortable, that might trigger the zoomies.
Your dog might start racing around as a way to shake of that feeling!
This is why dogs getting hyper after baths is so common. Your dog doesn’t like the feeling, and he’s trying his best to make it stop.
Excitement
There are many reasons why your dog gets the zoomies. Plain old-fashioned excitement is one of them!
If something is happening around your dog that’s just super exciting, he might not know any other ways to deal with his feelings. He might start zooming around all over the place because it’s the only way he knows how to manage his excitement!
This is more frequent in puppies that just won’t go to sleep, but there are plenty of adult dogs that do it too.
This is a really common problem. Luckily, there are ways you can help him learn to manage his excitement more appropriately.
For some advice, check these articles out:
- My Dog Jumps and Bites When Excited—What Can I Do?
- Over Excited Dog with Visitors—Here’s What to Do!
- Dog Humps When Tired or Over Excited—What can I Do?
Why does my dog have the zoomies when tired?
If you find that your dog most commonly experiences the zoomies when he’s tired, that could be really confusing.
After all, wouldn’t being tired just make your dog want to sleep?
Most of the time that’s true. But at a certain point of exhaustion, that tiredness can start triggering zoomies and hyperactivity.
Here are a few reasons why your dog is getting the zoomies when tired.
Being overtired can give dogs a boost of energy
Have you ever seen a toddler or kid that’s just a little too tired? You may have seen them either throw a huge temper tantrum or start acting super hyper.
In a lot of ways, dogs are just like kids. They are very emotional animals that might have trouble regulating their own feelings.
That means that when your dog gets too tired, it’s likely that he’ll start acting out.
Zoomies are just one of the ways that being overtired can affect your dog or puppy. He might also start having other issues like overtired puppy biting.
Make sure that your dog is getting his 10 to 14 hours of rest every day to prevent him from becoming overtired.
He doesn’t know how to calm down
It might seem weird, but calming down is actually something that your dog might need to learn how to do.
If you have a naturally hyper dog, then calming down is a really important skill for him to have. It’s also one that you may not be able to expect him to learn on his own.
You might need to teach your dog how to keep himself calm, even in super exciting situations.
The important thing is to stay consistent with your training. Training a dog to calm down can be difficult, but with patience you can do it.
Make sure that you’re rewarding your dog in moments when he chooses to relax quietly somewhere. That will help encourage calmness at other points during the day too.
For puppies: the world is just too exciting to sleep
Puppies are super cute, but they’re also a lot of work! They’re just like human babies, and require a lot of time and attention.
And, also like human babies, puppies are experiencing the world for the first time! And since there’s so much going on and so much to learn, that can be super, super exciting.
Unfortunately, all of that excitement can make it hard to sleep. And puppies need a lot of sleep to stay healthy. In fact, they need about 18 to 20 hours every 24-hour cycle.
If they’re not getting that sleep, behavioral issues can result and your puppy may not develop properly.
For some advice, here are 5 tips to calm an overexcited puppy quickly.
Do dogs get tired after zoomies?
Zoomies look like they take a lot of energy, don’t they? After all, your dog is racing around the house, barking and jumping around. That’s not exactly a relaxing activity!
Your dog will likely be tired after his zoomies are finished. But exactly when his zoomies finish depends a lot on when you manage to help him calm down.
There are a few ways that can help your dog settle down. Putting him in his crate for a few minutes to calm himself is one way. You can also try holding him still. This will help him bring awareness back into his body.
Once you’ve calmed him down, then he’ll likely want to have a rest. Just don’t expect your dog to be able to calm himself effectively without your help!
And remember that it’s best to try and prevent the zoomies from happening in the first place.
Why does my puppy throw a tantrum when tired?
Just like human kids, it’s normal for puppies to throw tantrums once in a while. Your puppy is still exploring the world and figuring out how it works.
And if it doesn’t work the way he wants it to, then that can be frustrating! Your puppy might feel that’s unfair, and throw a tantrum in response.
Being over tired can also affect your puppy’s ability to regulate his emotions and actions. So, even if you’ve been working on training, being overtired can make your puppy forget all that training.
Being too tired might also make your puppy feel more frustrated. You’ve likely been overtired yourself a few times in your life, and you know how that makes everything grate on your nerves.
If you’re looking for help with your puppy’s tantrums, here’s how to deal with puppy tantrums—7 tips to stop them.
How to calm down an overtired puppy?
If your puppy is overtired, you may have found yourself trapped in an endless loop. Being overtired is causing a spike in energy, which prevents your puppy from getting the sleep he needs, which only makes him more overtired!
What’s a poor dog parent to do?
The best thing to do is to prevent him from getting overtired in the first place. One way you can do this is by making sure he’s getting the right amount of stimulation every day. Also provide him with a quiet place to rest, and enforce naps if your puppy can’t regulate his sleep on his own.
For some more advice, here’s what to do when your overtired puppy can’t sleep.
Conclusion
While the zoomies can be entertaining to watch for a few minutes, they tend to get old pretty quickly.
It’s normal for dogs to experience the zoomies every once in a while. But if your dog is getting the zoomies often, then you may need to find some ways to help him settle down.
Once you’ve determined what’s causing your dog’s zoomies, you can find the right way to keep him calm. That will help you and your dog stay sane!
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