Eating too close to sleep time
Food is an energy source, therefore eating too close to bedtime may cause a dog to have a sudden energy burst that results in hyperactivity.
If you notice this becoming a problem, try to feed your dog earlier to give them time to digest their food and burn off some of the associated energy.
Dogs can find it challenging to understand pain and discomfort. This means that their natural instinct is often to run from the sensation, attempting to get away from it even though we know that’s impossible.
If your dog has a stomach ache or is experiencing any type of gut discomfort, this may be causing them to run around. Make sure that your dog is eating a good diet and try to rule out any allergies.
Being scared or anxious can send a dog into a fit of chaos. This means that a dog suffering from separation anxiety is likely to become hyperactive in certain situations.
This is often because they can’t deal with their feelings. Just like with physical discomfort, dogs think the best way to cope is to try to escape.
Additionally, dogs are light sleepers and can be disrupted easily. An unexpected sound may suddenly frighten them, causing them to wake and run.
Crate training can help calm a dog, reducing anxiery and preventing hyper behavior.
Stay calm when your puppy gets wild!
Oh my God, this is my biggest challenges as I can lose my patience pretty quickly when my puppy goes mad.
As reader Jessi said recently in the comments of this post:
“I got so frustrated with him (my puppy) on Friday night that I yelled at him and stuffed him in his crate, because apparently I am about as mature as my 4-month-old puppy.”
Yep, me too … me too.
I try not to get mad and yell at my puppy. Yelling is not really going to help. It’s also not the best time to engage in exciting games like fetch or tug. If I do play these games in the evenings, I keep the play to just a few minutes so it’s controlled.
Don’t have your dog off-leash in an unsafe area if he’s likely to zoom
I’ve dealt with this briefly above but can’t stress this enough.
Even if your dog normally has a reliable recall, if he starts zooming all bets are off and he can become injured or worse.
He won’t think about the dangers that traffic or other risky things pose.
I take my dogs off-lead in various places because I show them in obedience and they have to be reliable in all settings.
But I first work with them on a long-line in each setting so I can safely test their reliability in obeying commands before going off-lead.
Why is my dog HYPER at night!? (Hyper Puppy Meaning)
Our discussion at puppy class this week was all about the puppy crazies. You know, when the switch flips, and your normally sweet and wonderful pup turns into a wild, jumping, biting, running, out-of-control tornado. I totally understood why my students were both frustrated and worried. Is there something wrong with the pup? How do you stop it? How long will my puppy do this?
Fortunately, there is nothing wrong with these pups. Not only are the puppy crazies normal, but you are not alone—most puppies get the puppy crazies–sometimes several times a day. Puppy crazies seem to be worse in the morning and evening, and sometimes after pups are left alone for longer periods.
Of course that doesn’t make them any easier to live with and handling the puppy crazies in an appropriate manner now will make a difference later on. So what do you do?
First, know that prevention is the best cure. Puppies often go through the crazies at a particular time of day or during certain activities. Figure out your puppy’s crazy time—after dinner, after a big play session, when she needs to go potty. Then make a plan. For example if your puppy gets crazy after dinner…
When you prevent the puppy crazies in this manner, your pup will learn how to settle herself and will begin developing that all-important “off switch.”
But what if you can’t prevent the crazies? What if they catch you by surprise? What can you do then? Here are some things you can try:
Most of the time prevention and management are the best bet with the puppy crazies. And don’t worry. As with many puppy challenges, this too shall pass.
Do you have other ideas on how to handle the puppy crazies? I’d love to hear about them.