How do you tell if a dog is overtired? A Complete Guide

Alert and aware

Dogs who spend a lot of time alert to their environment will become tired more quickly. This can turn into a vicious cycle where they can’t switch off so they become increasingly tired and increasingly aware of their environment.

Dogs who aren’t usually very aware of sights and sounds around them, may become noticeably more alert as they get more tired. This is where you need a careful balance between doing enough with your dog but also making sure they’re not so tired that they can’t cope with all the stimulation around them.

For dogs who are more alert and aware, try to look at whether there are patterns to indicate a link between alert behaviours and the activities/events in recent days. Does your dog become more alert after a busy weekend with visitors and long walks? Is your dog more alert after a busy walk through the city centre?

If you can find patterns, make sure you follow busier or more stressful/exciting days with quieter, rest days. If there are no obvious patterns, aim to build in more frequent rest time every day, making sure your dog has regular times where he can fully switch off and not be exposed to noises or sights which make him more alert.

Mouthing

Mouthing can be a tell-tale sign, especially in puppies and young dogs, it can also be a sign of over-excitement, but perhaps even more often it’s a sign of over-tiredness. In a tired state, young dogs particularly will struggle to regulate themselves, they may not have the ability to decide to go and sleep, which means their stress and arousal levels are likely to increase as their body isn’t getting the rest it needs.

With increased arousal comes increased challenging behaviours. Mouthing can serve as an outlet for frustration and it can become reinforcing if it triggers a reaction from people. Your dog isn’t capable of learning effectively in these moments so it’s far better to take any excessive mouthing as a sign your dog needs a rest and some time to calm down.

Maintaining regular rest time through the day will help your dog learn to regulate their needs better and enable them to gradually make these choices themselves without you needing to step in. A crate or a quiet room will provide your dog with a safe space where they can rest without being disturbed.

What Does an Overtired Puppy Look Like?

You might be thinking that it will be easy to spot an overtired puppy, but some of the symptoms can actually be very confusing. Your puppy might show only a couple of signs or all of them within just a few minutes.

Nipping or biting: We’ve all more than likely seen a cranky, tired child that resorts to hitting or screaming tantrums. Puppies are no different; even though they can’t really hit, they can nip or bite. If your puppy starts biting or nipping you or others seemingly out of nowhere, it could be because they are getting too tired and don’t have any other way of expressing themselves. A tiny puppy nipping you might not seem like a big deal, but if their behavior and tiredness doesn’t get addressed, they could easily become a nipping and biting adult.

Hyperactivity: Though it might seem counterproductive, some puppies actually become more active when they get overtired. That’s because once a puppy reaches a certain level of tiredness, rather than get sluggish, their second wind of cortisol kicks in and makes them seemingly unstoppable. It can be very difficult to get them to calm down from this level of activity and even more difficult to get them to sleep even though they’re so tired.

Panting: You’re probably familiar with your puppy panting when they get too hot, but excessive panting can also mean that they’re tired. Panting can be in response to stress, such as that that a puppy feels when they’re tired and can’t get any rest.

Excessive drinking: Another stress response that puppies may show when they’re tired is excessive drinking. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they drink a lot; it may just mean that they’re taking repeated water breaks. Along with this, overtired puppies may lick their lips repeatedly as well.

Clinginess: An overtired puppy may turn to you for support. They might expect you to put them to bed or just help them sort out their stressed feelings. If your puppy is normally a follower, it may be hard to differentiate this behavior when he’s overtired.

Sluggish: Some overtired puppies may act as you would expect and become lethargic or sluggish. They may walk slower, choose not to play, or just simply not want to get up.

Stopped listening: Hopefully, you’ve been able to teach your puppy some manners and even tricks, but when they’re overtired, all that learning seems to go out the window. As a result, you may experience some potty accidents as well.

18 Exhausted dog symptoms explained (heat exhaustion and overtired dogs)

Some puppies seem capable of running around non-stop from dawn to dust with barely a yawn. It’s like they never get tired, but the opposite may actually be true. Being able to recognize when your puppy is overtired can help you to prevent possible complications, such as aggression and injuries. So, what does a puppy being overtired look like? We give you our veterinarian advice on what to do about an overtired puppy.