Puppy Trainer in Sydney – Puppy Schools in Sydney – Over-Excitement

Puppy Trainer in Sydney – Puppy Schools in Sydney – Over-Excitement in Puppies

A dog that’s running around like crazy, pumping into other dogs and people, spinning in circles, jumping up and down, or barking and yapping might not be a happy dog. These are all signs of over-excitement. It simply means that the dog has excess energy, and the only way his brain knows how to deal with it is to work it off physically. Unfortunately, people often see these signs as happiness. Many also tend to think that it’s cute and wind up encouraging the behaviour. However, over-excitement often leads top other issues such as frustration and aggression. So it’s not a good idea to encourage over-excited behaviours. Here’s advice from a puppy trainer in Sydney.

Don’t Encourage Excitement

The most important thing to remember when your dog approaches you (or other dogs) with excitement is that what you do will determine whether such behaviour becomes more or less frequent. The worst thing you can do is give attention or what your dog wants in that moment to an excited dog. This is just telling him that you like what he is doing and he’ll learn to repeat it. He’ll learn that being excited gets a reward. The best way to react to an excited dog is to ignore him. Use no touch, no talk, no eye contact. If he tries to jump on you, turn the other way.

Encourage Calm Behaviour

When your dog is in a calm, you can give affection and attention, which will reinforce that calm mental state. If your dog is treat motivated, then reward his behavior when he is calm. Through a combination of ignoring excited behavior and rewarding calm behavior, you will help your dog to understand what behaviours are wanted.

Wear Your Dog Out

Of course, it’s always easier to keep your dog from being over-excited if he doesn’t have the energy to do it in the first place. Just letting your dog out in the yard to run around is not the right kind of exercise. In fact, this kind of activity can often leave a dog more excited. Take your dog on a walk that includes calm walking on the lead, off leash walking and some training. This will wear out your dog!

Provide a Controlled Outlet

Keeping your dog’s mind stimulated can also help reduce excess energy. Playtime is great for this! Things like playing fetch, having your dog search for a hidden treat, or running him through an obstacle course are all good ways to stimulate his mind and drain his energy. The key here is that you control the length and intensity of the activity. If your dog is getting too excited, then the game ends. This is a gentle sort of negative reinforcement.

If a dog is naturally high-energy and excitable, it can take a while to see results with these techniques.

The important thing is to remain consistent. Chances are that a dog didn’t become hyperactive overnight, so you’re not going to undo it overnight. But you’ll be surprised how quickly you’ll start to see a change once you commit. Consistency is the key to success!

Eazy Dog Training – Your Puppy Trainer in Sydney