Evening zoomies

A
Aussie63 Icon representing the flag French
Report

Hi everyone,

Our puppy is now 3 1/2 months old and for the last few days, he’s been getting really worked up every evening and struggling to settle down. Every morning and late afternoon, we take him for a 20–30 minute walk, both on and off-lead, with a few training exercises too. At lunchtime, we often have several short play and training sessions. We try to keep things as varied as possible.

But when evening comes, he starts growling loudly and either grabs a toy that he 'attacks', or he goes for his tail or a paw and gets agitated very quickly. This often ends in an excitement pee, lots of panting, and general restlessness...

Sometimes we manage to calm him down, either by taking him outside to break the cycle of over-excitement, or by giving him a buffalo skin chew to gnaw on, but occasionally the madness starts all over again 10 minutes later.

I completely understand that he’s a puppy and needs to play and let off steam... but it’s this state of intense over-excitement that’s bothering me, and it seems to be escalating more and more.

I’ve read in several articles not to play ball with puppies because it winds them up more than anything else. Fair enough, but do you have any games to suggest? We do our best to let him burn off energy, whether on walks or during play, without letting the pressure build too much. I’m open to any advice on how to get back to a bit of peace and quiet!

I must admit, I’m feeling a bit lost...

Thanks!

Translated from French
icon info

The forum content is sometimes translated from another language, and posts may concern countries with different animal laws. Do your research before making any decisions.

Since the forum is translated by AI, the translations may contain errors.

Write your message and upload a photo if you want to! Please remain courteous in your exchanges.

Your post will be visible to all members of the international Wamiz forum.

35 answers
Sort by:
  • Show previous comments
    • Docline
    Docline Icon representing the flag French
    Report
    It’s absolutely vital that your puppy gets to play off-lead with other dogs every single day. It’s a genuine necessity until they’re at least 18 months old. And of course, you should be playing with them too!
    Translated from French
    Y
    Yoyolut Icon representing the flag French
    Report
    @Misanthrope sounds a bit alarmist, even if they do have a point—the Australian Shepherd is an active dog, not a couch potato. However, your dog is still young, so in my opinion you need to be careful with his activity level for two reasons: 1) To avoid health issues (the rule of thumb is usually five minutes of walking per month of age: 30 minutes at 6 months, 35 at 7, and so on...). 2) To avoid building up his stamina too much (the more he runs, the more he'll want to do and the more he'll need it, just like an elite athlete). That said, in a few months, two 30-minute walks clearly won't cut it and he'll need his walks to be more varied: games, running, training... In my experience, my dog gets much more tired from brain games; 10 or 15 minutes of frisbee wipes him out, whereas even an hour's brisk walk won't faze him. The main thing is to read your dog's cues; he'll let you know if he hasn't had enough, or indeed if he's had too much.
    Translated from French
    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
    Report
    You've chosen one of the dog breeds that requires the most commitment from its owners. Your dog needs to go out every two hours, on top of two or three hours of off-lead walks every day. You also need to get involved in 'brain games'! The Australian Shepherd is a far cry from being a lap dog and needs a huge amount of physical and mental exercise. Otherwise, you’re heading straight for behavioural issues that will only get worse as the dog gets older!
    Translated from French
    Y
    Yoyolut Icon representing the flag French
    Report
    Hi there! I'm not sure if I'll be much help, but the fact that he's roughing up a toy doesn't seem unusual to me; mine goes at his teddy bear every day, and it doesn't tend to last very long. He could just as easily be having a go at the sofa or your arm... It might be a sign of boredom, but in my humble opinion, 60 minutes of walking for a 3-month-old puppy is already quite a lot. Alternatively, you could try more frequent walks but for a shorter duration each time. Regarding the toilet situation, I'd let him burn off a bit of steam and then take him outside; if he does go, it’s a win-win—he’s worn himself out on a soft toy and managed a proper wee outside! Good luck! Yo
    Translated from French
    Amstaff'Forever
    Amstaff'forever Icon representing the flag French
    Report

    Try taking him out more during the day; he’s got far too much pent-up energy and then he just goes bonkers in the evening, as they say! ;-)

    Translated from French

  • 35 comments out of 35

    • Do you have a question? An experience to share? Create a post on our forum!
    These topics could be of interest to you!
    Find out more