Dealing with an overexcited puppy

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Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone! 👋

I'd like to know if you have any advice for when a puppy gets completely hyper and a bit out of control.

I totally understand why he's doing it – it usually happens a few hours after his last bit of exercise, so I get why he's restless, especially since he's only an 8-week-old baby.

However, I'd really like to be able to calm him down before giving in to what he wants, just to make sure I'm training him right. Here’s what I’ve already tried:

- Ignoring him (which is really tough when your puppy is actually hurting you);

- Giving him a very firm 'NO!';

- Making a high-pitched 'OUCH!' sound;

- Putting him in a time-out for 3 minutes (which I regretted afterwards as I know it's not really a solution, but I wanted to give it a go anyway);

- Redirecting his nipping onto one of his toys (unfortunately, he plays with it for two seconds and then comes right back for me...).

When my puppy is really, really wound up, those five methods above don't work at all. On the other hand, when he's just looking for a bit of attention, they do work.

I should also add that when I ignore him, he finds something else to take it out on (like the cushions, for instance). This is a real pain because then I can't ignore him anymore, and I'm worried he'll associate shredding the cushions with getting my attention.

So, as I said, I'm mostly looking for advice for when he's totally out of control, because when he's just slightly restless, I don't have any issues.

Thanks so much for your help 👍

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6 answers
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    • Aicila
    Aicila Icon representing the flag French
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    For me, the most effective method I've found was taking her for a long walk in the morning (I used to do the long walk just before bed to make sure she’d sleep well). Obviously, as she's a puppy, "long" is relative, but intensity matters a lot too. The woods are ideal for mine because 1) there's so much to sniff and see, 2) she's on a long lead or I can even let her off-lead if there's no one around so she can really enjoy herself, and 3) there are no scary city noises so she can truly relax. Result: she sleeps! And she's calm afterwards. ✌

    And regarding redirecting her to a toy, that didn't work great for me at first either; she’d shake it for two seconds and then come right back to me... But perseverance pays off, so don't give up!

    Now mine lets off steam with her toys on her own when she's overexcited.

    I think that’s 1) because I played with her using all her toys (despite the whole debate about enrichment toys vs interactive play), so she "discovered" them as a source of fun.

    And 2) because I stopped responding to her demands for play. At the start, I’d play every time she came over to try and "calm her down"—bad idea, she tried to force me to play and became quite "pestering" as you described. Now, when she's the one demanding attention, it's always a no (I'd ignore her or move out of reach, or even change rooms), so she’s pretty much lost the habit. We still play every day, but only when I initiate it.

    Anyway, an intense morning walk plus making sure the owner is the one to start playtime—that’s my advice.

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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    I won’t comment on the "no" command, as ours only learned "no" at 11 months; I’ve always managed to do things differently and I very rarely get cross with her.

    As for the "little tugs" you mentioned to help your puppy calm down, I’d advise you to be cautious, even if they seem to show results in the first few days.

    1/ Pulling and force = a nervous owner and puppy.

    You risk transmitting tension or a power struggle through the lead, which is exactly what needs to be loose to help the dog relax and avoid having a dog that's tense or anxious on the lead.

    As he grows up, that little tug on the lead might stop having any impact at all, simply because he’s used to it...

    Your puppy is still really young, so you’re better off doing U-turns, stopping (even if it takes 15-20 mins and you’re stopping every three steps), and motivating the pup to come back or stay close to you with treats.

    2/ Health reasons

    While they’re still growing, jerks on the harness also have an impact on the joints. A back-clip (repetitive impact on the spine especially, and the legs) or a front-clip (impact on the legs, elbows, and shoulders).

    Personally, I really appreciate owners like you who ask lots of questions to learn—I’m one of them myself! 😁 But don’t forget that your puppy is still very young. Take your time.

    The "stay" command, for example, can take a while and it also depends on the dog, what phase they’re going through...

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks for your reply! 🙂

    I totally get what you mean about linking these "zoomie" moments with relaxation to turn things around.

    I tried something else today which seems to be paying off.

    My puppy is always wearing his harness, and I’ve already started lead training to teach him to walk to heel. So, when he pulls too much, I stop, say "NO", and ask him to come back to heel while giving the lead a few little tugs. After a while, he calms down and sets off again nicely; he’s starting to understand that the only way to get what he wants (moving forward, in this case) is to settle down.

    As soon as my puppy starts getting overexcited and wants to gnaw on everything (including my legs and clothes), I grab the ring on his harness and give it some little tugs as well, while saying "NO".

    After a bit (and with some patience, of course), he settles down and I start playing with him using his toys, then I let him chew away on whichever one he wants.

    It’s still an experimental method—I’ve only tried it twice so far—but I can already see that it’s working! 😁

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there The "puppy zoomies" – it’s either a case of too much energy or, more likely, being overexcited because they're overtired, a bit like a toddler who struggles to wind down for a nap. I’m all for guiding them towards a calm state through gradual training. I tried this with mine when she was between 2 and 3 months old. In the evenings, usually around 8 or 9 pm, we’d have quiet cuddles. I’d sit on the floor near her bed and have her lie on her side or back across my legs until she fell asleep. The first time, she really fought it because she was so hyper, but by the next night, she was out in two minutes, snoring away on me. Other nights, she’d just lie between my legs, relaxing in whatever position she liked, chewing on her antler or Kong while I rested my book on her back to read 😅 Linking this moment with the word "calm" – saying "good girl, calm" and giving long, slow strokes down her back – really helps soothe a puppy. Later on, as the months went by, I introduced little massage sessions too... By about 3 months, she clearly understood that being indoors in the evening meant being calm and playing quietly. As she got older, that settled behaviour spread to the rest of the day whenever we were inside. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all or a miracle cure, just sharing my own experience. Ignoring the behaviour works in some cases, but I’m not a fan of isolating them, and I don’t agree with getting cross with them for it either (it just creates an emotional rollercoaster). If you can manage to gently guide your pup towards relaxing, it’ll build trust and so much more... in my opinion, anyway! ^^
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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    That’s what I’m doing, he’s got toys specially for it, but unfortunately my clothes and especially my legs attract him more than his toys...
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    Kikaah
    Kikaah Icon representing the flag French
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    You can give him a soft toy specifically so he can let off some steam on it ;)

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