Calm Your Over Excited Dog: Simple Tips to Soothe Your Pup’s Energy

If you have a dog that gets overly excited when visitors come over, you know how stressful it can be. It’s important to learn how to calm your dog down so that everyone can enjoy their time together.

There are several techniques you can use to help calm your dog, including exercise, training, and behavior modification. By using these methods, you can help your dog learn to be calm and relaxed, even when there are visitors in the house.

It’s important to remember that every dog is different, and what works for one dog may not work for another. It may take some trial and error to find the right techniques to help calm your dog down, but with patience and persistence, you can help your dog learn to be calm and relaxed in any situation.

To calm an over-excited dog, you can discourage its behavior with commands that tell your dog it’s time to calm down.

In addition, if you have an overly excited dog, the most successful techniques include distraction and attention redirection.

Understanding Over Excitement in Dogs

Is your dog constantly jumping, barking, or spinning in circles? Excitement in dogs can be frustrating and exhausting for both you and your pet. Understanding the physical and behavioral symptoms of over-excitement can help you manage your dog’s behavior and create a calmer environment.

Physical Symptoms

Physical symptoms of over-excitement in dogs include raised ears, a wagging tail, and a tense body. Dogs may also pant excessively and have dilated pupils. These physical signs are often accompanied by hyperactivity and an inability to relax.

Behavioral Symptoms

Behavioral symptoms of over-excitement in dogs include jumping, barking, and mouthing. They may also become destructive, chewing on furniture or digging holes in the yard. Dogs may have difficulty focusing and following commands and may become overly aggressive or fearful in certain situations.

To calm an over-excited dog, it’s important to recognize these symptoms and address them before they escalate. Providing regular exercise, mental stimulation, and a calm environment can help manage your dog’s behavior and reduce over-excitement.

Consider using calming aids such as pheromone sprays or anxiety wraps, and avoid overstimulating your dog with loud noises or too much attention. With patience and consistency, you can help your dog become a calmer, happier companion.

Remember, every dog is different, and what works for one may not work for another. Consult with a veterinarian or professional dog trainer if you’re struggling to manage your dog’s over-excitement.

By understanding the physical and behavioral symptoms of over-excitement, you can take steps to manage your dog’s behavior and create a more peaceful environment for both you and your pet.

Now that you understand over-excitement in dogs, let’s explore some practical tips for calming an over-excited dog.

Techniques to Calm an Over-Excited Dog

If your dog gets overly excited and you want to calm them down, there are a few techniques you can use. Redirecting their attention, physical exercise, mental stimulation, and calming commands can all be effective.

Redirecting Attention

When your dog is overly excited, redirect their attention to something else. Give them a toy, or a treat, or start playing with them. This will distract them from whatever is causing their excitement and help them calm down.

Physical Exercise

Take your dog for a walk, run, or play fetch. Physical exercise can help release pent-up energy and reduce your dog’s excitement level.

Mental Stimulation

Provide your dog with mental stimulation, such as puzzle toys or training exercises. This can help tire them out and calm them down.

Calming Commands

Teach your dog calming commands such as “settle” or “relax.” Practice these commands when your dog is calm and gradually increase the level of distraction. Eventually, your dog will learn to calm down on command.

Remember, it’s important to stay calm yourself when trying to calm your dog. Yelling or getting frustrated will only make the situation worse. With patience and consistency, you can help your dog learn to stay calm even in exciting situations.

Now that you know some techniques to calm an over-excited dog, you can help your pet stay calm and happy.

Preventing Over Excitement

Preventing over-excitement is the key to a calm and happy dog. Here are some tips:

Training and Socialization

Proper training and socialization are essential to prevent over-excitement. Teach your dog basic obedience commands and expose them to new people and situations regularly.

Consistency and Routine

Consistency and routine are crucial in preventing over-excitement. Stick to a regular schedule for feeding, exercise, and playtime. This will help your dog feel more secure and less likely to become overexcited.

Avoiding Triggers

Avoiding triggers that cause over-excitement is important. If your dog gets overexcited around certain people or in certain situations, try to avoid those triggers or gradually desensitize your dog to them.

By following these tips, you can prevent over-excitement in your dog and enjoy a happy, calm companion.

FAQ

What Are The Ways to Calm an Overly Excited Dog?

Do not encourage your dog when he is overly excited. Your dog can sometimes be overly energetic and this energy will be reflected in his movements. If you mirror the behavior it will continue.

Ignore your dog when he engages you with over-excited behavior. Instead teach him a  short sharp command to stop and sit, then reward him with the attention he wanted. 

If he tries to jump on you, instead of playing with him, push him back firmly with your hand with a calm but confident ‘no’. Reward with a treat or pat on the head.

How Do I Use Positive Reinforcement on an overly Excited Dog?

Catching a moment when your dog is calm and rewarding him with a treat will play an important role in keeping him calm overall.

If you appreciate your dog with a simple word such as “good doggie” when he is quiet, he will understand that this is the type of behavior you want.

Rewarding or using verbal encouragement while your dog is overly excited will have the opposite effect.

Does Exercise Help Dogs with Over Excitement?

Over-excitement can be easily remedied with additional exercise.

Taking your dog out to the garden twice a day is okay for some dogs, but those with excess energy need to be taken out longer or more frequently.

You should run or walk with him regularly, keep your routes varied, and tire your dog out with fetch-type games. This will prevent your dog from being overly energetic when he gets home.

How Do I Discipline an Over-Excited Dog?

When your dog is overexcited, he may damage many things in the house or not listen to commands which can lead to an undisciplined dog. 

Make sure to calm your dog before trying to teach them anything new. Use short words like ‘stop’ and ‘no’ in a slow, deep, and confident tone. Make sure your body language is strong and authoritative.

The key point here is to give your dog time and wait patiently. They may not fully understand the attitude you want to implement at first, but your patience will bear fruit over time.

Different Types of Excitement in Dogs

Dogs express stress and happiness with body language. 

While some dogs show extreme excitement in a moment of happiness, others, on the contrary, can exhibit similar movements in times of stress.

Dogs may wag their tails, drool, whine, and pant when excited, but all these symptoms may vary depending on your dog’s current mood.

What Can You Give an Overexcited Dog to Calm It Down?

When your dog is overexcited, try to keep him mentally calm. For example, you can buy a few puzzle games that can keep your dog distracted, or you can stop his hyperactivity by gently petting him and ‘shushing’.

Dogs usually don’t want to focus on anything when they’re excited, you can make them focus on you with visual cues like using a squeaky ball or commanding them to sit for a treat.

How Do You Calm an Excited Puppy?

Your puppy can suddenly show extreme excitement at unexpected times and often for hours on end. Their energy does run out eventually, but puppyhood is the best time to reinforce some good habits.

If your puppy gets super excited all of a sudden, hold him gently and start stroking his belly, this will make him feel comfortable and relaxed.

As soon as it calms down, reinforce the state of calm with a treat and repeat. In time, he will understand that this is a reward and he will associate calm states with positivity.

You can easily reinforce your pup’s behavior by using the words like “good boy” and “no”. Your puppy will soon learn their boundaries and grow up to be an intelligent well behaved adult dog.

Why Does My Dog Get Overly Excited?

Your dog can get excited for many reasons. The most common is when you return home after work. This is because they have missed you and are happy you are home.

Another time for excitement is dinner time. When they catch a whiff of the meal you prepared to give them, dogs usually show excitement at the prospect of the feast!

In addition, dogs in the mating period can experience extreme excitement when they see the opposite sex. They can sometimes be so excited they try to get off-leash or escape from the yard. 

Be careful during this time, some dogs will not stop until they reach the object of their affection.

What Can I Use to Calm My Dog?

You can calm your dog using the following methods:

• Exercise
• Physical contact
• Massage
• Music
• Calming blankets
• Sound therapy

What Do Vets Give Dogs To Calm Them Down?

If your dog suffers from an excessive mood disorder such as extreme overexcitement, hypervigilance, or stress, veterinarians usually prescribe drugs such as alprazolam, amitriptyline, buspirone, clomipramine, diazepam, fluoxetine, sertraline, or trazodone for dogs.

These are similar to the human variants of the same drugs, but the doses are adjusted according to your dog’s height, weight, and breed.

Never give your dog human medication. Only give your dog medication that has been prescribed by a vet.

At What Age Will My Puppy Calm Down?

Generally, when dogs step from puppyhood to adulthood, they naturally begin to calm down.

When puppies reach an average of 1 to 2 years of age, they begin to mature and do not have so much excess energy to burn off.

Some breeds are still considered puppies at this age, but they will have reached their adult height and weight.

Dogs at this age are still young and still very playful, but they will not play and run for as many hours as they used to when they were little pups.

At What Age Are Dogs Most Energetic?

Dogs are their most energetic and productive age between 1-5 years. After these ages, dogs slowly begin to calm down and become more cautious and wise from life experience.

Dogs aged 1-2 still want to run, jump, and frolic. Dogs older than this still want to play but are not as easily excited as everything is not as new to them as when they were young. 

What Breed Of Dog Is The Calmest?

Some of the calmest dog breeds are:

• English Bulldogs
• Great Pyrenees
• French Bulldogs
• Bichon Frise
• Greyhounds
• Scottish Deerhound
• Golden Retriever