But i do play with her more. Some dogs are perfectly calm around people but become highly excitable around other dogs. Is your puppy happy, anxious, or acting out? If any of the above occurs in a puppy under six months old, it may be the result of over-excitement. You may find this articleand the other information of that site helpful, as well as the articles in our training section. Many thanks. I am hoping it is a phase, but i want to teach him to stop when he gets too excited. Hello, How Do I Get My Puppy to Sleep Through the Night?! Thanks. You might notice a trend of surprise and anticipation as two of the prevalent factors in these instances, which can contribute to an arousal build up in your puppy. Play with your puppy Pippa Mattinson is the best selling author of The Happy Puppy Handbook, the Labrador Handbook, Choosing The Perfect Puppy, and Total Recall. Dex does however have a habit of getting extremely over excited which means biting, chewing and generally causing havoc! Hi, best thing is to get your pup checked over by a vet. I think you just need to persist and be consistent with your training, if there’s a behaviour you don’t want, you can’t stop it some days and then allow it sometimes when you can’t be bothered or are too tired to deal with it. We’re big fans of introducing training routines into playtime and we also love these ten fun games! I’ve also been training her to walk nicely on leash – but the training seems to exacerbate the biting. As soon as we walk away he comes right back at us. So how do you know when things have gone too far? She is the founder of the Labrador Site and a regular contributor. He seems lethargic at times and also very moody. This may be a problem with socialization or it may be caused by the dog's upbringing. Sometimes puppy owners have a hard time deciphering this when their pups have become so excited they can't contain it! We are very worried about this. Children enjoy it too. If you follow the advice given on this page and use a good training program you’ll have a calm puppy in no time. Help! They normally attempt to freeze, withdraw, or even hide behind or underneath furniture. I do hope that this helps though. Please advise if this normal. Early puppy … How to Take the Perfect Holiday Picture of Your Puppy! .. Please forgive me if I’m missing something. It certainly isn’t easy and takes a lot of patience, and to be honest now that our 2 year old seems to have ‘grown up’ we kind of miss some of the puppy behaviour we had from her. Don’t incarcerate him for long periods of time. I really dont know what to do. Puppies do bite, race around, and behave in a crazy fashion from time to time. I have a 15 week old puppy lab female shes a lovley dog its just her biting people especially my step son he walks in the kitchen and she jumps on the back of his leg and bits his calf really hard and ive told her no and tapped her bum also she tends to wee in her crate not on her pad and lies in it and her pooh I have to bath her every 2 days ive tried everything I dont no what to do shes driving me made, How big is her crate Alisha, and how long do you leave her in there? The best way to deal with an over-excitement puppy is to remain calm yourself. We are reletivly new to labs and have just taken on a 20 month old Choc boy. We have got the same problem with our 15 mnth old labrador bitch .when we take her out for a walk she jumps and bites and barks with excitement bites and rips at our clothes we stand still and in the end she stops but every day we gain more rips in our clothing have taken expert advice got sprays etc but still have the problem the other day she became so excited she bit my skin through clothing and marked my hands and arms we are now thinking of using a muzzel on her just in case her excitement is directed at someone else. He is very active though when we take him out for short walks outside the house. She’s used to her puppy crate, and goes directly into it at night (and right back again after her 3AM potty break outside) without a problem. Top Reasons Why You Should Adopt a Puppy! These are all signs that your puppy has become over-excited. During these activities, sometimes our hands and feet, which are like fun moving targets for pups, can entice and arouse your puppy. Setting up a calm, low-pressure introduction is generally the best way for an excitable dog to meet other dogs. Hi Pippa, And what is the best way to calm him down? The following is a list of things that you can do to curb the bad behavior of an overexcited dog. Such as getting down on the ground which in the puppy’s mind is an invitation to play rough. I’m going to have to discontinue this training and try something else – and implement something to prevent her getting overexcited on walks (asking for sits, downs, stays perhaps? And also think about what was happening during those activities: your puppy gets surprised by seeing other dogs, squirrels, and people during their walk or in your yard. Hi there, have a look at this article https://www.thelabradorsite.com/no-more-jumping-up/ You might also find it helpful to join the forum where you’ll get lots of support from other labrador owners, including those that have rescued adults. I am just under 5ft tall and he could put his front legs on my shoulders if he had the chance. He refuses to listen to me when I try to stop him by saying No sternly. He is in good health but tries to bite me all the time he gets very very exited and even after stopping him or pulling my feet away he follows and bites again. Teach Your Kids How to Treat the New Puppy! When I arrive home she is all happy and excited. Lively play should be supervised and interrupted after a few minutes. Structured play like Fetch, plus access to mentally stimulating puzzle games and toys, are all super useful tools to help your puppy maintain activeness. How to Teach Your Puppy to Walk on a Leash! We find that it’s most effective when you start to work with your puppy in a zero distraction environment like inside your home. “Oh look, he’s so happy!” but is your puppy actually exhibiting over-excitement behaviors? Placing a blanket over the crate will help to calm him. If I let her off she just runs around instead. After all, biting of any kind is not acceptable in grown up dogs, no matter how excited they may be. Thanks Once they nail down the training routine at home, slowly introduce working outside where there may be some more distractions. Pippa, Hi its a large crate and 2 hours the most, this is a very nice site for labrador information its a great site love this it helped a lot, We got our English Lab at 8 weeks. For ex. How to Clean Your Puppy. His constant bitings and attacks force us to put him inside the crate or some room. This is why you should know how to calm an over excited dog quickly. A male lab can be used at stud once he is mature and has completed all his health checks. Before your dog gets too excited, ask him to Sit – if he does, tell him “Good dog” and give him a treat. Is it when you are playing with her? At times, all of this energy gets a bit too intense. He makes the boxer bleed and is stressing him out a lot. . Afterward you'll have an exhausted puppy ready for a long nap. Check out the forum too, where you can chat to other dog owners who have been through your experiences. From frenzied biting at fingers to biting at clothes and generally behaving in a crazy manner, these are all signs of an over excited puppy. The quickest ways to calm down a frisky dog are the following: wear him out, hold him still, be calm yourself and teach him the calm behavior. Stop any game you are playing with the puppy; Put the puppy in a safe place to calm down and withdraw from him if you can; Decide on a strategy to help avoid over excitement in the future; How to calm your Labrador puppy. The Happy Puppy Handbook is available worldwide. Thank you for the useful and informative website, my English lab is 4 motnhs old and i’m wondering when can he start mating? Share your experiences with leash reactivity in the comments below. Even stroking and cuddling. As we mentioned earlier in our dos and don’ts section, puzzle toys that make your puppy work for a treat are a great tool for keeping your pup focused. If I now click when he puts all four paws on the floor instead of the sides and click when he eventually lays down in the living room, my question would be can a dog learn all these together or will the clicker loose its meaning?? However, puppies are like toddlers:very few feel the need to take a nap in the middle of playtime. You can start clicker training at any age and this helps to occupy the puppy’s busy mind and help teach him useful new behaviours. If left unmanaged as your puppy grows up, they might begin to display negative tendencies like for example, reacting to other dogs on a leash or barking toward new people. Before you make a plan to avoid a recurrence, it is a good idea to think about likely causes of over-excitement. Puppies may become easily frightened, stressed, or excited. Any ideas? Hi Marlyn, here is the article on biting https://www.thelabradorsite.com/labrador-puppies-biting/ What you are experiencing is very common in puppies of this age. I’ve seen many trainers and have been teaching him leave it and he only does it sometimes on walks like if we go beach and ican see heirs over exited. The book will help you prepare your home for the new arrival, and get your puppy off to a great start with potty training, socialisation and early obedience. Calming down an overexcited dog on walks is all about discipline, leash training, and distance. Very loving but highly strung. We have tried everything we can read and think about to halt the biting and now snarling and growling – tail wagging. dear pipa Calm behavior = Get rewarded with people affection and interaction. It really scares me as his whole look and body language changes. I have to think seriously about the consequences of this as I have kids. I try ignoring and giving no attention, and he just bites my feet or legs (which i cannot ignore since it actually is quite painful!). This is especially useful if your puppy becomes over-excited when they are in the yard or out walking with you as the training will help them to control their impulse to react. Repeat this sequence a few times until your dog responds consistently and then start moving closer to the door after giving your dog the Sit command. 10 Week Old Puppy: Tips, Schedules, Care & What To Expect, 12 Week Old Puppy: Tips, Schedules, Care & What To Expect, Puppy Supplies Checklist: Ten Essentials For Your New Puppy, 8 Week Old Puppy: Bringing Home a New Puppy – What To Expect, 9 Week Old Puppy: Tips, Video, Schedules & What To Expect. ARE YOUR PUPPY’S BEHAVIORS OUT OF CONTROL? Dog training is the application of behavior analysis which uses the environmental events of antecedents and consequences to modify the dog behavior, either for it to assist in specific activities or undertake particular tasks, or for it to participate effectively in contemporary domestic life. My Lab / Hooligan is currently in clicker classes, but he has to learn sit, click, down, click, walk on a lead, click, come, click etc. We want him to be a good house dog with whom we all can have good time. I took them to a training class and heis still acting up. We are shortening the play time, but couch time is another matter. One thing is for certain, managing an over-excited puppy can be challenging but it’s very possible with puppy training and remaining consistent. Hi Pippa, I have an 11 week old chocolate Lab but I’m having the hardest time getting him to stop biting me, especially on my hands, arms and ankles. My Labradoodle is 7mths and whenever we play ball or fetch with him he turns from being playful to turning on me and trying to bite my feet and legs!! About to take charge of a 9week old! I am planning for his training and have spoken to two trainers. Hi my lab pupy is 2an half minth old .but he bites a lot. So what are those over-excited behaviors to keep on eye on? Sometimes you can calm a puppy in your arms. We have tried crate training as advised, over short periods of time and leaving the door open for the majority but he still hates it, this is the same for when it goes in the back of the car… any ideas as to how we can improve to make it his safe place, rather than something he hates? Rewarding them at the right time in the right way will help them learn faster what the acceptable behavior is! Do remain calm at all times! We have already taken him to the vet and were told that he’s quite healthy for his age. She focuses really well when she has commands to follow). But if you are still having issues, reach out to us in the comments below and visit our blog for other puppy training and care resources. The way I’ve been training her not to pull is by stopping whenever she pulls, and waiting for the leash to go slack again before moving. Training alone will help you learn how to manage your puppy’s over-excited states but you also need to provide your puppy positive stimulus to engage their senses, keep their minds focused on something, and help them expel their energy. They will soon see what a nice effect this has on the puppy and how much more pleasant he is when he is not overexcited. Great site, it’s been very useful while getting my lab as well as house-breaking him. We have rescued two 3 yr old labs who have never been walked or socialised !!!!!. It’s not uncommon for a puppy that was already engaged in something stimulating like a tug game for example, to be playing nicely one moment, and then escalate, only to growl and nip the next. Luckily I was wearing welly boots otherwise I may have come out of it with ripped trousers! I have had my 9 week old Lab pup Dexter for nearly two weeks. I have a 5 months labrador puppy who jumps and bites us. If your puppy is bounding with energy, or if you are in a tense situation, you can help calm them down by reinforcing positive behaviors. When she is outside I’ll tell he to get a stick and if there isn’t one around she’ll go find one and bring it to me. A lapse in your puppy’s training could cause your puppy to backslide into their old behaviors so maintaining a regular training schedule, and providing positive outlets will help ensure their long term success! If you’ve identified that your puppy is dealing with over-excitement behaviors, then the next step in managing your puppy’s excitement is to do a little investigating into what stimulates them, and watching them for changes in their behavior. If you are overexcited yourself, your dog will be the same way. Take your puppy outside for a walk or grab a toy and play tug of war. Remove any toys or outside stimulus that can stir up his energy in his alone time. I just thought she might have a screw loose. You need to do some training. In the long run it is far better for children to learn to interact with the puppy through training games,  than to roll around on the floor with the puppy. Thanks again. Well disciplined Lab and non aggressive, just need to be patient and show lots of love. Tip: Always remain calm when you are dealing with an excited puppy. By admin. We have a 2 year old and a 10 month old. I have trained dogs my whole life and I am only 20. What should i do ? How to calm down an overexcited puppy? I try to stop her by saying “bad girl” and hitting her hip softly to make her realise she is wrong.. nd when she does someyhing good I pat her and reward her and say good girl. Positive reinforcement with healthy treats such as Stella and Chewy Beef Treats, and a calming attitude.Yelling at your pup or negatively reinforcing their behavior won’t make them calm down any faster, and it will do more harm than good in the long run.Instead of negatively reacting to your puppy’s unwanted behavior (i.e. And over-excitement, which physiologically speaking releases a rush of dopamine in our pups, can become addictive, only propagating compulsive behaviors even further. Let’s take a look. Check out this article to get help with your food guarding puppy. The trainer said all is n do is prevent it but it keeps happening. ), Our dog trainer suggested using a bathroom or laundry room to allow them to calm down. My 10 week old Lab puppy who we got at 7 weeks old will not stop biting my older dog in the jowls and on the legs, my poor boxer is such a sweet guy he doesn’t want to hurt the puppy so he doesn’t stick up for himself enough. Now you should know how to keep a german shepherd puppy calm! He constantly jumps all over the furnature and us if we are on it at the time and again we do not acknowledge this, but simply push him back down again. If in doubt, always ask the dog for an ‘easy’ behavior first. HELP, I don’t know what more to do! Every interaction with a puppy is potentially exciting. I’ve tried a few of the methods in this article as well as in the excessive biting article, but he pretty much has two modes: sleeping, and excitable/bitey. Do join the forum for help and support http://thelabradorforum.com. Oh my gosh! Very young dogs (less than 12 weeks) will tire out in a few minutes, but older dogs will need about an hour of exercise every day. ONLINE PUPPY TRAINING MIGHT BE FOR YOU! Calm an Over-Excited Puppy! The important thing is to reassure your new puppy so that she knows her crate is still a safe place for her to be. And to clarify, over-excitement is different than just high-energy. There is an article specifically on biting here,   it is a difficult phase,  but bear in mind that it does pass quite quickly (even though it doesn’t seem like it at the time! Published Date: June 30, 2014. Pippa. Check out our article on Playing safely with dogs. For a complete guide to raising a healthy and happy puppy don’t miss The Happy Puppy Handbook. At The Puppy Academy, our trainers help owners manage their puppy’s more undesirable behaviors with simple training routines. Some breeds, like herding or hunting dogs, for example, are naturally prone to be more active than other breeds and may display hyperactive behaviors like the ones we mentioned earlier. What can I do?? And frightened puppies do not usually race about bumping into things. Be patient, it will happen eventually. He is now 70lbs and I’m only 100 and he just started doing it again and it is terrifying. This should guarantee that your pup expends their energy on their walk, rather than in your home. There is no aggression but it can be disconcerting. Try not to play with him or arouse him in any way. Hi, I have a 7yr old black lab and a 6 yr old sprocker, I am trying out clicker training with the sprocker to try and manage his manic behaviour, but my lab is afraid of the clicker. I’m new to dogs, and we’ve only had Margo for two weeks, so I’m mostly clueless. The lesson for your dog to learn is that his bad behavior will not gain your attention. Good luck with your puppy I love her something ridiculous, but I don’t love that behavior. If I try to put him down, he bites me very badly. Having read your website I know it’s best to not let them get in the situation where you have to say no but I wondered what is the best way to do this. She is completely crate trained, house broken and knows and does all basic commands Any suggestions to my email would be appreciated. Sometimes we will put him in his crate when he gets overly excited, which calms him down, but as soon as we take him back out he is right back at it. Sometimes puppy owners have a hard time deciphering this when their pups have become so excited they can’t contain it! Also, How do I train him to realize he is biting too hard? It’s very important that a puppy learns not to bite as quickly as possible. I have tried charging the clicker with the lab, but he did takes the reward and runs away, can labs be afraid of the clicker? ), Teaching children to play safely with a dog is very important,  especially as your dog grows and matures. One thing we like to tell our owners at school is “you get what you pet!”, so instead, be as neutral in energy as possible and don’t feed into this excitement. A. I think I’ve basically accidentally taught her to herd me. Here is an article you may find useful. Placing toys or treats in her crate can encourage her to use it to relax or to ensure she still associates her crate as a good thing. Now the quickest and by far, the easiest way to calm your dog, ... All of the above are some great ideas for helping you to calm an over-excited dog. She is a tiny lab shepherd mix who weighs 6.3 pounds but whom my husband and I call our little holy terror. But our Lab (Brady) is very passive. If you notice that your puppy is calm one moment, and suddenly experiences a behavior change such as zoomies (uncontrollably running in circles or back and forth), jumping, mouthing and nipping, barking, spinning in circles, etc. In the vast majority of cases, it is because someone has been playing inappropriately or excessively with the puppy. As arule of thumb, puppies should only walk for 5 minutes per month of age. And do join the forum to talk to other puppy owners. I think this article answers your question. Though it is easy to mistake over excited play for aggression. https://www.thelabradorsite.com/no-more-jumping-up/, https://www.thelabradorsite.com/labrador-puppies-biting/, https://www.thelabradorsite.com/teaching-bite-inhibition-to-your-labrador-puppy/. The other day she was running around me in circles, bumping into bushes, stumbling and then completely ran at me full force, jumped and was biting and growling as ferociously as something that tiny could. https://www.thelabradorsite.com/labrador-puppies-biting/ Your dog is an athlete, he needs hard, structured exercise, unless he is a puppy and still growing. I do not want to get rid of the lab. He is constantly jumping up to the sides and any high surface to grab anything he can. Scents like lavender and vanilla can help calm your dog down, especially if you associate them with times when the dog is calm — like having a scented air freshener near her bed.Be sure that your dog doesn’t have any allergies to particular scents and ask your veterinarian for recommendations on the scents that work best at calming dogs down. Does the dog in your life have a cat in theirs? I am concerned that will chewing on it that if swallowing the bark off it will do damage to her stomach. When Do Puppies Stop Biting And How To Cope With A... Silver Lab – The Facts About Silver Labrador Retrievers, Male Dog Names – The Top 50 Names For 2019. The best way to calm down a puppy? Create a timeout spot for your pup when he's overly excited. We have NEVER let him stay on his own ever since we’ve had him. Some puppies get hyped up more easily than others with physical play, and many will need to be restricted to very short periods of this kind of interaction. You need to be a calming influence and step in when things get a little too lively. Can she be an aggressive dog? You’ll find our in-depth guide to controlling puppy biting, full of helpful information. Today we’re going to look at how to calm a puppy down from biting, nipping, growling and generally getting himself hyper and silly, If your puppy pees when excited – head on over to my puppy pees on visitors where we explain what to do. So. This is one thing that many owners inadvertently do one way or another. Leave it where your dog can see the toy. Additionally, it’s always very helpful to find out what gets your dog so excited in the first place. She doesn’t go ballistic on him when playing like she does on me. How To Calm An Overexcited Dog. I say knw n somtimes slap on his back but he bites den also… The unusual thing is that he never licks….lilke puppies do when they are happy he always bites us and never licks us, Hi Pippa, I have a wonderful seven month old black female lab who has been desexed, she has been to obedience training and I walk and train her every day , but sometimes I what her to sit then drop she gets quiet and angry and growls at me is this a sign of aggression? She frequently relaxes in her crate and enters it when she is afraid. Smart, playful, and eager to please. The same applies to play time. On the other hand, her younger brother is totally different, into everything, barking at passers-by, would eat anything that you left down and gets totally over-excited when we have visitors – you need a sense of humour as well as patience with him, but we wouldn’t have him any other way – and we are certain that this stage will pass …..! Thanks. I brought my puppy home when he was just 35days old Hi Pippa, Use that energy to your advantage by taking her outside and letting her play and run it out. (Thankfully, I have your awesome website! And it begins with learning how to calm your puppy down so he can regain control of his emotions. Or screaming and shouting which the puppy interprets as play barking and growling. If the behavior started with a game, and if the puppy’s tail is wagging and he is tearing around in an uncoordinated way, he is playing. No whines, howls, or barks — a real angel. I Got a Puppy Over the Holidays! The older your puppy is, the longer you’ll need to play. Her owner contacted me to stop her from jumping up on people and getting overexcited, especially around children. Speak slowly and be firm. Don't miss out on the perfect companion to life with a purrfect friend. The idea is to reduce mental and physical stimulation of all kinds – so if he can see less, hear less and is being touched less, this gives him chance to recover quite quickly. By Mary Burch, Ph.D., AKC’s Canine Good Citizen and S.T.A.R. Step 2: Reward a calm puppy. If your dog is becoming excited or fearful, you may be able to get him to refocus on you by asking him to comply with very simple cues. Continue thinking about all the instances your puppy displayed some over-excited behavior. Hi Katie, check out this article. However, it happened in the park yesterday and I couldn’t do anything but stand there and get a treat to distract him. As he gets older, this guide to how to calm down a dog will help you navigate new kinds of excited behavior and respond constructively. 0. But, with some dogs, this extreme love of visitors goes beyond a bark and a happy tail wag. 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