Is your new puppy or dog not as quiet and placid as you thought he would be. Is he running around like mad chasing his tail, barking like crazy whenever someone knocks at the door or is outside or to your horror chewing away at your favorite pair of shoes. If this is happening to you, your puppy or dog is probably suffering from hyperactivity.
Is your puppy or dog merely being unusually energetic or is he suffering from what is termed true hyperactivity. True Hyperactivity is a medical condition, fairly uncommon, which sees the dog exhibit frantic behaviors such as restlessness, panting, chasing his tail, and collapsing with exhaustion. If you think that your puppy or dog is suffering with this condition then it is advisable to see your vet.
It may be worth considering that your puppy or dog may be hyperactive because that is the nature of its breed. An example is a Collie, a herding dog, which has been bred to have lots of energy to carry out is work. This is why it is crucial to understand the nature and characteristics of different breeds before choosing the dog that suits you lifestyle.
Consistent training is the only way to train your hyperactive dog or puppy. Below are some tips and techniques to help you along.
A hyperactive dog needs to have plenty of exercise to calm him down. This can be done by walking your dog for at least half and hour twice a day and playing games such as fetch, find and Frisbee. Not only is this great exercise for your dog but also a fantastic and cheap way of keeping you healthy.
For excessive and inappropriate barking, you should command your dog to stop given in a stern voice. If he is barking because someone has rung your bell, and he just carries on barking even when you have commanded him to stop then you could try and pull him away from the door and give a correction such as a quick jerk on their collar. If he is outside and wants to come in and you are not ready for him to come in you should command him to stop through the door. Try kicking the door from the inside if he does not stop barking. The idea is that the loud noise from the kick will startle your puppy or dog enough to stop barking.
To stop your puppy or dog from chewing your house to bits, it is a good idea to place your valuables out of reach. Then choose a few sturdy toys for your dog to play with. Play regularly with your dog with these toys in order for him to have positive associations so that he is more likely to play with them when left alone rather than chewing your possessions.
When there are times when you or your family members are not interacting with your puppy or dog, you may wish to consider using a crate. Dogs like the comfort of a confined and defined space and this will act like a tranquilizer and quieten him down.
After all the hard work you are putting in training your puppy or dog, it is very important to give positive feedback for wanted behavior and negative feedback for unwanted behavior. Hopefully you can now start to use these techniques in order to train your hyperactive puppy or dog.