How to Calm an Over Excited Dog

Does your dog's excitement ever cause problems? When a dog jumps and bites when excited, it can scare off friends and family. Do you have a new puppy that you want to instill calmness in from the beginning? I know you want your friends and family to love your dog as much as you do.

Some dogs are simply excited and naturally energetic. A dog's energetic responses could also come from some habits you inadvertently reinforced. It could be that the air is colder outside, the puppy's been up, and it wants to get outside and get all excited. There are a number of reasons why your dog could be overly excited or your puppy could turn into an overly energetic dog. 

A full-grown dog that is still excited to the point of causing problems was very likely caused by the excitement of the puppy being reinforced. This goes back to the roots of when you first bring your puppy home. 

Regardless of the cause, how do you handle that? How do you calm your dog down or your puppy down? 

The answer is the same for dogs who have already developed a bad habit and a new puppy. 

New puppy owners and young dog owners: it will be much easier for you in the future if you implement this the day you bring your puppy home or as soon as you read this. 

Adult dog owners: I am not going to lie to you. The older your dog is, the more challenging it will be to retrain your dog. If your dog is set in its way, you are going to need perseverance, determination, and commitment. The good news is that it IS POSSIBLE for you to do this. 

Only allow behavior that is acceptable to you. 

Puppy and young dog owners: imagine if your dog was its full-grown size, 50 - 80 - 90 pounds, depending on which type of breed you have. Would you be okay with your puppy jumping and doing similar things when it's older? If the answer is no, then don't let it do it as a puppy.

Adult dog owners: You already know what behaviors you want to stop, and if you think back to when your dog is a puppy, you may be able to see how the habits started.

How do you only allow behaviors that are acceptable to you? I would encourage you to slow everything down that you do. Make every part of your dog's life structured. 

Many times a dog does not have enough structure. Therefore, it does what it wants to because with a lack of structure, it decides what it wants to do. You are the dog's owner.

It is your job to set up the structure that your dog needs and ensure that it complies. Dogs thrive on structured environments. 

Why Structure Is So Important

Have you ever been somewhere for the first time and felt a bit uneasy? 

Maybe it was a party, your first day on the job, or even your first day at school? When you first arrive, you are taking in loads of information. Whether you realize it or not, you are subconsciously learning about what is acceptable and what is not. Part of that learning is pushing boundaries and figuring out where you fit in and what you are supposed to be doing.

Fortunately, nearly everywhere you go, there are rules. The rules are the guidelines that help you function and thrive. Could you imagine if that weren’t the case?

If there weren’t any social norms or rules, someone could make up the rules as they go. There’s no telling where that would end up!

The same goes for your puppy or dog when it first comes into the home. It is subconsciously looking to you to establish the rules and the social norms. 

If you don’t establish the boundaries, then your pup will quickly take the initiative! With that in mind, let’s discuss ways to establish structure.

Here are some specific scenarios and general ways to start rewarding calm behavior and eliminating negative excited behavior. 

• Have your dog sit and wait on the food bowl. 

This is good for dogs of all ages because it allows the dog to learn to do what you want it to do before it's allowed to do what it wants to do.

You do this by having your dog sit while you have the food bowl. The dog must continue to sit until you tell your dog it can eat even after you have placed the bowl down. If your dog lunges at the food, pick the bowl back up and repeat until you find success.

• Have your dog sit at the door until you give it permission to walk through. 

Have your puppy sit at the door while you walk through every time. Don’t let it bust through in front of you! You may want to use food to your advantage here to help shape and mold the dog's behavior. When your pup does good, reward it.

Reward increases behavior. If someone gave you a $20 bill every time you let them walk through the door first, I have a feeling you would never walk through first. I wouldn’t either! 

What if about dogs that have the upper hand and already are busting through the door?

If you know your dog is already naturally going to bust out of that door, go ahead and have your dog on a lead and have a good hold on that lead. When that dog tries to bust out of the door, hold that lead, don't let the dog bust out, and make the dog sit. 

Let the dog look, and then you start walking out the door. If the dog tries to bust in front of you, it doesn't matter if it takes 10 times, I want you to turn back around. Shut the door and then redo it. Open the door, and if the dog busts in front of you again, keep redoing it. 

Eventually, your dog is going to think, "What is going on? We're not going outside. We normally go straight outside!" If you do that enough times it will get your dog's attention, and you can show your dog what you're looking for. 

It finally clicks, and the dog looks at you and thinks, "Okay, I'm not going to bust out this time." It sits there, and then you start walking out. Finally, you can let your dog walk out. 

• Have your dog sit calmly when people come to your house or you see people in public.

Repeat the steps from having your dog sit at the door. The excitement of having people over at your home or seeing someone approach you on a walk can trigger your pup into an over excited fit. It is your job to teach your pup or dog that it should remain calm in the home or on a walk even when new people or dogs are added to the mix.

In the home, have someone else go to the door while you keep your dog on the lead so that you have control. Make your dog sit on place, and then as your guest come in, ask that they ignore your pup until it has calmed down. Once it is calm, the dog can be rewarded with attention for remaining calm.

Think about certain scenarios that fit you and your dog. Start thinking about your dog, how it's getting exciting and about the precursors to that excitement. What are the events that happen before your dog gets excited? 

When you have those events or triggers in mind, plan how you are going to handle those next time. Once you have a plan, you can even practice by creating those scenarios and teaching your pup how to handle them.

BuildFromHere,

Joshua Parvin

P.S. We cover everything you need to know about obedience in our Complete Gundog Academy and in 52 Plus. See which one is a good fit for you, and we'd love to have you be a part of CGA.