Puppy Zoomies
Any dog parent or dog trainer is very familiar with these. Sometimes it’s funny, other times it can be well not funny. Zoomies are normal but when they are happening all the time, maybe your puppy needs a little bit of help and this, in turn, will save your sanity. So why is your puppy acting crazy? Here are is some helpful info.
Puppies are like babies.
1. Dogs are like babies and toddlers. When I get calls about excessively crazy puppies, my first question will always be – How much sleep are they getting? Think about a baby they need a lot of sleep. So does a puppy. If a puppy doesnt’t get at least 18 hours they WILL act out. So take a step back write down how much sleep they are actually getting. If it isn’t in the teens at least, get a sleep routine down – just like a baby. You will begin to see a difference.
2. You checked their sleep, it’s good. What is their physical exercise looking like? Leash walks help to get them smelling and sniffing. This is important for dogs and it is great for their sniffer sensory. However what other exercise are they getting to tire them out? Running, swimming, some small agility, couple rounds of tug (see my tug blog on rules) or something else. This will get them tired out and get them to chew less and bark less.
3. Sleep and physical exercise are great but something is missing. Dogs need mental stimulation. Remember I said that dogs are like babies and toddlers? Dogs need that mental stimulation to get their brain tired out and prevent boredom that leads to destructive tendencies or excessive zoomies. I’m sure you have plenty of different types of toys for Fido. Keep half of his toys available and rotate them out every couple of weeks to avoid boredom. How are you feeding him? Just out of a bowl? Make him figure out how to get his food such as a puzzle feeder, slow feeder, snuffle mat or even a kong. Variety is the spice of life.
4. Sleep – check. Physcial exercise – check. Mental Stimulation – check. Dog Training. Have you started training your puppy? You can start training you puppy as young as 8 weeks. Let me tell you, a puppy gets exhausted from dog training. I can’t tell you how many dog parents have told me their puppies are exhausted for the rest of the day after a training session. It’s great for you, great for them and you are on your way to a polite dog. I have a variety of options for dog training on my services and packages page.
If you still have more questions, please feel free to schedule a consultation or contact me to come up with a personalized plan for your fur baby.
- Allison
