CALMING THE HYPER DOG

Calming The Hyper Dog 

Many breeds are high energy or what people might even consider hyper dogs. Any dog can be that way, but certainly hunting breeds and terriers are more likely to run one ragged.

Of course, the best thing to do is choose a breed that is suited for your lifestyle. If you made the mistake of ending up with a pet that is super high speed, then here are some tips to calming and or dealing with the hyper dog.

What Helps A Dog That Is Hyper?

Exercise, exercise, exercise is the main point. This is good for you as well as the dog. Now sometimes a hyper dog loses weight or won’t gain weight because they burn it off so rapidly. In this case, there are foods that are high calorie for working breeds that will usually help. They are dense in calories and have a balanced nutrition versus just feeding a lot of treats.

If you don’t have a big back yard where your dog can play and exercise, you will have to arrange exercise some other way. Go for walks or jogs together. Take your dog to the park or beach (okay for dogs of course) and throw a ball or frisbie. Or, in a crunch as you are too busy for such things, hire a dog walker or take your dog to “doggie daycare”.

An absolute NO, NO, NO is to drug the dog as a solution. Antidepresants and such types of drugs have SERIOUS side effects-many of which you cannot even evaluate in a non-speaking patient. Many cause diarrhea and other digestive upsets and can even cause seizure disorders. Plus, tthe idea emotions and behavior is caused by a chemical imbalance is a complete lie. (see and order an informative DVD on this at www.cchr.org.

f your dog needs a tranquilizer for a day or two to travel or due to fireworks or storms, ask your veterinarian for a tried and true one such as acepromazine or valium (not that these don’t have any trouble, but they have been around and used in pets for a very long time. A full medical exam should be cone first, of course.)

If your dog newly becomes hyper, there may be a disease causing it. Such rare things as hyperthyroidism or other hormonal disorders could do this. Some medications can cause it as well. In any case, if it is a new thing, see your veterinarian for an evaluation.

Now there are herbal products that can help too. These are much safer than drugs, yet your veterinarian should be consulted before starting anything like that. We carry a product developed by a veterinarian called “Nutricalm” See www.petnutritioninfo.com/nutricalm-for-dogs.html

These too, should be used on a limited basis unless absolutely necessary for the health of the pet. So, get out there and have fun with your dog and burn off some calories yourself and calm that hyper dog.