# Too hyper?



## BrinkleyMom (Feb 8, 2013)

Brinkley is almost two. She is a wonderful puppy and she is pretty well behaved (walks well on a leash, knows lots of commands and LOVES the neighbor kids). 

Recently, I saw my neighbors dog, who is a month older than Brinkley and also a golden. This dog was off leash, walking perfectly, calmly greeted me and barely even got excited when I sat down to play. 

I would NEVER trust Brinkley to walk off leash because she would just sprint in every direction before coming back, she greets people with so much excitement that when I tell her to sit and "wait" til she is greeted, she cries and whines with excitement. She is EXTREMELY well socialized and exercised. Is my pup too hyper?! 

I always thought she was just acting like a puppy but seeing a dog SO CALM the same age as her makes me question that!
Please, tell me how much energy is normal!


----------



## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

I'd say it actually depends on your dog. The amount of energy a golden has can very greatly. What kind of lines does Brinkley come from, field or show? She'll eventually calm down too but it's also about training. If you haven't been training her to walk off leash she won't really learn it. Does she know a heel command or something similar, or does she just walk well on a leash?


----------



## BrinkleyMom (Feb 8, 2013)

She is a field golden. The only time I will allow her to walk off leash is when we are in a big open park, and she does pretty well, just sprinting back and forth and always comes back to us when called. 
I am guessing she just needs a little more time (age) to calm down. I love her energy level and it fits our lifestyle very well, it was just such a HUGE difference in energy from the other golden that it made me wonder.
We've never really worked on heel, she just is good on loose leash and listens to "wait" (sit-wait- we use when other people or dogs are approaching) or "leave it" if she finds some interesting to smell or pick up.


----------



## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

See Archer is totally from show lines and he's a pretty low energy golden. We've been off leash walking since he was about 7 months old. But he knows his heel command means be right by my side, and he does it 100% even if I have to remind him when a person or dog walks by. It's a great command to teach I think. We actually hunt with our couch potato boy and it's a requirement for field tests since they have to be off leash.


----------



## gldnboys (Mar 15, 2012)

I'm just curious: is she actually hyper, or just very exciteable? This can be an important distinction. How is she at home - does she have a good "off switch"?


----------



## BrinkleyMom (Feb 8, 2013)

gldnboys said:


> I'm just curious: is she actually hyper, or just very exciteable? This can be an important distinction. How is she at home - does she have a good "off switch"?


That is a good point! She is probably more under the "very exciteable" description. She is mostly lazy at home and greets me with a normal level of happiness when I get home. It is the outside world that gets her all hyped up!


----------



## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

Every dog is different, every dog has their good points and their "things we need to be working on," and even those are unique to every situation.

You have a wonderful, sweet girl who loves you and enhances your life. Maybe that owner looks at your girl and wishes her dog was a little livelier or more puppy like, who knows.

Shakespeare had it right: "Comparisons are odorous."


----------



## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

Every dog is different. I have 5 dogs, and my most hyper, least well behaved dog is my 11.5 year old lab mix, who just had her leg amputated due to bone cancer last Wednesday. This has still not slowed her down. Years of trying to train her not to jump on people when they walk in the door has not worked. Honestly, it doesn't bother me. At 11.5 years old, I'm just ecstatic that she still has the get up and go to do that.


----------



## gldnboys (Mar 15, 2012)

BrinkleyMom said:


> That is a good point! She is probably more under the "very exciteable" description. She is mostly lazy at home and greets me with a normal level of happiness when I get home. It is the outside world that gets her all hyped up!


I'm in a rush, so will add more to this later if I think of additional comments. Thanks for the added info. She sounds very much like my pup (who recently turned two). It's a challenging type of personality to deal with, since you have to stay calm through it all, and encourage other people to do the same. (And then deal with all the "hyper" comments - ugh! )

I taught my boy lots of commands, tricks, whatever and I use them to get and keep his focus when I need to. It really helps to get him settled, and once he's had a moment to get his bearings and get used to whatever it is that's gotten him going, he calms down quickly. High-value treats are a must; I always keep some in my pockets when we're out and about. I also keep him at a reasonable distance from the exciting thing/dog/person - however far is necessary in order to be able to get and keep his attention - in order to keep him under threshhold. 

You mentioned that Brinkley knows lots of commands, so this should work for you as well. The other thing that really makes a difference is stopping people from getting too close at first - just hold out your hand and ask them to wait - so you can explain that you're training her, and how you'd like them to proceed. I taught my dog not to jump on people by using this method; I just asked people to wait until he'd settled down enough to sit politely, and to only pay attention to him when he was reasonably calm. If he jumped up or otherwise started getting too excited, they were to either back off, or turn their backs with their arms crossed and wait until I told them they could approach again. He only got attention when he was calm (or at least somewhat calm, lol), and this taught him to settle down quicker. 

Not everyone has time for this, so I'd always ask if they had a couple of minutes, and if not, I'd just say maybe we could try some other time. (These were people who were interested in petting him anyway, of course.) 

The most important thing is to not compare your dog to other dogs you see around. They are all different, and it's best if you can just appreciate the special qualities your own dog has. While my boy may be crazy at times, he's been the quickest to learn, and has by far the most drive of any of my dogs so far.


----------



## Jessie'sGirl (Aug 30, 2010)

Brinkley sounds fine to me. Seems like she's got lots of spirit but can keep it mostly under control. I wouldn't worry.


----------



## BrinkleyMom (Feb 8, 2013)

Thanks for all of the wonderful comments! I have always thought she was normal but seeing a golden with a completely opposite disposition just made me wonder! 
We just went on a walk during which we delivered something to a neighbors house and she sat perfectly on the porch while we chatted. So at least she's got it down sometimes! 
I do think that the way people approach her can get her more hyped up! I mean, who wouldn't be excited to pet her? She's ADORABLE! =)


----------

