# Sudden Hyperactivity-what to do?



## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Practice obedience behaviors. Training is great mental exercise for a dog.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

Welcome to the forum,
There are many games you can play with him. Maybe try a hide and seek with a favorite toy, and work on some obedience training. I hope your knee gets better.


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## fostermom (Sep 6, 2007)

I know you can't run with him, but can you walk with him? Take him for a good 30 walk morning and night and I bet you will see a huge difference.


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## IDKaren1 (Jun 2, 2009)

*thaniks all!*

Thanks to all for the help! He is so good- he has learned LEAVE IT- BACK- WAIT_DOWN-OUT---so smart--I have never had a puppy before so I am amazed! He does pretty good on all- of course he goes outside to all the smells and sounds etc and brain goes on hold! I will try walking him more and working on training more. WOW did not know these dogs were SO smart!


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

You could also work on training a fetch game. If he wants to chase it, grab it, and carry it, it's not too hard to mold that into a solid fetch. And once you get fetch going successfully, it's very self-reinforcing, so it tends to improve over time without much work shaping the behavior.

Once you've made that upfront training investment, you'll have a reliable way to tucker out the pup without putting stress on your own joints.

Exercise is the only real solution to hyperactivity that I know.

And I agree with Quiz that mental exercise can be just as important for a dog and just as useful for moderating excess energy.


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## jnmarr (Mar 7, 2008)

Sounds like he was happy and inviting you to play! It may be time to up his exercise, too. Maybe you could turn on a sprinkler.. supply a small wading pool.. take him to day care or set up a play date with another friendly UTD on shots pups of about the same size... It is wonderful how they wear each other out! 

As my pups would run around or have the zoomies I would clap my hands and say things like woo hooo!! etc. Now to get them running and exercising.. ( like before a storm, trip etc. ) I just have to clap my hands.. works like a charm. 

After the " goofies " are in check, and a nap... is a good time to work on obedience.. I found I had to exercise the body before I tried to exercise the mind. They are so very smart.. The trick is finding a way to communicate with them.. Best wishes!


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

jnmarr said:


> Maybe you could turn on a sprinkler..


I've just discovered what great advice this really is. I was out watering the lawn with my thumb over the end of the hose, and I discovered that Jax would run over and attack any place the water was hitting the ground. I ran him all over the yard just by moving my arm back and forth.

Previously, I thought fetching was a good return on my efforts in terms of the amount of exercise the dog got, but watering the lawn wins hands down.


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## jnmarr (Mar 7, 2008)

tippykayak said:


> I've just discovered what great advice this really is. I was out watering the lawn with my thumb over the end of the hose, and I discovered that Jax would run over and attack anyplace the water was hitting the ground. I ran him all over the yard just by moving my arm back and forth.
> 
> Previously, I thought fetching was a good return on my efforts in terms of the amount of exercise the dog got, but watering the lawn wins hands down.




Same here. Another thing that has worked for me ... Using the hose nozzle, have the dog chase the spray.. you can get them to run huge circles and usually ends up in zoomies. 

It is hot and humid here most of the time, so over heating is a concern.. They stay cooler while exercising this way. We will even wet the under bellies before our walks. After wards, we spray them again and rinse off the pads.. Cools then down quickly and rinses any road crap, etc. we may have picked up on the way.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

jnmarr said:


> Same here. Another thing that has worked for me ... Using the hose nozzle, have the dog chase the spray.. you can get them to run huge circles and usually ends up in zoomies.
> 
> It is hot and humid here most of the time, so over heating is a concern.. They stay cooler while exercising this way. We will even wet the under bellies before our walks. After wards, we spray them again and rinse off the pads.. Cools then down quickly and rinses any road crap, etc. we may have picked up on the way.


Yeah! Total bonus is that you can get the dog exactly as wet as you want. Jax will turn and "defend" himself from the water if it actually starts to land on him, so more fun for all!


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## mdoats (Jun 7, 2007)

It definitely sounds like you need to find a way to get him more exercise. At five months Rookie needed two walks, some free play in the yard, and a couple of training sessions a day. When he didn't get enough exercise he was unbearable!


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## Sucker For Gold (Jan 13, 2009)

I love that name....Moses.

Since this is your first puppy, here are a couple of general thoughts for you.....

Goldens can have moments of hyperactivity until they are about 10, sometimes longer. It's one of the things I think alot of us like about the breed. They can be so layed back one minute and then out comes the tazmanian devil the next. As they get older their energy bursts are usually seen as displays of "I'm such a crazy happy dog"...things like zoomies...full out running without purpose. Without training and excercise, these moments of hyperactivity can be destructive....like digging or eating everything in site, like socks, couches, etc.

With training and excercise, you will have a great dog and undoubedtly have one of the most wonderful experieces you could have with another living being. I don't take that staement lightly. Goldens are magic, and for every ounce you invest in them, they will give you 4 ounces back.

Puppy training is a mixed bag. This is the time when they learn the quickest, as you have already seen, but it is also a time when they have zilch in the way of an attention span. The world is new and exciting to them. As you work with Moses, you will have days where he trains absolutely flawlessly and gives you more than you really ask for, and there will be days where he will give you absolutely nothing:doh:. Sidestepping, backstepping, rebellion, and total loss of brain function are common. During these times, you have to understand you are dealing with a puppy, just move on, and remember that tomorrow or the day after, he will try to do what you ask. As he gets older he will improve and become more reliable with his behaviors.

For now, I have one suggestion for you to try. Since he is unable to do somethings because of the knee surgery, you can still spend a lot of time with obedience and trick training. If you feed him dry food...I would take one entire meal and use it for training. I do this at lunch time every day with Gracie. Some trainers say to only work short sessions with training, but we do a 1 hour session daily with Gracie and she does great....she loves it. If Moses is food obsessed (most goldens are) this will work for you. Training requires them to think and uses up a lot of energy. At the same time it generates a HUGE bond between you and the dog. You already have a great head start with the training....keep it up. It is so important.


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## RummysMum (Jan 9, 2009)

Rummy and I run off his steam when I am too tired to play with him by a great game of fetch. He burns off that energy and we have a lot of fun together.

If the dog doesn't want to bring items back, have a few favorites nearby to toss, and seat yourself at the spot where he ends up with the prize (when they fetch they tend to return to the same location to chew down on the toy) There are some great fetch training videos on YouTube if your pup doesn't get how it works right away.


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## GoldenOwner12 (Jun 18, 2008)

All i can say is good luck Shelley my 13 month old is still hyperactive no amount of exercise or training settles her down. She has no off button and hardly sleeps all she wants to do is play with Einstein my 10 year old male. Shelley will not play with toys at all no matter what you do. She considers Einstein as her toy, She still won't leave him be.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

5 months is definitely entering the 'teenage" stage", and it does get much better in a few months. Swimming is a good solution to really tiring out a pup while still being kind to shoulders, elbows and hips. My feisty puppy Tango had elbow surgery, and swimming was key to keeping us all sane. Emptying out the energy bank with physical exercise every day makes for much saner teenage puppies! 

"Find" is a fun game. If you hide a tasty Kong or other great treat while the puppy is either tethered or on a sit stay, and then ask him "find". It's self-rewarding to find at this stage. Once "find" is understood as a concept, you can substitue a bumper, toy or ball, and then give the treat/reward when he brings it back to you. It's a useful skill; a long time ago, I lost my car keys on a beach and was beside myself. My golden Raleigh actually found them, and I was never so glad for having played a game with a dog in my life!

To improve the return rate with Chuck It or Frisbee, try playing with another dog who is a nice stable retriever and only play with the dog who brings you back ball. Or try yelling YES/Good JOB when the dog first picks up the object, then take a few brisk steps away from the dog like you're leaving. It subtly suggests to the pup with your body language that the game isnt chase or object possession, and activates him to come right to you.


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## IDKaren1 (Jun 2, 2009)

*we are getting there*

Thanks All! Moses is doing better- hubby gets up with him in the morning for a rousing game of fetch before he gets grumpy me in the morning! His training is going well-have not figured out the "STAY" concept-especially if he is training with food- he is SO excited for the food he can hardly contain himself sometimes. I laugh and laugh- he will go from "sit" to "lay down" to "over" to "hgih five" all at once before I settle him-its like" Ok this is cute- ok how about this- ya want this- ok how about this" Eventially it settles down but hmmmm. dunno about that STAY stuff! Any ideas?


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## Sucker For Gold (Jan 13, 2009)

I believe you said he is already having success with WAIT. STAY isn't much different, so if he does know WAIT, you are already half way there. What problems are you having exactly? Does he not stay at all or are you only getting short durations?


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## kjarv24 (Nov 7, 2008)

Everyone else has offered some good advice, we do a lot of Obedience or Fetching indoors when it's raining or I am in a rush "fetching works wonders, having a dog interested in fetch is just a great investment!"
I mainly just wanted to say I LOVE the name Moses!! 
Our sons name is noah and if we do have another son then his name will be Jacob or Jonah  I love Biblical names. We set on Jake because we love the name Jacob and if we don't have another son then well we've got a Jake at least.


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## IDKaren1 (Jun 2, 2009)

Sucker For Gold said:


> I believe you said he is already having success with WAIT. STAY isn't much different, so if he does know WAIT, you are already half way there. What problems are you having exactly? Does he not stay at all or are you only getting short durations?


He will WAIT to go out or stay in the car or for his food but when I try to get him to STAY at a sit or lay he does not seem to get it. He will jump right back up to a SIT or DOWN thinking oh boy-if I do this more treats. I wonder if I should be training him without treats- he gets TOO excited about food. Any ideas on this? THANKS all from this NEW puppy owner. I think sometimes it is like having a two year old child again.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

IDKaren1 said:


> He will WAIT to go out or stay in the car or for his food but when I try to get him to STAY at a sit or lay he does not seem to get it. He will jump right back up to a SIT or DOWN thinking oh boy-if I do this more treats. I wonder if I should be training him without treats- he gets TOO excited about food. Any ideas on this? THANKS all from this NEW puppy owner. I think sometimes it is like having a two year old child again.


First, make sure he's not breaking stay when he takes treats. If you have him on sit, but he jumps out of it when you hold out a treat, train him to stay sitting for the treat until you bring it down to him. Just withhold it (keep your hand closed around it) until he stays sitting to take it.

Figure out how long he'll stay for you. When he gives you 50% of that time in a stay, treat him and say "good boy." The idea is to treat him while he's still staying. If he breaks stay, bring him back to a sit and try again. Build the time up slowly. It's OK to reiterate "stay" with him during this stage as he holds on to it. Dogs also find it helpful if you add a gesture. A flat palm towards the dog's eyes (think, "stop in the name of love") with the "stay" can help.

Build him up gradually, a few seconds longer at a time.

You can also practice this with the door of the crate or the door outside. Ask for a sit/stay and slowly open the door a little. If he begins to break, quickly shut the door (DON'T catch the dog in the door!) and reset him. He'll begin to understand that he has to "stay" until released. Once the door is fully open, say "OK" on your terms. Vary it each time, right away, after three seconds, after five seconds, so he learns to cue to your "OK," not to the door getting fully opened or to some other subtle signal.

Having a dog who goes through doors on command, rather than just when they open is really nice. NEVER allow him through a door without a stay and OK, and he'll grasp both wonderfully well.


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