Hyper Dogs

Very few dogs that come through WAGS are actually, clinically "hyper." Quite a few of them, however, are high-energy dogs descended from hard-working breeds such as border collies, Australian shepherds, heelers, and Jack Russell Terriers -- dogs whose original purpose was to go! go! go! all day every day. Desirable on a sprawling ranch or mountainside pasture, no doubt, but challenging to manage in a modern urban or suburban environment.

Some of these dogs are also highly reactive (meaning, in this context, that they are quick to notice environmental stimuli and respond with greater alertness/activity than less sensitive dogs might), mouthy, easily frustrated, and/or socially clumsy. Some are highly intelligent and bored in the absence of new mental challenges. Add all these things up, and you can have a very demanding case on your hands.

Fortunately, there's a lot you can do to help, and most dogs are very responsive to a holistic regimen.

The first step is to identify and remove stressors that could be exacerbating the dog's problematic behavior.

• Diet: Poor-quality commercial foods are linked to a variety of problems, including "hyper" behavior in some dogs. If your foster pup's diet contains low-quality ingredients, chemical preservatives, added sweeteners, or artificial colorings (particularly red dye), switch to a higher-quality food. Feed two meals a day, one in the morning and one at night, to avoid dramatic spikes or drops in the dog's blood sugar, which can cause moodiness and irritability.
• Home Environment: Consider whether your home environment could be a contributing factor. Is it in a very noisy location? Are there lots of active, noisy, playful children in the home? Excitable children can escalate an excitable dog's energy level very quickly, and sometimes to dangerous levels. Are there other pets who are causing tension? If these appear to be major factors and you cannot adjust or remove them, it may be best for all concerned to transfer the dog to a different, calmer foster home.
• Sleep: Hand-in-hand with the previous question comes the next: is the dog getting enough quality sleep? Dogs sleep a lot -- up to seventeen hours a day, left to their own devices -- and if their rest is constantly being disturbed by a loud and chaotic home environment, that can be a contributing factor to snappish, frenetic behavior.
• Your Own Behavior: How are you interacting with the dog? Tension feeds on tension. Excitement spurs excitement. Correction-based training and the use of painful training equipment such as prong collars, choke collars, e-collars and "invisible fences" can greatly increase a dog's stress levels. While I view calmness and positive training as crucial for all dogs, that's especially true of dogs with potential behavioral issues, including "hyper" ones. Be gentle (which is not to say permissive), and -- as difficult as this will be sometimes! -- strive for serenity.