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Dealing with Your Overactive Dog
Back Myth: Dogs that "won't sit still" are abnormal and need to be tranquilized.
Spot is a 10-month-old male terrier mixed-breed described by his owners as "hyperkinetic" and in need of medication to prevent them from going crazy. Periodically during the evening, Spot runs around the room and over chairs, sofas, end tables, and even his owners' laps. Spot's habit of snatching newspapers out of their hands has forced his owners to reading behind closed doors. During one of his episodes, Spot grabbed a sofa cushion and shook it vigorously while watching and growling at his owners. Spot spends his day in an apartment room while his owners are at work. He is walked only twice a day because it takes his owners about 20 minutes to catch him and attach his leash. Although Spot's owners constantly try to control him by making him heel, walks are fraught with pulling and chewing on the leash.
Muffy, a 6-year-old female cocker spaniel, occasionally whines when left alone and constantly pesters her owners while they are home. She jumps into their laps when they sit down to read the newspaper or watch television and constantly brings them toys and barks if ignored. She often does not relax until they go to bed at night. Muffy's owners have tried walking her several times in the evening. During walks, she is well-behaved, but no matter how much exercise she receives, Muffy is still hyperactive throughout the entire evening. This activity pattern is cyclic; Muffy is quiet in the morning and extremely active in the evening after her owners have returned home from a long day at work.
Normal Social Behavior in Dogs
Most often, a dog described by its owners as "hyperactive" is engaging in normal behavior such as play or exercise or is seeking social contact. Often hyperactivity involves social behaviors; therefore, some basic knowledge about the social system of dogs is helpful.
Dogs and their close relatives, wolves, are communal animals. In the wild, wolves live in large, extended families comprised of individuals of many age groups. A social group of wolves usually consists of an adult male and female and their offspring. Siblings often continue to live in the group for several years. Cubs and puppies play with each other, their parents, and older brothers and sisters, as well as with "aunts" and "uncles." Rarely is a youngster left alone; either a littermate or one of the adults will be with it. An older animal might even stay with the wolf cubs while the rest of the pack hunts.
Play is characteristic of young animals, and dogs are no exception. Dogs can play by themselves with short bursts of running and barking, tossing, shaking, or pouncing on objects such as sticks, ropes, leaves, or balls. Investigatory and exploratory behaviors provide play and exercise.
A young dog also is highly motivated to engage in reciprocal, social play with other animals and humans. A dog may be quite persistent in its attempt to entice someone to play with it.
Social play is comprised on stalking, chasing, "tug-of-war," and rough-and-tumble fighting. Play often consists of bouts of aggressive behavior sequences, such as dominance gestures, defensive and offensive threats, and predatory chases and attacks. If often includes growling and inhibited bites. During play, certain signals indicate to the playmate that this is play and not serious aggression. Such signals include play bows (in which the dog assumes a posture with its rump in the air and its head and shoulders lowered), tail wagging, inhibited bites, pawing with the front foot, open-mouth panting ("play face"), and a cocked head.
Types of Overactivity
- Play
A young, healthy dog that is a single pet in a household will likely try to engage its owners in play, particularly after it has been left alone for many hours. The problem is sometimes compounded by confinement used in an attempt to control the dog or to prevent it from destroying property while the owners are at work. A dog that is "released" when the owners return home is usually more active because of isolation and restricted activity. Rather than trying to suppress play, which is difficult at best and can even impair the attachment between dog and owner, owners should allow dogs to engage in vigorous play. The play, however, should be directed toward appropriate objects, and the dog eventually should stop playing when the owner wants the dog to do so.
Exercise can be a form of play. Long walks that allow the dog to sniff, explore, and investigate its environment are sufficient exercise and play for some dogs. Forcing a dog to constantly "heel" deprives it of engaging in normal levels of exploratory and investigatory activities. Inhibiting these behaviors when the dog is outside may result in highly active behaviors at home when the owners would rather the dog be quiet. A retractable leash allowing the dog to range 16 or more feet from the owner permits the dog to investigate on walks but also lets the owner keep the dog close when necessary. Combining the retractable leash with a head-halter gives the owner more control.
Even with the use of a retractable leash, owners should teach the dog to come when called and learn to walk beside the owner when necessary. While walking the dog near the street, owners should keep the retractable leash short to prevent the dog from running into the road in the path of traffic.
Playing with another dog is one of the best forms of exercise for a young dog. If the dog is old enough to tolerate more strenuous exercise, it can accompany the owner during such activities as jogging or bicycling. Care must be taken to gradually increase the dog's physical condition. The dog can also be encouraged to run in a secure area outdoors or even indoors if it is a small breed. The games of "fetch," "tug-of-war," and catching a flying disc provide exercise and social interaction with the owner. If allowed to run in unfenced areas, the dog must come when called. If the dog does not come reliably when called, a retractable leash or very long light line can be attached to its collar, which allows the owner to retrieve the dog. Some owners may want to wear gloves as protection against possible rope burns.
Dogs frequently growl while playing tug-of-war with each other. Some people mistakenly confuse a "play growl" with real aggression and are worried about playing tug-of-war with their dog. Dogs frequently try to play tug-of-war with their owners. This activity does not necessarily lead to aggression or dominance. The owner should, however, direct tug games to a play object and not allow the dog to pull on clothing or directly on feet or hands.
Owners should allow their dogs to play actively but must also be able to inhibit their dogs' activity level and control it when it is time to stop or when play becomes inappropriate. Owners can establish such control by first teaching the dog, when it is calm, to come, sit, lie down, and relax. Initially the dog should learn to sit and stay for 2 to 3 minutes in quiet circumstances at home. The owner can later ask the dog to sit and stay for short periods after it has worn itself out playing. If the dog does well, the owner can then ask it to sit quietly for a few seconds during a play session before the dog becomes tired. Eventually, the dog should be able to sit and stay at any stage during play. Continued play can serve as a reward for short periods of nonplay. The owner can also practice the sit (or down/stay) command throughout the day by asking the dog to sit or lie down whenever the owner knows the dog wants something, such as to be let in or out to be fed or petted.
Extremely disruptive or damaging playful antics - such as running into the owner, rough leaps at the owner's body, or grabbing shirts or pants - often can be stopped by using a startling, inhibiting stimulus such as a foghorn or a loud noise. If a dog engages in these activities, owners can carry a startling noisemaker. The noise should be employed each time the dog begins the disruptive behavior (e.g., as it begins jumping at the owner). Sounding the noise too early or too late will not work. If applied appropriately, a startling noise will quickly teach a dog not to initiate such rough play. Using a word such as "hey" or "no" slightly before the startling noise can become an effective signal to stop.
When the owner makes the mistake of not providing sufficient play for a young active dog and only punishes or isolates the dog for being "bad," the dog may become fearful of the owner, develop separation anxiety problems, or even become aggressive.
- Attention-Seeking Behaviors
Exaggerated and prolonged greeting of the owner and persistent attention-seeking behaviors when the owner is home can sometimes be a major sign of separation anxiety. These behaviors may continue for several hours and are often described by the owner as "hyperactivity." A dog that exhibits overactivity due to separation anxiety usually engages, at least to some degree, in other signs of anxiety (e.g., barking, whining, urinating, defecating, chewing, or digging) when it is left alone. Such dogs usually greet their owners enthusiastically even if they are left alone for only a short time.
The treatment of separation anxiety is described in "The Dog That Cannot Be Left Alone". The general treatment for the condition is to gradually acclimate the dog to being alone for short periods without experiencing anxiety. It might also be necessary to teach the dog to relax as the owner prepares to leave and when the owner returns.
Another cause of persistent attention-seeking behavior is insufficient contact with the owner. This is another manifestation of separation anxiety. When such dogs finally do have access to their owners, they are so starved for attention that they will engage in repeated and prolonged greeting, play, and attention-seeking behavior. These dogs often bark at or nudge the owner until they are petted or otherwise get attention. If put into a crate, they may become quiet, which the owner considers a relief. However, the dog may simply be depressed and will engage in even more attention-seeking behaviors when released. An appropriate approach to the problem is to increase the dog's social interactions with and access to the owner in the form of play, exercise, walks, or even simply being allowed in the owner's bedroom overnight. Owners may also find it helpful to teach the dog to relax in their presence.
If separation anxiety or excessive attention-seeking is related to being left alone for more than 10 to 12 hours a day on a regular basis, the dog might be helped by a companion dog or by being taken in by the neighbors periodically throughout the day. Some dogs cannot tolerate such long periods of being left alone and may have to be placed in another home.
Reinforcement
Sometimes owners inadvertently reinforce their dog's overactivity. For example, they might chase their dog when it grabs a sock or spend 10 minutes pursuing the dog in an attempt to attach a leash. The dog enjoys this great game, even though the owners may not. Another example of inadvertent reinforcement is when an owner pets a dog that nudges or barks. Although such dogs are being "rewarded" for unwanted behaviors, simply stopping the reinforcement is not likely to cause the behaviors to disappear. The underlying reasons that are motivating the dogs to engage in play or attention-seeking must also be addressed.
Breed Predisposition
Some breeds of dogs, such as sled dogs and some hunting breeds, have been developed for a high activity level. If these dogs are not allowed sufficient vigorous exercise, their activity level in the home may be overwhelming. This activity is not related directly either to excessive play or reinforcement from the owners. Instead, it represents a strong motivation to run, hunt, and/or explore. The solution is to provide these dogs with sufficient exercise and train them to inhibit their activity on command. If these dogs cannot be vigorously exercised several times a week, owners should allow them access to large outdoor runs or fenced yards several hours each day. Prolonged separation from households and people should be avoided because the dogs are likely to become excessive attention seekers when they eventually have access to the owners. As these dogs get older, they might calm down somewhat but are likely nevertheless to remain more active than most dogs throughout their lives.
Physiologic Influences
Hormones influence activity level. Hyperthyroidism, although not common in dogs, can result in restlessness or nervousness. Elevated estrogen levels, such as occur during estrus, also can increase activity in a bitch. The presence of a bitch in heat also can cause restlessness in male dogs in the vicinity.
Dogs with hyperkinesis, a physiologic disorder that is rare in dogs, have been described as overactive, unable to learn to inhibit activity, and difficult to teach to sit and stay. They also resist being restrained and are reportedly unresponsive to tranquilizers. These dogs, like some hyperkinetic children, become quieter when treated with central nervous system stimulants such as amphetamine. Diagnosis of this disorder must be made very carefully, and treatment should be closely monitored by a veterinarian.
A New Aid in Control
Dog head-halters immediately prevent most dogs from pulling on a leash and allow owners to comfortably exercise and control their dogs. A correctly fitted head-halter is more effective than a chain collar, does not traumatize the dog's throat, and allows the dog to open its mouth widely. The dog should be able to pant, yawn, and play ball. If the nose-loop on a head-halter is too small, the dog may not be able to pant sufficiently to control its body temperature. This is particularly important during warm weather and if the dog accompanies the owner during an activity such as jogging. A dog head-halter is not a muzzle and should not be used as a substitute for one. They are designed to prevent pulling and to control the direction that the dog is moving. There are several types of head-halters available; each type has specific advantages. Owners unfamiliar with the use of head-halters may need help in learning how to use them. They are a revolution in dog walking, and owners should be pleased with their results. Back to top
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