What to do if your dog has too much energy for their own good

Does your dog treat your living room like their own personal racetrack? If neighborhood walks barely make a dent in their energy levels—and you’re pulling out your hair while your pup barks, begging for more activity than what you can offer between your other obligations—you’re not alone. Hyperactivity affects nearly 40 percent of pet dogs!

Sometimes excessive energy has a medical origin. Other times it’s environmental. And in every case, we have to work with each individual pup’s baseline personality. Regardless of cause? We can do a lot to help our pets calm down and earn some more peace for ourselves. “Too much energy” often means “energy that hasn’t found the right outlet yet!”

Here are some sanity-saving ways to start addressing your dog’s hyper antics.

First: Try to understand your dog’s behavior

Before we try to change any of our pups’ traits, it’s only fair that we understand where they’re coming from. We ask domestic dogs to live in an often confusing and restrictive human world. Gone are the days of freely roaming large swatches of land, socializing on their own terms, and scavenging through trash (a completely normal canine instinct) without reprimand!

That’s not to say modern pets don’t enjoy plenty of perks, of course. They most definitely do. Soft beds, regular affection, and consistent meals go a long way—they’re just not always the right things to fulfill what our dogs desire most.

Your dog might seem overly energetic because…

Most “hyper” pups are responding to boredom, anxiety, insufficient stimulation (or too much stimulation), inherent breed traits, conditioned behavior, an underlying medical condition (like chronic pain), or some combination.

• They feel bored. It’s no surprise that boredom makes pets (and people too!) act out. Sometimes our dogs are bored for good reason: They need more activity. Other times they just haven’t developed the mental muscles required to tolerate periods where not much is going on. We can help them build that skill just like we teach human children.
• They’re anxious. “Many dogs present as high energy, but on closer inspection, their perpetually restless, ‘energetic’ behavior is indicative of underlying anxiety or hyper-arousal issues,” writes Sarah Fraser, Certified Dog Behavior Consultant. 
• They aren’t getting enough stimulation. I know, I know. This can be hard to think about when you feel like you’re already doing a ton for your pup! Most likely, it’s not that you aren’t providing enough for your dog. It’s that you aren’t doing the most impactful things. (We’ll talk about effective enrichment more in a bit.)
• They’re getting too much stimulation. The right amount of mental and physical activity can prove a touchy balance. Overstimulated dogs might grow restless even if they really ought to be exhausted. (Have you ever seen a toddler after a huge day out and about? Yep. Like that.)
• You weren’t expecting their natural breed traits. Some dogs just have more energy than others! Although you shouldn’t fixate on your pup’s breed (read more about the nuance in this deep dive), their ancestry can be a helpful starting point. In general, working breeds yearn to go-go-go more than their toy counterparts bred primarily for companionship.
• It’s conditioned behavior. Without realizing it, we often reward our pets’ hyped-up behavior because we think it’s cute. And there’s nothing wrong with getting excited from time to time! If your dog isn’t able to settle down after periods of natural arousal, though, these habits can leak into other situations—and become a big problem. (A version of this can also occur when we try to occupy our dogs’ minds and bodies 24/7, never giving them the chance to learn that stillness can be satisfying too.)
• They have a health problem. Underlying medical issues can rear their heads in many ways. Although you might associate pain and discomfort with decreased energy, certain conditions can also make your pup feel restless. This often looks like hyperactivity on the surface!
• They have clinical hyperactivity. This is also called hyperkinesis, and thankfully? It’s pretty rare! Vets only diagnose clinical hyperactivity after a thorough exam and detailed information about your dog’s lifestyle, behavior, and environment.

Second: Make sure your pup is physically healthy

Before embarking on any new enrichment or training plan, get your pup checked for health problems—like joint pain and gastrointestinal issues—by a vet you trust.

This is especially important if your dog’s energy levels change suddenly. Abrupt shifts in behavior are a top symptom of undiagnosed conditions.

Third: Meet your dog’s basic needs

And it never hurts to double-check your companion’s nutrition, hydration, and sleep. Sometimes their needs change over time—and even small tweaks to your routine can help alleviate behavioral problems.

• Provide a complete, balanced dog food. Adjust how many calories your pup eats each day based on their activity level. (Your vet can help you determine if they’re maintaining a healthy weight or not.)
• Make sure your dog always has access to fresh water. If you’re worried they aren’t drinking enough, you can entice them to sip by adding some low-sodium bone broth to their bowl.
• Help your pup get around 12 to 16 hours of quality sleep each day. For most dogs, this will look like a longer period overnight followed by a couple of morning or afternoon naps. Setting up a quiet, safe space—like a designated crate, pen, favorite bed, or separate room—can prevent your pup from getting overtired. That’s particularly helpful if your household’s schedule interrupts their natural periods of rest!

Fourth: Provide species- and breed-specific enrichment

Effective enrichment (also called “biological fulfillment”) helps our dogs feel content. And when they’re truly satisfied? They have an easier time settling—without barking out the windows, chewing our belongings, or sprinting circles around the couch.

Although your pup is your adorable best friend, they’re also a canine, a member of their breed group(s), and a unique individual. These three things can help you understand how to best fulfill their personal urges!

• As a canine: Consider how to give your dog chances to act on deeply ingrained, natural instincts like chasing prey (maybe a flirt pole or a special ball) and scavenging for food (maybe a snuffle mat or other meal search games).
• As a domestic dog: We've selected different breeds to have specific traits. Many herding dogs have a strong desire to control the movements of those around them, for example, while many retrievers love to carry things in their mouths.
• As an individual: You know your pup best. Just like people, dogs are unique! Keep your companion's history in mind—but don't be afraid to adjust to what they tell you in the moment, too.

Here are some helpful starting points to enrich your dog’s daily life:

• Find your dog’s favorite enrichment activities
• 101 easy dog enrichment ideas
• Does enrichment have to be expensive?
• How to use puzzle toys thoughtfully
• How long should enrichment take your dog?

Fifth: Practice your dog’s ability to settle

Enrichment isn’t about occupying your dog’s brain, nose, and paws every minute of every day. It’s important to take breaks, too!

If you’re confident your pup is getting enough mental and physical stimulation and they’re still climbing up the walls? Odds are they need some help learning how to better regulate. Here are a few ideas to begin.

• Take a look at relaxation techniques like trainer Karen Overall’s relaxation protocol.
• Set up a designated bed, crate, or other area as a “calm-behavior only” zone. Over time, your dog can learn to associate this physical location with a chiller mental state.
• Consider training skills that build impulse control, like “leave it” and sit and down stays.
• Pay attention to what behavior you reinforce. If you want your dog to relax? Try to relax yourself, and avoid hyping them up further with your own actions! Some pups act out in hopes of attention (even frustrated attention satisfies them, at least a little)—while others only get more frustrated if they feel ignored. Experiment to figure out how your own companion responds to different approaches.
• Think about keeping your dog on a leash in the house. This might feel weird at first, but the idea is that it’s temporary! Leashing your pup inside can help you redirect them more easily before their hyper behavior gets out of hand. Start small, pair this with other basic training skills, and be sure to celebrate small wins.

Sixth: Get guidance from a professional trainer

If the above advice isn’t working for your pup—or you just feel, in your gut, that your dog’s hyperactivity is a bigger problem than you’re able to tackle on your own—don’t worry. This is exactly what dog trainers and veterinary behaviorists are here for! The right professional will evaluate your dog’s behavior, environment, and routine to help you create a plan for long-term peace.