I have a 1 year old German Shepherd girl who is super athletic. She always has the most energy, can't seem to get her to eat enough to cover her ribs because she's always on the move and loves to run. She has always been an excited jumper, I've managed to somewhat save the wall by the front door by making all of the pups sit before they are allowed outside. The problem is containing that excitement when she wants to jump on my husband and I. She gets excited when we come in, excited when we let her out of the crate (Have started working on getting her calm and laying down before she is allowed to exit), excited even when we just walk to the door to go outside. She scratches us doing it. I've tried making her sit, she sits there like a wound spring as long as she can contain herself, then jumps up again. If I turn my back, she jumps at my back. I scold her, she may stop for a moment, but the next time comes around and she forgets. I've at least gotten to the point where if I see her about to jump, I put out my finger and say "no" and she MIGHT remember in time to jump to the side instead of on me, but when walking in the door or if I don't necessarily see her coming, there's not a whole lot I can do to initiate control of the situation until after she's already up on me. She's jumped up while I'm bent over (petting her only when 4 paws on the ground) and whacked me good in the face with her head. I try to keep her exercised, we have plenty of land for her to run around and wrestle with my other two pups, but I'm always amazed at how much more she musters.
I'm not "at whit's end" persay, but I could use some extra suggestions on how to try to control this energizer bunny! Thanks!
Excited energizer bunny
Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost
Re: Excited energizer bunny
Hi there,
Its probably no consolation but.. wired to the moon 1 year old gsd *****... pretty normal for some lines... skinny and burns off everything hse eats, normal for some lines... endless exercise but still bounding out of her skin... normal for some lines....
The key here is mental exercise, teaching some self control as a fun game (NOT as a boot camp style military exercise!), getting her to THINK first, ACT second...
Dogs like this you can throw as much physical exercise at them as you like and all you will achieve is an ever fitter canine athelete.
Stuff all her food into food dispensing toys or scatter feed it over a wide area of grass.
Start doing short training sessions using clicker training ideally, but basic positive reinforcement working for food or toys is fine - try to mix up lessons so theres lots of thinking and problem solving interspersed with a run about to releieve tension/stress.
Calm place to chill out - she has a crate, ensure its partially covered and in a place that is quiet, NOT a main through route where people and other dogs are passing and not somewhere with a tantalising view of movement she can't chase as that will build stress.
I would recommend you watch Kikopups vidoes on youtube, also Tab289 to see the same methods used by a different person, with a shepherd, aaaand if you do facebook, follow Incredimal-Raising Fizz to see Nando Brown working with his 1 year old Malinois pup Fizz using totally force free, positive reinforcement training methods. She is worky and fit and highly strung but he puts that to work for him, getting her to use her brain!
I will say, avoid scolding her and telling her off - it isn't going to stop the unwanted behaviour, but it will increase the stress and tension and actually is likely to cause her behaviour to worsen.
Its probably no consolation but.. wired to the moon 1 year old gsd *****... pretty normal for some lines... skinny and burns off everything hse eats, normal for some lines... endless exercise but still bounding out of her skin... normal for some lines....
The key here is mental exercise, teaching some self control as a fun game (NOT as a boot camp style military exercise!), getting her to THINK first, ACT second...
Dogs like this you can throw as much physical exercise at them as you like and all you will achieve is an ever fitter canine athelete.
Stuff all her food into food dispensing toys or scatter feed it over a wide area of grass.
Start doing short training sessions using clicker training ideally, but basic positive reinforcement working for food or toys is fine - try to mix up lessons so theres lots of thinking and problem solving interspersed with a run about to releieve tension/stress.
Calm place to chill out - she has a crate, ensure its partially covered and in a place that is quiet, NOT a main through route where people and other dogs are passing and not somewhere with a tantalising view of movement she can't chase as that will build stress.
I would recommend you watch Kikopups vidoes on youtube, also Tab289 to see the same methods used by a different person, with a shepherd, aaaand if you do facebook, follow Incredimal-Raising Fizz to see Nando Brown working with his 1 year old Malinois pup Fizz using totally force free, positive reinforcement training methods. She is worky and fit and highly strung but he puts that to work for him, getting her to use her brain!
I will say, avoid scolding her and telling her off - it isn't going to stop the unwanted behaviour, but it will increase the stress and tension and actually is likely to cause her behaviour to worsen.
West Midlands based 1-2-1 Training & Behaviour Canine Consultant
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Dibbythedog
- Posts: 214
- Joined: Wed Oct 18, 2006 12:08 pm
- Location: Middlesex West London
Re: Excited energizer bunny
A dog diets can also affect it's behaviour . Some have additives and colourants that can cause a dog to act hyper.
Re: Excited energizer bunny
Hey, I have a two year old American Bulldog/American Pit Bull Terrier mix with endless energy. She used to be a absolutely terrible jumper on family in house and guest. She would leave bruises on my mom. She does still jump here and there, But not Nearly as bad as she used to. I feel confident that in a month or two the jumping will cease to exist. What I have taught her and is working really well is having her get a toy. I feel that expecting her to stay calm when you've come home from work or a guest comes over is unreasonable for her. She needs a way to work out that excitement not to be expected to have it disperse into the air. It takes time, and consistency. A guest comes in or you come home have a toy ready. When you see she has calmed down such as laying down go pet her than if she gets over excited and tries to jump stop.
As for the energy I found Piper has calmed a little know that she is two. I bought a doggerjogger bike connection, so we go on bike rides and long walks every day. Any kind of training is good. She needs to exercise her mind as well as her body. Also if you don't already get a kong. Someone above mentioned food. I now great dog food is pricey I buy Kirkland salmon grain free dog food. No, it's not top of the line, but it is decent and my dogs do Great on it.
As for the energy I found Piper has calmed a little know that she is two. I bought a doggerjogger bike connection, so we go on bike rides and long walks every day. Any kind of training is good. She needs to exercise her mind as well as her body. Also if you don't already get a kong. Someone above mentioned food. I now great dog food is pricey I buy Kirkland salmon grain free dog food. No, it's not top of the line, but it is decent and my dogs do Great on it.
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GingerMoose
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Tue May 12, 2015 9:38 am
- Location: Georgia
Re: Excited energizer bunny
She's just a weird case I think, she is more interested in wrestling with my other two pups than toys, doesn't sit down and chew on anything other than bones, can't leave anything on her crate because she will get anxious and shred it... She isn't so bad jumping on guests as much as on my husband and I, she's just so energetic. I think we're slowly getting somewhere, I've started with a down - stay when opening the crate, also they are all getting to the point that we can leave them out for parts of the day if we'll be gone 4 hours or less, hopefully she isn't as anxious that way.
She gets plenty of exercise, we have 20 acres to run around and two other pups to play with, it's mostly just times when I can't help like just getting out of bed, just letting her out when I get home or just getting home (I'm the favored parent lol). Maybe next March when she turns two, she'll settle down some lol. But I just try to keep on top and remind her when I see her ready to jump and try to redirect her attention etc and hope my shelter girl Kira doesn't pick up her bad habits.
She gets plenty of exercise, we have 20 acres to run around and two other pups to play with, it's mostly just times when I can't help like just getting out of bed, just letting her out when I get home or just getting home (I'm the favored parent lol). Maybe next March when she turns two, she'll settle down some lol. But I just try to keep on top and remind her when I see her ready to jump and try to redirect her attention etc and hope my shelter girl Kira doesn't pick up her bad habits.
