8 Ways to Make Your High Energy Dog Happy
Have you ever wondered about different ways to make your high energy dog happy? It’s an important thought to ponder. High energy dogs come with their own set of unique needs. Meeting these needs will make them happy and hopefully, in return, make you happy, too. Keep reading for ways to make your high energy dog happy!
1. Food
Feeding your high energy dog a high quality food is one way to make him happy. Low quality dog food is filled with fillers, sugar, food coloring, by products as well as other chemicals and ingredients that your high energy dog simply doesn’t need. Keep ingredients in your dog’s diet as pure as possible. Doing so will reduce unnecessary hyperactivity and will also make your dog feel better overall. In recent years, there have been noted links between a poor diet and hyper activity. This should come as no surprise because we have made that connection between poor diet and hyperactivity in our human children.
2. Rewards
Often times, we mistake high energy for hyper activity and that’s not always the case. Furthermore, we often find ourselves rewarding outbursts of high energy by engaging our dog when he’s doing the exact opposite of what we want them to do. Dogs, just like our human children, will begin to seek out any attention, even if it heeds negative results. Reward good manners and calm behavior and be intentional about it. Quiet praise and belly rubs go a long way when it comes to rewarding your high energy dog when he’s at rest near your feet or in his bed. Of course, you must consider your dog’s currency. What payoff does your dog seem to express the most interest in? Star there. Also, you should mix it up. Belly rubs are great, just like hugs, but you should also keep in mind that the effectiveness wears off just as rewards you receive or give from the human members of your family do. The first reward we think of tends to be treats, but walks, toys, indoor games are just a few more examples of rewards you can use to honor behaviors you deem desirable.
3. Training
Poor manners in high energy dog are often noted more because their behavior is often more pronounced. Obedience dog training will teach your high energy dog to use his manners. This will result in more of the behaviors you want to see and less of the undesirable behaviors. Manners training can begin with the essentials like sit, stay, and no jump. High energy dogs may lack impulse control or just appear to so be patient and put in the time. A calm, assertive, consistent approach on your end will garner great results.
4. Mental Stimulation
A high energy dog may be exercised, yet still show high energy behaviors. It’s imperative that you also provide mental stimulation and boost his brain. In fact, it’s often easier to tire out a high energy dog by engaging him in some brain work or brain games than it is to exercise him. Obedience training or clicker training fit the bill for a brain boost, but so do puzzles, hide and seek and other brain games.
5. Exercise
Most dog parents of high energy dogs feel a certain level of frustration when their dog just won’t calm down. Unfortunately, that’s an indicator that they, or you, are not exercising the high energy dog enough. Exercise not only helps build strong bones and muscles, but it also reduces stress, anxiety and problem behaviors associated with it. Exercise is essential to good health and a well-adapted dog. Most adult dogs will need anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours of exercise each day. High energy dogs will need closer to the 2 hour mark than smaller high energy dogs. Fitting in exercise can be tricky when meeting the demands of a busy family; that’s understood. However, by implementing a morning and even walk or run, you can meet at least half of the time your dog needs. Keep the family involved on this. You can also integrate family outdoor activities along with your dog’s exercise time. Bring your dog with you on hikes and other outdoor dog friendly escapades. Your dog will come home just begging for a nap.
6. Education
A part of keeping your high energy dog happy depends on your own education. Educate yourself about the specific needs and behaviors of your specific breed dog. High energy dogs are often larger breeds. How much do you really know about your dog? Research! Furthermore, learn about what each dog needs at each stage of his life. Of course a puppy has different needs than a senior dog in the sunset of his life. We know this, but often get bogged down in doing what we have always done. Keeping with this frame of mind will not keep your dog happy. Read books, talk to trainers, pet sitters, veterinarians and other pet professionals to gain as much information as you can. This will help you best meet the needs of your dog and keep him as happy as possible.
7. Health
All dogs should have the opportunity to receive the best health care. Luckily, in recent years more and more pet parents are making pet health a priority. Sometimes high energy behaviors can be an indicator that a health issue is present. It’s always a good idea to explore possible health issues before dismissing high energy or any other issues as “problem behavior”. In fact, Pet MD noted a study that exposes this exact fact. Liver dysfunction, hyperthyroidism, and other diseases can all come with high energy or hyperactivity as a symptom.
8. Socialization
High energy dogs, just like their calmer counterparts need socialization, too. Dogs that already experience high levels of energy will only become that much more energized under situations of stress. Socialization, in a nutshell, makes a dog more comfortable in the world in which he lives. Think of all the places you have to take your high energy dog: the vet, the groomer, the dog park, traveling, etc. If any dog is not properly socialized, stress will ensue each and every time they are exposed to something new. It is your responsibility to socialize your dog and expose him to the world. Doing so will not only reduce unnecessary energy, it will also reduce fear and aggression, but also provide your dog opportunities to come with you and be out and about making new friends. In other words, a socialized, high energy dog is a happy dog!
In conclusion
Most of these tips to making your high energy dog happy have two things in common. -attention and intention. It’s easy to get bogged down with life. We come and go and sometimes our high energy dog gets put at the bottom of our priority list. That shouldn’t be the case, should it? Can you imagine spending every day, day in and out just waiting for someone to attend to your needs? Dogs are like children, they’re not really as self-sufficient as people tend to think they are. Start now by evaluating the time and energy you put into making your high energy dog happy. Where do you stand?
