11 month old = hyper! ah! Please help!

[Erica Andy & Khloé]

So let us start off by saying that Khloe is a great dog and is very well trained, however she is just extremely hyper at 11 months old. I think we notice it the most (and are annoyed by it the most) at nighttime, when we are trying to relax and sit on the couch or watch tv, typically from 6PM - 10 PM. She sleeps on and off throughout the day, but not the whole day by any means, and then at nighttime it is like she drank a package of red bulls!

 

We have tried everything, from taking her on 2 walks a day, 1 walk a day, no walks, playing fetch with her in the backyard, but no matter what she still seems to go go go at nighttime. The oddest thing is that if we are upstairs away from her and she is downstairs, she will sleep and keep quiet. However, the second we go downstairs to where she is, even if she is sleeping, she will run and grab a toy and bring it over to us to play. We have tried giving her bones and chew toys, but she doesnt seem to stay focused on them for very long before being distracted on something else. We also dont want her to get in the habit of "if I go crazy and act out, I will get a delicious bone" or something along those lines. We do not want to reward this "bad" behavior.

 

She loves her crate and will sleep in there throughout the day and at night no problem. However, if she is going crazy in the evening and we try to put her in the crate to calm her down, she ends up barking, crying, and whining because she wants to come out with us and play. This kind of defeats the purpose of having a relaxing night if she is barking in the crate when we are downstairs. However, if we walk away to go upstairs and leave her alone in the crate, she doenst make a peep.

 

We dont think the solution is to just go upstairs and not be with the dog downstairs, because we do not want to have to change our lives that drastically in order to put up with her high energy. Ideally, we would like to all be able to sit in the living together and relax but we are having a very hard time doing so.

 

What do you all do to tame the your high energy puppy doodle?

Thanks so much!

Andy, Erica, and Khloe

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Our guys get really "playful" in the evening after dinner....no matter how much exercise they've had during the day.  I play with them, throwing a soft ball or squeaky toy for awhile, and then I get up and say "all done".  I put the toys away and tell them to lie down.  This is where training a solid down/stay is so helpful.  If they get up and try to come back to play again, I just verbally correct and walk them right back to where I originally told them to lie down.  It becomes a routine....you control the play and rest times. 

[Marie and Hoka]

Jane, This is what we need to start doing. Hoka is NEVER tired.  He is a good boy, (not nippy, doesn't destroy stuff) but he is such a busy body.  He will keep jumping on and off our bed or the couch with his squeaky toy- he plays fetch by himself if you do not assist! 

At some point I need to take things away and turn out the lights.

Even though he is only 9 months I have started taking him for a bit of a jog.  I am short and run super slow so it is just a bit of a trot for him.  It makes him super happy. He is really good on the leash, so it is easy enough.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Geesh, just re-read my response on page one. I hope I didnt sound too sarcastic. My apologies if you read it that way too. It was not meant that way.

 I was just laughing at the memories I had back in those days when I didnt know it was going to take so much to have a puppy again.  My pup was more than most.  I compared him to other dogs we met along the way and he took the prize for energy.  But here is the other version--I miss those days.

Just this year things have begun to change. Gone are the hectic days and the exhaustion that sometimes come with puppy ownership.  Gone are the days when he demanded so much of my time.  Now, I demand some of his time.   I worry sometimes if my dog is doing okay.  Sure, he probably is doing just fine but he has slowed so much.  He is now 5.5 years old. 

Just a few minutes of fetch at a time is all he can tolerate.  We no longer need to run off his energy and it is easily managed.

He never used to cuddle. He was just too busy. Now, he seeks out whoever is taking a break. Whoever is napping ( we work some funny hours here in our home so it seems like someone is always in a bed)  My busy boy has become that dog that most think of when having a dog.  The loyal companion that is wherever you are. Always at your feet.  

Many days, I dread the aging.  It saddens me to see him slowing down.

Just know, you do need to give him some run time. He is a young healthy boy.  In years to come, he will give it all back to you and so much more in love and loyalty.  TV has re-runs. Dogs Dont

[Gail and Bailey]

Joanne....You just brought tears to my eyes with your statement   "TV has reruns. Dogs Don't." !

That hits a chord in all of us who have lost a dog.  

Hit the TV hold button and play with your sweet pup!  :)

[Marni and Hanna]

That comment hit my heart-strings too !!  love it !  ditto here! 

[Pam Thomas]

Zoomies. I laughed when I read about it before I had Jazzy-for about 5 weeks now. Every evening from 5-8 she is a wild dog. I can't wear her out. That is after playing with a dog twice her size all day. But she is a pup and has to have nap times. I guess I will just have to live with it. I go back to work tomorrow and she will be caged most of the day-I expect it to get worse.Joanne, thank you for that, you are right. Some day she or I will be too old to enjoy the craziness. I am going to enjoy every minute of it while I can!....Remind me of that, would you. lol