High (Extremely High!) Energized Doodle!

[Karen]

I have an 8 month old Goldendoodle, Hank, that we can't seem to exhaust!  I will say when he goes to daycare (once a week) he is so exhausted that he can barely keep his eyes open at the end of the day.  If I could afford 2-3 days a week at daycare, we would all love it. However, reality says once a week is pushing it.  Never thought I'd ever pay for doggie daycare but we do.

So, when Hank is not in daycare, he gets 2 walks a day (1/2 hour & 1 hour).  He goes the doggie park and play and swim 2-3 times a week.  These activities will tire him out for a bit and then he comes back to life, roams (shark like!) and tries to find trouble! Hank gets in a lot of trouble taking whatever he can either to destroy or just to be chased!!

I was recently told about "Head to Tail" so any advise on that would be great.

Advice greatly appreciated!!

[Lynda Kamrath]

It will slow down as he ages, but think of it this way - he has definitely increased your activity level.  So Hank is doing his job of getting more exercise for you.  Would you be out walking an hour and a half a day without him?  Our dogs definitely keep us busy also, and now that we are retired and "empty nesters", it is just what the doctor ordered.  Enjoy!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I'm not sure what "Head to Tail" is, so I can't comment on that, but I think Hank is just a really high energy Doodle who at 8 months is entering his "teenage" phase.  That's an age where they seem to get "full of themselves" and when it's so important to start a formal obedience training program.  They get just as tired (if not more) from mental stimulation as from physical exercise.  When he gets to the point where he's over excited and taking or destroying things he shouldn't have, it's time for some training or some crate time.  Try to remember when he's allowed to "get into trouble" he's practicing and reinforcing behaviors you want to avoid.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

When he was young, my standard doodle really needed more physical activity than leash walks could provide, he really needed to run off-leash every day. Fetch in the fenced backyard when weather permitted, playdates with other young neighborhood dogs his size, and/or a modified form of fetch indoors. Indoor games of "hide and seek" were recommended to me by a trainer, but he never really got into that. Some dogs do, though. And I second Jane's advice about training sessions, 10 minutes of working on obedience commands does tire them out. 

[Lori, Daphne, Lucy & Pippa]

What is "Head to Tail"?

[Karen]

I have heard that people use this calming supplement for car travel, and stress-related problems.  My puppy has neither problem but it was just recommended for really high energy dogs.  It has chamomile and goji berries in it,  all natural ingredients.  I just thought someone on here may know something about this product.

I 

[Kaitlin and Ludo]

Is this the Head to Tail you were talking about?  Head To Tail Daily Supplement

I had not heard of it and am certainly not in a position to say if it does or does not work, but I personally would be really hesitant to start any sort of supplement without talking to my vet first. As an aside, it seems like these are more primarily meant for dogs with anxiety issues rather than just having lots of energy.  Again, I am certainly not the most well-versed person here to give an opinion on this, I just know that I would probably pass...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Whether or not it "works", it is "primarily meant for dogs with anxiety issues rather than just having lots of energy." I would pass, too. 

Would anyone here give a normal healthy toddler some OTC "calming" potion because he's got a lot of energy? 

[Amy and Annabelle]

I just googled Head to Tail and it specifically said it was for stress related behavior and will not affect your dogs energy level. So I still think wearing him out is your best bet. I bought Annabelle a cat toy with a catfish on a pole. She loves it and it really wears her out. She will chase it all over the house or jump up to try to catch it. I let her have once in awhile to keep her interested. I agree that training wears them out too. Annabelle was always so exhausted after training class.

[Karen]

Thank you everyone, I'll pass on the Head to Tail recommendation and continue to exercise/run him as much as we can! :)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If you have stairs in the house, having him chase a ball down from the upper level and bring it back up to you really tires them out, too. 

[Jessica, Loki and Moose]

This works great for my puppy!

[Jenny and Cooper]

Hank sounds a lot like my Cooper!  He LOVES to play with other dogs, so we would walk him to a nearby park and hope that his friend(s) shows up :)  We find that playing with other dogs does the trick and makes him really happy too.  Looks like you are doing great as far as keeping him active.  I have to say Cooper is a tad calmer than two months ago.  Just a tad but it's better than nothing! lol.  I'm taking the others advice here that they will calm down more as they age.  I truly believe it, just have to be patient and wait til our time comes! :)  Good luck with Hank!