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!!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Pfft, on Head to Tail.  I've used something similar to this product on doodles that have come to stay with me in foster care that are over the top with grief and anxiety. It doesnt work.

What works for your Happy Boy is exercise.  Not all at once exercise either.   We went out every hour and played fetch for ten minutes.  Now, that works.  Often we went to an empty lot with a ball launcher and really ran him, but that once and hour, for ten minutes was the charm in this instance. 

I have your Hank, and he is now 6.5 years old. Happy, Happy, Happy. I love that I made it through those times because now I have a dog that is still full of life and keeps me active and happy myself. It will really lesson over the years but now you have to find an outlet.  Frankly, I think you are lucky to have such a dog that loves life

[Christy&Riley]

We found the 10 minute hard exercise to be the key for Riley. If we don't, she starts testing my patience when I try to take her for quick potty breaks or walks. My husband did this every hour on a Sat afternoon when he was working outside and Riley was zonked out for days. :-). Inside she loves to play hide and seek. (Usually my husband hides and she looks for him. It is a riot to watch them. Like two little kids. I also hide her toys to keep her thinking.)

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I'll second all the other suggestions but also add that just taking him with you places and riding in the car can tire him out as well.  Anywhere he can go take him.  Petsmart, lowes, home depot, garden centers, to dinner on outdoor restaurant patios.  Use all these as training opportunities as well.

[Jessica, Loki and Moose]

I would invest in a Chuck-it tennis ball thrower. My older doodle is sleeping after ten minutes of walking but my puppy is crazy! Nothing tires him out faster than playing ball with the chuck it because it makes him run so much farther- which makes me a happy dog mom!

[Amy and Annabelle]

We like the Chuck-it frisbee too. Annabelle has learned to catch that one, whereas she hasn't with the others we have. I think they were just too hard for her. We have the ball thrower too and a few of the balls we already had fit in there.

[Brent Lang]

My Doodle is 15 months.  She's also extremely high energy.  I describe it as "she's always on".  I'm hoping that as she gets older, it decreases a bit.

I feel no matter how much I have her outside to play, within 10-15 minutes, she's right back to full energy.

[Lois Maturo]

I have a two year old (today) labradoodle.  He has definitely calmed down. But exercise is the key.  We walk two to three miles a day. I have a fenced in yard and he is out there too. The chuck it is the best. If we don't exercise he is full of it at night. 

[Amy and Annabelle]

A ball that we really like if you don't have a ball thrower is the West Paw Air Boz. The lady at the pet store said they were new. Even if you are a lousy ball thrower like me, that one will go pretty far.

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

My baby-girl just turned four yesterday and she is really high strung, if she had it her way she would have me playing 24/7!  She's had separation anxiety from the beginning and I really think that is the main contributor to her need to be busy.  She hasn't calmed down but we have come to a mutual understanding.  If there is a plate or popcorn bowl on my lap it's break time!  BUT as soon as either leave my lap the ball or toy is replacing it.  

Walking does nothing for her but charge her more, as soon as we get home she gets the zoomies for 30-45 minutes before calming down?  We try to hit the dog park 3-5 times a week (obviously we get more time in the summer months), swimming is an excellent way to burn energy.  The dog beach is great cuz she gets to run free and run in and out of the water (our dog beach is minimum a 90 minute walk from one end and back).  

If you have anything local like agility, freeball, the lure course or some other activity that's great for both human and dog?  We play outside for a bit when I get home light or dark (damned if she can't track a ball and catch it in the dark?) then after dinner I toss a toy or ball till bedtime down the hall (the couch is strategically placed for best throwing distance). We also have the luxury of two dogs so they at times keep each other busy.  Our new cat has been helpful too she likes to play hide and seek with Sassy and keeps her on her toes throughout the day.  I can say even though she hasn't calmed down she's not as frantic about playing like she used to be, if that makes sense?  Good luck.

[Jolene, Sassparilla & Josie]

Side note, my girls has a heart murmur so during our dog park runs I don't throw the ball distancewise so she's running all the time instead I toss it high in the air and she has to track it which she is really good at if I do say so myself.  I think the mental concentration in tracking is enough to tire her out.  This has also proven helpful when other dogs want to join in and chase her ball.  We use the chuck it and as soon as my arm goes down the other dogs start running then I throw the ball high in the air and she's able to get it and bring it back to me.  We play longer, usually a couple hours, but she's pooped by the time we are ready to leave.

[Joyce (Casey & Cody's mom)]

My boys are now 2 ½ years old and have finally have begun to slow down - but only a little. They still have plenty of energy. I am thankful that we made the decision to have 2 because they have always been great playmates and keep each other company. When we don't have the energy to play or go for a walk, they have each other to chase and tussle with. We also have a huge, fenced back yard that gives them plenty of space to run. Usually by evening, they are ready to just cuddle while we watch TV.