How do you calm a hyperactive dog?

Most so-called "hyperactive" dogs are mainly under-stimulated mentally, not ill. Add some thinking (scent work, chewing, little tricks), teach him quiet times at home, and above all don't run him into the ground physically: that just makes him fitter. If the agitation is sudden or extreme despite all this, speak to a vet or a behaviourist.

How do you keep a dog busy?

With activities that work the mind: hiding treats for him to search out, a stuffed activity toy when you head out, chews suited to him, a new trick to learn. Alternate physical and mental exercise rather than piling on the miles.

How do you tire a dog out quickly?

Through the nose. A few minutes of the "search" game often tires him more than an hour of running: let him smell a treat, say "search", mark the find with a "yes!" and reward him. Finish on a success, in a matter of minutes.

My dog has the evening zoomies, what should I do?

These mad moments almost always signal a build-up of surplus energy. An extra 20-30 min outing with plenty of sniffing, then learning rest times at home, is often enough. If it comes back every evening, rethink what goes into the walks rather than their length.

Exercising and occupying your dog

Training & behaviourPart of · Training & behaviour

Exercising and occupying your dog

Q: How do you keep a bored dog busy when it's raining?

Scatter kibble to search for around the living room, offer a cup game, a lick mat under supervision, or teach him a trick. Mental exercise doesn't require going out and tires him just as much.

Q: Is the ball a good way to exercise a dog?

In moderation, yes: it's fun and it builds a bond. But thrown to excess, it winds up arousal and can turn into an obsession. Ration it (roughly once a week), and always round it off with scent work and chewing.

8 min read

The head tires as much as the legs

Making your dog think often tires him as much as pure physical exercise, sometimes more: sorting through smells, rummaging, searching on his own, all of that takes real concentration. Running him into the ground, on the other hand, mainly makes him fitter, and he asks for more the very next day. Sniffing games actually improve his frame of mind: a 2019 study measured it, comparing dogs allowed to search for treats over two weeks with dogs that only walked to heel. And a dog who sleeps a lot during the day is not necessarily a bored dog: he is recovering.

Tire your dog out in a few minutes, using his nose

The nose is the dog's dominant sense. Getting him to search is the easiest mental workout to set up: it works for every dog, even a senior, a dog recovering from illness or a reactive one.

Park your dog somewhere while you hide the treat

If he watches you hide the treat, there is nothing left for him to find. Have him wait in another room, ask someone to hold him, or put him in a “stay” if you have already worked on it.

Hide a treat somewhere easy

Pick a simple spot: the edge of a rug, against the foot of a piece of furniture. Not too visible, or he has nothing to search for, and not too well hidden, or he gives up. Keep a second identical treat in your hand: that will be his reward when he gets there.

Let him sniff the treat, then release him on “search”

Go and fetch him, let him sniff the treat you kept in your hand (without giving it to him: he is learning the scent to follow), say “search!” and let him go. Indoors, let him rummage freely; outdoors, keep him on a long line so he cannot take off. Do not show him the hiding place, let his nose do the work.

Mark the find, then reward

Say your marker word, a short word that never changes (“yes!”) and tells him “that is exactly it”, right at the moment he finds the hidden treat. Give him straight away the one you kept in your hand.

5 to 10 minutes is plenty

Make it harder little by little

Once he succeeds three or four times in a row without hesitating, step it up: several hiding places at once, another room, then outdoors. Always finish on a clear success, so he wants to do it again.

Two or three short sessions across the week beat one long run of them on the same day: that is how he learns best. A 2011 study showed it: dogs trained once or twice a week made better progress than dogs trained every day.

Keeping him busy, moment by moment

When you leave

A hollow chew toy, filled with a spoonful or two of wet food or soft cheese, brought out only as you leave and put away when you get back: your absence becomes a good moment for him. You can freeze it once filled, it will last longer.
Something to chew that is tough enough not to break into shards, and sized to his mouth (too small and he could swallow it). Avoid cooked bone, which splinters. Supervise him the first few times.
Put the interactive toys away, the tug rope, the tug toy, the ball: keep them for the moments when you play together.

When it rains and there is no outing

Scatter a handful of kibble over a rug or across the living room: he searches, he rummages, he unwinds.
A little homemade thinking game: hide a treat under one of three upturned cups, shuffle them, then let him search. When he points out the right one with his nose or a paw, lift the cup and give him the treat.
Give him a lick mat spread with a thin layer of wet food, unsalted vegetable purée, or soft cheese, under supervision.
Teach him a new little trick: thinking is tiring too.

A senior, recovering or reactive dog

Scent work is the ideal outlet for them: it takes almost no physical effort, and you adjust the difficulty as you like.
Offer short sessions, in the cool of the day, with water within paw's reach.
After an injury or an operation, it is your vet who gives the go-ahead for play to start again.

When it boils over at the end of the day

It is often the sign of too much pent-up energy: add a 20 to 30 minute outing, with time to sniff.
Teach him to settle: reward him with a treat when he is calm on his mat or in his bed, do not answer the demands that escalate (he barks, he drops a toy in your lap), and offer him something quiet in the evening, such as a bit of chewing.
If it happens every evening, rethink what goes into the outings rather than building more stamina.

The ideas that sound good but are not

Running him into the ground for a bit of peace: you build an unstoppable dog whose demands only grow.
Throwing the ball endlessly: the repetition ramps up his arousal and can tip into obsession. Keep it for rare occasions, never as a daily ritual.
Giving him a stick or a piece of wood as a toy: splinters lodge in his gums, hurt his mouth, and if he swallows a piece it can go as far as perforating his gut. Choose a chew toy designed for the job.
Flooding the house with toys: if they are always available, none of them really interests him any more. Rotate them: put some away, bring them back out two weeks later, and the appeal returns.
Telling him off when you get home, or shutting him alone in a room when he gets wound up: it feeds his anxiety without meeting any need.

Duranton & Horowitz — Let me sniff! Nosework induces positive judgement bias in pet dogs (2019)
Demant H. et coll. — The effect of frequency and duration of training sessions on acquisition and long-term memory in dogs, Applied Animal Behaviour Science (2011)
Krontveit et al. — Housing- and exercise-related risk factors for canine hip dysplasia (2012)

Going further

guideTeaching your dog to stay home aloneA well-exercised dog copes far better with your absences: the natural next step towards calm departures.Read the guide guideChewing and destruction (especially when I leave)Shredded cushions and mischief often come from energy with nowhere to go: how to understand it, and put it right.Read the guide guide"Find it!" (scent work)Your dog's nose is a goldmine of mental tiredness: a search game that is simple to set up at home.Read the guide guideWhen my dog barks too muchA bored dog often speaks up by barking: giving him something to do changes everything.Read the guide guideThe foundations: teaching a trick with rewardsLearning a trick is play and mental tiredness at once: the basics to get started.Read the guide guideGetting your dog's attentionA dog who can focus on you gets far more out of every game: the first thing to work on.Read the guide

Frequently asked questions

How do I calm a hyperactive dog?

Many so-called “hyperactive” dogs are mostly under-stimulated mentally, not ill. Add thinking to his days (scent work, chewing, little tricks), teach him to settle (reward calm, do not answer the demands that escalate), and above all do not run him into the ground: that only makes him fitter. If the restlessness stays sudden or extreme despite all this, talk to your vet or a behaviourist.

How do I keep my dog occupied?

With activities that make his head work: treats hidden for him to find, a filled enrichment toy when you leave, suitable things to chew, a new trick to learn. Alternate physical and mental work rather than piling on the miles.

How do I tire my dog out quickly?

Through the nose. A few minutes of the “search” game often tires him more than an hour of running: let him sniff a treat, say “search!”, mark the find with a “yes!” and reward straight away. Finish on a success, within a few minutes.

How do I keep a bored dog busy when it rains?

Scatter kibble to be found across the living room, offer a cup game, a lick mat under supervision, or teach him a trick. Mental work needs no outing, and it tires him just as much.

My dog has mad half-hours in the evening, what should I do?

These mad half-hours often signal too much pent-up energy. An extra 20 to 30 minute outing, with time to sniff, then teaching calm at home, is usually enough. If it comes back every evening, rethink what goes into the walks rather than how long they last.

Is the ball a good way to exercise a dog?

In moderation, yes: it is fun and it builds your bond. But thrown endlessly, it ramps up his arousal and can tip into obsession. Keep it for rare occasions, never as a daily ritual, and always round it out with scent work and chewing.

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