It is time for a walk. When you pick up the leash, your dog gets so excited that their whole body starts wiggling, they are running around the corridor in circles and barking like crazy. They look so happy like they haven’t been outside in years! For you though, it is not the most pleasant experience, especially when you have to go through it every single time when you take your dog for a walk. What to do when your dog is overly excited for a walk?
1. Initiate playtime before a walk
One of the most common reasons for overly excited dogs is not enough daily exercise. Playing with your dog for 15 minutes before going out, will tire them a bit and therefore, reduce their energy level. It can be playing fetch, thug, or even mental stimulation training like learning new Dogo tricks or providing interactive toys. After the short playtime session, your dog will most probably behave calmer and be less excited for a walk.
2. Practice basic obedience commands
Incorporate basic obedience training in your daily routine to be able to easily ask your dog for ‘’Sit’’ while you clip their lead on. Your dog should understand that if they want to go for a walk, they need to sit politely and wait for your further signals. Try out Dogo trick ‘’Put on a leash’’ to quickly teach your dog to remain in the seated position before going out. Don’t forget to praise and give them a tasty treat for being such a good pup. Start with mastering the ‘sit’ command and gradually move on to other commands like ‘stay’, ‘come’, ‘heel’, and ‘down’. Consistency is key when it comes to obedience training. Practice these commands every day for a few minutes and gradually increase the difficulty level. You can also enroll your dog in obedience classes to help them learn new skills and behaviors.
Regular basic obedience training will make your life easier not only when your dog is overly excited for a walk. It will help in other situations as well. You can ask your dog to sit when serving the food, before petting or opening the doors. This way your dog will associate ‘’Sit’’ with good things and they will eagerly repeat it.
3. Don’t encourage unwanted behavior
Make sure that your reaction is adequate for your dog’s behavior. Don’t chase the dog with the leash when they run around the house out of excitement. Stay calm, don’t engage with them – no playing, no talking to them, no petting because they didn’t deserve it. Put down the lead and walk away. Wait until your dog settles down and ask for ‘’Come’’ and ‘’Sit’’ with a calm voice. What you are teaching them is that being overly excited makes you walk away and staying still leads to enjoyable walks together. It’s important not to give in to your dog’s unwanted behavior, even if it’s tempting to play along. By ignoring the behavior, you’re teaching your dog that it’s not acceptable, and they won’t get the response they’re looking for. Consistency is key when it comes to training your dog, and it may take time for them to learn the desired behavior. Always remain calm and patient, and your dog will eventually learn to calm down.
4. Make your dog used to see their leash on other occasions
Your dog gets overly excited when you pick up their leash because it means only one thing – walkie! Try to make the message less obvious for them by using the leash many times during the day, not only for clipping it to the collar as a clear signal for a walk. Pick up the leash and move it to a different place, hold it for some time and walk with it throughout the house. Thanks to this, your four-pawed friend won’t have a strong reason to get excited over the leash. Be patient though, it might take a while until your dog stops reacting so intensively seeing it.
Focus on the goal
Calming down your overly excited dog seems like a great challenge but if you follow the steps above, we can assure you that it will get better over time. The key to tame your fluffy devil is a discipline in daily training, clear signals and rewards for the desired behavior and a proper amount of physical and mental exercise. Make sure you provide enough of those and enjoy having a calmer, well-behaving dog.
Remember that training your dog takes time and patience. Don’t get discouraged if your dog doesn’t learn a new command right away or if they continue to display unwanted behavior. Keep practicing and remain consistent in your approach. With time, your dog will learn to be calmer and better behaved. The key is to stay focused on your goals and be consistent in your training approach.
Do you need a hand in training? Enroll in the Dogo Basic Obedience program and learn how to gentle your fluffy friend’s temperament and improve your relationship.
