Author Topic: Over Excited or a Bigger Problem?  (Read 1771 times)

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Offline Trigger

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Over Excited or a Bigger Problem?
« on: October 30, 2020, 02:52:54 PM »
Hi All,

First time posting and I am in need of some advice.

I have a 11 month old male, intact, Cocker Spaniel (Trigger).

For the most part he is a great family pet and any behavioural issues or training I have been able to get round, however he is (in my opinion) showing signs of over being over stimulated.

Examples -
Normally I walk him alone but if my children come with me he barks for literally the whole time and appears frenzied, I distract him by throwing a ball but then he starts barking for the ball (the ball is his highest value treat that he chooses over any toy or food). This is the same if we walk with friends and there dogs.

Other instances where he acts like this include when people come around, barking reduces but he wont settle, even if we have guests for hours he is rushing round demanding attention and being hyper active.

When walking in new areas on lead he will pull a lot more and again becomes hyper active.


I exercise him circa 1 hr per day with most of this being off the lead and he does see other dogs and is really well behaved. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Offline Mari

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Re: Over Excited or a Bigger Problem?
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2020, 04:53:21 PM »
Welcome!

Sounds overexcited (but normal). I would be careful when choosing the type of activities you do with him before, and during these situations. Remember to exercise his brain and teach him focus. If you need to distract him when getting he is getting hyper, a ball is NOT a good tool for the job. It is a fun activity, but it is also the type of activity that raises stress levels. You need to give him calming alternatives in these settings.

For walks, I would maybe consider adding in some obedience training here and there. Asking for simple obedience exercises and rewarding that is much less stress-inducing than ball throwing. You could also try some short walks with your kids where he is on the leash and you ignore him unless he behaves. Just change the expectations to calm his excitement to a more manageable level.

When having guests over. Try working out his brain before the visit. Hide treats and have him search for them. Nose-work and puzzle-solving are calming activities. The same goes for walks on lead where he can "read the newspaper" instead of playing all the time. You can also try giving him a chew or a stuffed kong to distract him when guests have sat down. Chewing is calming for dogs.

If you don't want him to demand attention all the time then you will probably need to work with your guests. They should ignore him when you want him to settle. You can use a lead for this too. When you feel like he needs to calm down you can put a lead on him and show stop him from running around until he settles. Sometimes they just need to be reminded to calm down and settle.

Running off lead and playing with a ball is great, but will raise stress levels. It's helpful to know activities that lower stress too and balance out the day :) Very typical cocker "problem", they are just so happy they bubble over and we need to help them find a balance  :005: