In this article, we are going to explore ways to get puppies to calm down that actually work. The methods and the strategies to calm down your puppy.
Below are some tips to get puppies to calm down that have worked for me so far:
- Practice patience with your puppy
- Establish a consistent routine
- Train your puppy to calm down
- Exercise and play with your puppy
- Offer as much attention as possible
Regardless of whether your puppy is of high energy breeds like the Labrador, puppies can be a lot to handle.
Do not get me wrong, they are adorable but also require a lot of your time. Well, if you just brought a puppy home, brace up as it is going to be fun and quite enjoyable.
However, sometimes it can get out of hand with overexcitement.
Some puppies bite when in this situation while others become destructive.
Read on to discover how to get puppies to calm down.
Causes Of An Unsettled Puppy
These may include the following:
- Presence of guests
- Overstimulation during play
- The sight of other puppies or dogs during walks
The presence of visitors in your house means that there is a new scent. For instance, Ariel, our Siberian Husky puppy, gets all restless when there is a guest.
She is young, and therefore yet to adapt to impulse control. However, over the past few months, I have learned how to get her to calm down.
Playing with your puppy is all fun and games until she gets overexcited. It can get out of hand quickly as overstimulation can trigger a puppy to bite hands or ankles.
Some dog owners have had incidences where their pups would pounce of their ankles whenever they tried to move.
Well, in this article, we are going to explore ways to get puppies to calm down that actually work.
Ways To Get Puppies To Calm Down
Once you bring your puppy home, he might be calm and quiet. This is normal because he is trying to adjust to the new environment.
Once he is comfortable running around and associating with you, his personality will show.
Some people compare the high energy puppy character to that of a toddler.
In my honest opinion, these two are nowhere near each other, in terms of taking care of them.
Your puppy will need consistent management.
As I mentioned above, we do have a Siberian Husky who is growing so fast. However, as we all know, this is a high energy dog breed.
Sometimes it is difficult to keep up with him but the above-outlined tips have helped keep him calm.
Practice Patience With Your Puppy
Puppies require a lot of patience to bring up. Unlike adult dogs, puppies want to explore every part of the house.
This can get destructive or breed to other undesirable behaviors such as biting hands during play or even ankles.
Well, when I say you should practice patience with your puppy, I do not mean allowing him to do these things.
I mean you should keep it in mind that he is only a puppy and learning even when addressing these behaviors.
For instance, do not yell or hit him when he destroys your stuff. It is going to happen as he learns that it is not acceptable.
Practice patience while teaching and handling your puppy.
Establish a Consistent Routine Immediately
This is the one thing I insist on! Develop a consistent routine with your puppy, even before he comes home.
Not only will this make it easier for you to feed, exercise, and spend time with your puppy, but it will help your puppy settle down.
Fortunately, they adapt to schedules really fast, when you remain consistent.
Ariel will know that something is up when we delay his mealtime. You will see him sniffing around his bowl, expecting someone to feed him.
This means that if I fail to feed him, he will get upset and perhaps stressed.
I mean, come up with a time table for your activities with your puppy. Feed him at the same time every day.
After all, they may lack the ability to comprehend the concept of surprises.
Include training, playing, and exercise time in your schedule. Remember that consistency is key.
Train your puppy to settle down
Training is key to puppy development. Most dog owners, including me, have had to get their puppies to calm down, even in unexpected situations.
For instance, Ariel is welcoming but not at first sight.
She gets distracted and a little fierce whenever the doorbell goes off. He will run and jump at the door and may not calm down until you take him to another room.
Well, I have spent time training him and it has been exciting. It is amazing how responsive puppies are in training.
It takes a few months, about 4-6 to train a puppy, and it must be kept consistent. I have taught Ariel how to settle down using a few tricks.
It all depends on the situation that is getting your puppy jumpy and riled up.
For instance, Ariel is not exactly welcoming to strangers. He would get really bothered and even pull the leash towards the door.
Do not get me wrong, he is accommodating once he gets to know you. Now, I have trained him a few phrases, and ‘sit’ has worked for me.
Whenever he gets too riled up, I tell him to sit and he does, giving me an opportunity to take control.
Training is one of the most effective ways to get puppies to calm down.
However, you must remain consistent with training and also reward your pup whenever he settles as you instruct him to.
It will encourage him to obey your commands.
Exercise And Play With Your Puppy
Besides good training sessions, exercising a puppy comes second. As mentioned above, you must set aside some time every day and exercise your pup.
This is regardless of whether he is a high energy breed or not. Dogs need physical and mental stimulation to keep them from engaging in undesirable habits.
You can run with your puppy for physical stimulation. Engage in your puppy’s favorite games for mental stimulation.
Also, get him interesting toys that will stimulate your puppy when you are not home.
Beware as you cannot leave a puppy alone for long periods. They are prone to stress and separation anxiety.
Make sure that you do not leave him for more than 8 hours in a day, even if he is in a crate. And only leave if you have to.
Pay As Much Attention As Possible
I will warn you that puppies require a lot of our attention. Ariel is crazy about attention and he will do anything to get it.
Well, I spend as much time as I can with him, to assure him of my affection.
When we are talking about offering puppies attention, this does not include play or exercise time. You must set aside some time to spend with your puppy every day.
For instance, you can watch a movie and let him sit beside you.
However, be sure not to encourage unacceptable behavior while offering him attention.
Most puppies will seek your attention through destructive or generally unacceptable behaviors.
I have had to deal with Ariel chewing shoes to get my attention, or when he got bored.
To make this stop, do not offer your pup attention when he is engaging in destructive behavior. For instance, some puppies will bark to get your attention.
Do not offer him the attention that he needs.
Instead, ignore him until he calms down, and only then can you pet him or reward him with a tasty treat.
Puppy Won’t Calm Down – Now What?
Sometimes it is difficult to get puppies to calm down. Well, you need to invest some time on your puppy and study his energy levels.
While the above outline methods will help you to get your pup to calm down, understand that energy levels vary from one pup to another.
You must be ready to keep up with your puppy.
However, try the following measures to get puppies to calm down completely:
Neuter your puppy
As time passes by, your puppy is maturing. This means that he is approaching his sexual maturity.
Now, whether you own a female or male dog, getting them fixed is going to help calm them down.
Talk to your vet on getting him neutered to minimize his jumpy and excessive energy nature.
Feed him well
If your puppy can’t seem to settle down, it is probably time to check on what you feed him.
I urge dog owners to check on the amount and contents of the food they offer their puppies.
You may need to increase the amount of food you feed him with time. As your puppy grows, he might need the feeding schedule fixed.
Once again, study his energy levels and watch how he feeds.
Increase exercise time
Energy levels in puppies vary from one to another. However, when your puppy won’t settle down even after exercising him, it could be that it is not enough.
As he grows older, he will have an increased amount of energy as well.
As a result, the normal 1-hour exercise time might not be enough. Some puppies need about 90-120 minutes to burn pent up energy.
Consider increasing exercise time to get your pup to calm down.
If you cannot be able to walk and exercise your dog as much, you can always hire a dog walker to help you out.
Introduce him to other people and pets
Does your pup get riled up when you have guests? It could be that he has poor socialization skills.
Well, it is common especially for pet owners who live alone.
It means that your puppy does not get to interact with anyone or anything else apart from you.
If your puppy won’t settle down, it is probably a good idea to introduce him to people and maybe other pets.
Do some research and see if you can get a pup playdate in your local area.
Use rewards
Puppies train better when you use rewards. It is because they only understand one concept: certain behaviors come with positive outcomes.
Thus, when training your pup, use this concept as well. Only reward him when he settles down to reinforce the training.
However, sometimes you may not have the time to train your dog consistently.
Remember that if it is not consistent, it might take longer to train a puppy.
Consider getting a dog trainer to help you with puppy training.
How To Get 2 Puppies To Calm Down
Puppies are absolutely joyful and quite a delight to own. However, they have high energy levels, which makes them a handful.
Now, when you have two puppies with high energy capacity, you have got a problem.
Let us look at some of the most effective methods to get two puppies to calm down:
Provide own resources
While puppies enjoy the company of each other, it can get messy when they are fighting for resources.
Do not assume that it would be a good idea to feed them together.
Instead, get your own resources and supplies for each one.
Partially separate your puppies
Sometimes two puppies can engage in a fight when left alone together.
You must observe them and notice how they relate to each other.
Do they fight or bite each other? If so, separate them for some time.
This is a common occurrence when you have two puppies who are yet to be acquainted with each other.
Tire them out
As I have repeatedly mentioned, puppies have a lot of energy. Due to this fact, it can be difficult to get them to settle down.
However, how much exercise do they get?
It could be that they have pent up energy which they are trying to emit and thus it gets difficult to keep calm.
Ensure that they get as much exercise as they can handle. Tire them out, especially prior to bedtime, to get them to calm down.
When puppies are tired, they will want to settle and relax.
Conclusion
In general, puppies have higher energy levels than adult dogs. For this reason, most dog owners struggle to get their puppies to calm down.
However, the above tips should help you tone it all down.
Sometimes, however, you must be able to keep with the high energy levels.
Make sure that your puppy is well exercises, for at least an hour every day.
Also, do not forget to interact with him. It is important to spend time playing with or petting your puppy.
This will help you form a strong bond with him.
