# Hyper GS.... calming suggestions?



## TacomaGS (Mar 3, 2011)

Hey all, I'm pretty much at my wits end with my 4 year old dog... Everyone said she'd settle down some when she turned 3... 4... well, she's 4 and is compleltey nuts... I believe she has ADD of some sort. She is really, down right crazy, doesn't calm down at all. I take her to daycare for 8 hours, they let her play those 8 hours and she doesn't stop to rest... I'll pick her up and she'll sleep the 5 min in the car on the way home, and we get home, its like she never went to play. It almost seems like she has seperation anxiety also. I was told to try a herbal suppliment, but I wouldn't even know where to start, I was hoping maybe someone else had a dog like Tacoma who could possibly help me out some... I really don't know what to do, I Don't want to have to find her a new home, my parents are older and I work a full time job and I know their starting to find it difficult to handle her during the day. 

I just want her to be able to relax (she doesn't do that much, too worried about where I am...) She follows me around everywhere, Bathroom, and all...

Does anyone have any suggestions? At all?


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

How much mental exercise is she getting? 30 minutes of really making her think will tire her out more than 8 hours of playing.

Try spreading her meals out and making her search for them or feed her by doing obedience training and using her food as a reward. Do you do things with her one you get home? That could make a world of difference.

There are some calming aids you can use in the house such as a DAP plug in or Rescue Remedy but if she is just bored, they won't help. GSDs are so smart and need mental exercise or they get antsy.


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## TacomaGS (Mar 3, 2011)

Not a whole lot right now, she can't seem to sit still long enough, (hyper) We sent her out for 2 weeks of training, and she slept the 2 hours on the way home and was fine after that, back to being hyper... 

What are some good things to do to get her thinking?


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## Melgrj7 (Jul 5, 2009)

Get her a dog bed and teach her to stay on it when told. Down stays are great too. Some dogs you just have to make relax.


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

TacomaGS said:


> Not a whole lot right now, she can't seem to sit still long enough, (hyper) We sent her out for 2 weeks of training, and she slept the 2 hours on the way home and was fine after that, back to being hyper...
> 
> What are some good things to do to get her thinking?


Did they run down what they taught her when you sent her to training? You should be working on those things with her every day. 

Sit, down, stand, come, give paw. You can teach her targeting (touch your hand when you say "touch"). Like I mentioned, you can hide her meals in various spots and teach her to "find it". 

Is she being walked or is daycare considered her exercise? You have a German Shepherd. They are not the kind of dog that can be shipped off to daycare and then ignored the rest of the night. They need interaction from their pack and mental stimulation every day.


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

Aside from playing in daycare you didn't mention your daily walk routine. My dogs have been cooped up for the winter becuase of the ice. I just started taking them back out for walks a few weeks ago. Maybe you could try a more rigerous activity. I take my dogs out with my mountain bike in the trails, they jog I peddal we all get plenty of exercise.


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## TacomaGS (Mar 3, 2011)

In winter it's kind of hard to get her out and really doing anything outside, Nothing on her side, it's on me... The cold and I do not work well together, and it messes with my health so I have to be careful about going outside and minimal exposure to the cold the better... Spring and summer it's DAILY when we go out for an hour or two walk or run... plays ball frequently.

Just during winter or when we can't get outside she just goes nuts... and the vet even said she had an issue with separation anxiety is there anything you can do for that?


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Things to do inside for mental stimulation

1) Dog Treat Puzzles Nina Ottosson dog puzzles and dog games
2) Everlasting Treat Ball
3) Kong with peanut butter in it
4) A device that dispenses a new toy every hour (saw it on an episode of "It's Me or The Dog")


This is the Everlasting Treatball









Things to outside and inside

Play Hide and Seek or Find It

I play "hide n seek" with my GSD. I'll tell him to go sit in his crate in my room and then I'll hide somewhere else in the house and yell out "ok" to release him and he comes looking for me.

We also play "find it" with treats. I have him go sit in his kennel while I drag a treat on the ground creating a scent trail and then I'll hide it out of sight. I'll yell out "find it!" and then he comes out and sniffs the ground and follows the trail until he finds it. 

We play another form of "find it" too. I have him go sit in his kennel and wait and I take all the shoes in the house and scatter them around, I put the treat in one shoe and he has to find which shoe it is. But I have him check every single shoe until he finds it.


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## TacomaGS (Mar 3, 2011)

LaRen616 said:


> Things to do inside for mental stimulation
> 
> 1) Dog Treat Puzzles Nina Ottosson dog puzzles and dog games
> 2) Everlasting Treat Ball
> ...



She has one of those everlasting treat balls, apparently ever lasting means 5 min... she had it out of the ball and gone in 5 minutes... She's too smart for her own good.


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## Kris10 (Aug 26, 2010)

TacomaGS said:


> In winter it's kind of hard to get her out and really doing anything outside, Nothing on her side, it's on me... The cold and I do not work well together, and it messes with my health so I have to be careful about going outside and minimal exposure to the cold the better... Spring and summer it's DAILY when we go out for an hour or two walk or run... plays ball frequently.
> 
> Just during winter or when we can't get outside she just goes nuts... and the vet even said she had an issue with separation anxiety is there anything you can do for that?


So she is better during the spring or summer when you are able to walk her? I think you just answered your question. She requires a lot of exercise and when it is cold that exercise decreases. I agree with what was said above about exercising her mentally and being creative about coming up with games that are fun for you both that can be done inside. 
Also there are some folks on the forum that have had success with training their dog to walk on a treadmill!


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Kris10 said:


> So she is better during the spring or summer when you are able to walk her? I think you just answered your question. She requires a lot of exercise and when it is cold that exercise decreases. I agree with what was said above about exercising her mentally and being creative about coming up with games that are fun for you both that can be done inside.
> *Also there are some folks on the forum that have had success with training their dog to walk on a treadmill!*


YES!

My GSD got on the treadmill all by himself. I only put him on the treadmill when it is too cold for both of us to walk outside though.


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## TacomaGS (Mar 3, 2011)

Kris10 said:


> So she is better during the spring or summer when you are able to walk her? I think you just answered your question. She requires a lot of exercise and when it is cold that exercise decreases. I agree with what was said above about exercising her mentally and being creative about coming up with games that are fun for you both that can be done inside.
> Also there are some folks on the forum that have had success with training their dog to walk on a treadmill!


She's a LITTLE better in the warmer weather... but not much... No matter that I do she just never seems to lower her energy level... last summer we went on a 2-3 hour walk every night and it didn't seem to do anything but get her more fired up... We've been starting into getting back into the swing of things - starting out on walks then runs... I think tonight might be our first attempt at a run... we'll see... I just have to find something!

Treadmill seems like a great idea... unfortunately we don't have one lol


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## Kris10 (Aug 26, 2010)

LaRen616 said:


> YES!
> 
> My GSD got on the treadmill all by himself. I only put him on the treadmill when it is too cold for both of us to walk outside though.


That's so cool! I am so mad that when we moved last we kept the elliptical and let the new owners keep the treadmill (it is a PITA to move one). This was before we got Max. Now if anyone has a video on their GSD on an elliptical I would like to see it! :laugh:


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

Walking does absolutely nothing for my dogs. When we first moved into this house almost 20yrs ago, I started taking my pup out with the horses. I was very regimented then, the horses & the pup had to get out everyday. It worked for us, every dog I have had has gone out with my horses. Unfortunately I retired my old horse, my other horse is a little to flightly for the dogs. So back in 2005 I started taking the bicycle out on the trails. It's a lot easier on my knee too.


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## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

As fun as things like fetch are for the dog, they are NOT the type of exercise that is going to satisfy a driven GSD. It sounds like your dog just needs a "job." Daycare definitely is not exercise, either. It's fun/play (or with some dogs, stress!). 

I have a very high energy GSD and it takes a lot to keep him calm and happy. During the summer, we do agility, walks/runs, and I also bike with him. We also do a lot of obedience training (and, of course, fun things like fetch, camping, etc.). He also requires daily off leash time so he can truly run some of that energy off... there's no way I'd keep up... he's FAST). During the winter, we continue the walks/runs but also do skijoring (cross country skiing with the dog pulling you). I am not a winter person by any means, but my GSDs have taught me to appreciate winter more fully. I live in Northern WI and the temperatures are frequently below zero. Some mornings, my nostrils are practically freezing shut but I know if I don't excercise my dog, he won't be happy. Not his fault: mine. It's a sacrifice I make to own this wonderful breed!

If you simply cannot bring yourself to excercise him in the winter, it's time to look at paying a dedicated dog walker (preferably one willing/able to run with your dog). Also look at enrolling in obedience classes to get rid of some of that excess mental energy. 

It sounds like he's not getting enough exercise in the summer, either, so I'd look at doing some of the activities I mentioned above (biking, running, agility, etc.) in the summer, as well.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

those 'everlasting treat balls', last about 2 seconds with masi She pops the treat out and it's history.


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## lrodptl (Nov 12, 2009)

There is an active thread on diets with grains and hyperactivity. Read post #6.

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/diet-nutrition/153232-grain-free-food-less-energy.html


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

gsdraven said:


> How much mental exercise is she getting? 30 minutes of really making her think will tire her out more than 8 hours of playing.


:thumbup: How much time do you spend training her each day? Do you reinforce calm behavior? Try this book: Amazon.com: Chill Out Fido!: How to Calm Your Dog (Dogwise Training Manual) (9781929242634): Nan Kene Arthur: Books

There are step by step exercises you can do with her. I have a pretty drivey little working line girl (my first working line shepherd) who would run until she killed herself at the park, but she has no trouble settling down around the house. Some of that is probably a genetic "off switch", but I also EXPECT my dogs to chill out at home, and don't cater to them by constantly engaging them in some activity or other. I also start training right away, so they learn impulse control from a very young age. Being calm works to get them what they want, being a spaz means that I ignore them and wait for them to calm down.


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Lots of good advice so far-- Stosh is pretty calm and mellow so I don't have that many hints, but when he has the evening zoomies I play tug for about 15 mins, then have him do doggie push ups- sit, down, sit, down, etc. We started herding lessons and nothing has worn him out mentally like herding, but it's just not feasible for a lot of locations and schedules. You might try starting NILIF with her and tethering her to you so she has to think about every movement and realize you're in charge. Something to get her mind going because you're right, you can't wear them out physically


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## Sasha's Dad (Feb 22, 2011)

TacomaGS said:


> I just want her to be able to relax (she doesn't do that much, too worried about where I am...) She follows me around everywhere, Bathroom, and all...


I may have misread what you are saying, is her being hyper described as following you everywhere? I presume not, but as far as following you about, that is what most GSD's do. They are taking care of pack business. Now, the bathroom is a magical place for dogs and cats.... and kids too.... They just KNOW that you have a secret exit from that room and they are going to catch you in the act one way or another, and will watch you EVERY TIME till they do.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

TacomaGS said:


> Not a whole lot right now, she can't seem to sit still long enough, (hyper) We sent her out for 2 weeks of training, and she slept the 2 hours on the way home and was fine after that, back to being hyper...
> 
> What are some good things to do to get her thinking?


That's part of the problem. If I send my smart dog off to an EXPERIENCED trainer, my smart dog learns tons and will come back to the same 'stupid'  owner handler. Cause dog training is only about 20% what the dog learns and the rest is about what going on at the other end of the leash. 

When I got a GSD, it was almost like getting a child. Meaning I had to CHANGE MY LIFE. Get out the calendar and SCHEDULE masses of time for me and my dog. So when I get home from work, I put on my play clothes and pack the dog in the car to go to dog classes. Or put on my play clothes and pack my dog for a 5 mile offleash hike. I go canoeing, to friends homes, to herd, to flyball, to obedience, teach my dogs tricks.... whatever it takes to take that edge off my dog.

This is the stuff I have to do with my PUPPIES, so you can see how with an adult dog you have to step it up!


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