Need Help Controlling Hyper Dog! (Really Really Hyper!!!)?

Question

I have a labrador retriever for about half a year and it is really hyper. She is always jumping on me and when I try to walk it, she run and like tries to power over the chain, (example my leash is 3 feet, at the end of the 3 feet she tries to keep going, ending up choking herself, but she keeps on going) when she was younger she was not like this.

[Also a couple minutes ago I was trying to walk her and she broke the chain leash and took off, so I had to chase her down.]

My question is:

- Is there any food I can feed her that would calm her down? (I heard something over the radio that helps calm the dog down)

- Or is there any tips/tricks to help calm the dog down?

Answer 1

No, there is no food that will calm her down, however any good quality food or "Raw Feed" diet is beneficial.  She is probably not getting enough exercise.  I have a German Shepherd who is BORED to tears if I walk him even several blocks.  So I run him for 4-6 miles a day, and he is then pretty mellow.  However if I'm sick and can't run him for a few days he will sometimes get hyper.  That is why its important to keep up DAILY exercise.  There are different level energy of people, and the same is true for dogs.  

There are some tips you can use for getting her to walk better on the lead.  

TRAINING TECHNIQUE:  Start out with the dog by your side, hold the end of the leash in both hands (by the loop) and begin walking.  As soon as the dog begins to forge ahead (and BEFORE the leash becomes tight) turn and walk the other way.  You will need to repeat this until she begins to walk with a loose lead by your side.  You'll notice she will probably begin to watch you more as well.  

TOOLS:  There are tools out there to help people walk their dog.  Many do not work, some work on some dogs and not others.  The most popular is the Halti-head collar.  You can purchase these off ebay.  There is a similar one calle Gentle Leader and there is a good walking harness called "Easy Leader"  

A word of caution tho.....if you use the above training method...DO NOT use that technique combined with the head collar or gentle leader collar.  It could cause injury.  It will not cause injury if you use a choke or flat collar.  

Answer 2

I would take obedience classes with her. Teach her who is boss (you of coarse) and teach her how to behave. You need her to know that there is a time to have lots and lots of fun and play and run and be hyper hyper hyper!!! BUT - there is also a time when she needs to calm down. Obedience would really help that I think. Good luck!

Answer 3

There is something that is called "Rescue Remedy" that you can get at health food stores. It does have a calming affect on some dogs.

You have a dog that needs a job! Give them something to do. Throw frisbees at the park, take it swimming in a nearby safe lake, play fetch with it.

I highly recommend you get your dog into a dog obedience class where it will learn more about dog etiquette. It isn't the dog's fault it hasn't learned this. It is up to us to teach them how we want them to live with us!

Having a dog takes some commitment to making sure all of its needs are met. This one sounds like it needs more exercise and to understand the rules.  

Answer 4

No food is going to make a big difference in terms of lowering her energy level. If there is any that will, it isn't healthy. She is a dog bred to think and retreiver and go and go in the field all day. If your having trouble with a choke chain, get a trainer to work with you and show you how to properly use a prong collar to train her not to pull. It takes time, work, and consistancy. The prong collar is not for managment, its for training! Meaning you wean your dog off of it. I also suggest getting a 5 or 6 ft lead, give your dog a little room if shes just walking around the neighborhood. Try to give your dog excersize and mental stimulation before you go out for walks. Make sure you have met her both her physical and mental needs daily. A dog who has been satisfied mentally will be less destructive and hyper.

As for the jumping, thats not ok. She needs to learn all 4 feet stay on the ground. Turn your back to her and give her a clear and stern "Off!" and only pay her any attention when she is calm and on all 4s.

Answer 5

hiya she might be doing this because she is bored and has SOO much energy and you might not be letting her work it all off!

with her normal walks 2 x a day, mix it up, runs in the field PLUS 3 times a day for 15mins should be mental sitmulation plus toy play indoors!

and she Still might be raring to go after that!

labs are breed to retrieve and love water you could take her to local dog swimming lessons, and retriving lessons!

or teach her this at home!

a GREAT! game to play with doggies is this, dogs LOVE to use there nose and it is often the one thing owners do not train! so it gets missed out on *sniff!*

take your dog out of the room put him outside and **** the door so he cant see you.

chop up his FAV smelly treats hide them ALLL around the room under pillows on the floor any where you can think of.

bring her back in and tell her to sit & wait (assuming she knows the basics) while you have the 'smelly treats smell' on your hands put your hands close to her nose & let her smell them, then say 'FIND IT!!' and get alll excited! let her run round the room going mad finding the treats!

keep saying 'find it!!' untill they are all gone!!

my dog learnt this after 1 try!!!! its ALL of there fav games and so easy to teach the dog has lots of fun finding the toys! also place  kongs round the room aswell with maybe there dinner in it they will take ages working hard for there food!

make sure her food does not hav eany additave in it, a good complete dog biscuit mix with some chicken breast is fine!

take her to dog classes!

labs work for the blind you could teach her SOOO many tricks its unreal! you have so much potentiual on your hands, dont let it slip away!

good luck! :D

Edited to say about the pulling technique NO need to ever use a check chain, i was going to give the same advice as Onyx Ninja but she said it perfectly with the pulling tech, you slimpy walk the other way, works like a charm after a couple of goes! :)

Answer 6

you could try to get it to sit or lay down with treats

Answer 7

if it gets too out of hand you should consider calling a pro dog trainer for some help with your out of control lab.and maybe some nice chew toys would help.