Ozzie lived in a family with little children, and he was the perfect family dog. Like a patient mother, he would sit unmoving and unhostile as the kids hugged him, dressed him up in their clothes, and generally went crazy. Even from six months of age, Ozzie was completely calm and the owners didn’t need to do anything to encourage this behavior.
Case Study: Charlie
Charlie, the poodle I mentioned above, was much like Bella in that he was insanely hyperactive. The family, well aware of the hyperactivity, trained Charlie very well, making sure to associate positive feelings with silence and calmness (more on that below).
Nevertheless, by eighteen months of age, he remained very difficult to control, tearing through the house with seemingly unlimited energy, and asserting as much free will as an unbroken bronco.
Every Poodle Is Different
As the above case studies illustrate, every Poodle is different. Even with the best training, a Charlie may not settle down until three years of age. However, some really useful techniques can help calm your dog down faster.
Why Is My Poodle Hyperactive?
First of all, it’s important to recognize that dogs, like people, undergo stages of development, each offering its own difficulties to the owner. These are the stages of Poodle development:
- Puppy (eight weeks to sixish months)
- Neophyte (zero to eight weeks)
- Adult (two years to ten or so years)
- Adolescent (six months to around two years)
- Senior (ten years to the end of life)
Far and away the most challenging stage of Poodle development is adolescence, though the puppy stage can offer serious difficulties as well, especially for new owners.
Hyperactivity is an extremely natural part of Poodles growing up. On the one hand, Poodles have a ton of energy that in most home environments isn’t spent adequately. Even when it is though, young Poodles are like little children: they love to run around and be crazy, caught up as they are in the bliss of existence.
Tips For Dealing With A Hyper Poodle Puppy
Sometimes, your poodle may be very hyper due to stress and anxiety. You will know they feel uncomfortable if they jump a lot, walk around in circles, or constantly bark.
If this happens, you can help them calm down within minutes with the right solutions. Here are quick tips to calm down your hyper poodle:
- Give your poodle regular exercise, such as short walks throughout the day or playtime indoors. This is important as a lack of physical and mental exercise can cause hyperactivity!
- Train your poodle and give proper voice commands to help them realize that their anxious and hyper behavior is inappropriate
- Invest in interactive toys that can help calm your poodle down, as well as delicious treats so she stays busy and stimulates his brain
- You can put your poodle in time out to help him calm down, placing him in a crate or room without any distractions. This can help him focus to calm down, so let him stay in there for 10 minutes, repeating this process if he isn’t relaxed yet.
- Try a relaxant or homemade relaxant so your poodle can calm down, using lavender oil mixed with water.
- If your poodle continues to show hyper or anxious behavior regularly, he may need to be taken to the vet to rule out any conditions. The veterinarian may also provide medication and other treatments to help lessen the over-hyperactivity.
When An Older Poodle Mounts
They say you can’t teach old dogs new tricks, but this isn’t true. It just takes a lot longer. For mounting, you need to train your Poodle with the “off” command. Have something fun, like a squeaky toy or food with you at all times. If your Poodle mounts, gently give the off command and coax the dog away from mounting.
When An Older Poodle Acts Crazy Or Hyper
Remember that you need to always stay on top of Poodle training. Keeping your dog’s behavior in check even as it gets older is important. One thing I do is, for example, during walks, I still reserve the right to begin a training session out of the blue. This enforces to my dog that I’m in charge and that calm, polite behavior will continually be rewarded.
Related Questions
Do poodles like to be held?
Poodles love to cuddle at night. While they’re relatively active during the day, insisting on plenty of walks, physical and mental stimulation, your Poodle will love to snuggle up to you at night.
Will my poodle ever calm down?
Will my poodle ever calm down? While your poodle may seem out-of-control, will likely calm down quite a bit as they mature. However, with active breeds like poodles, we still have to create outlets for adults to burn off that excess energy, whether physical or mental.
Do toy poodles calm down?
With other dogs and cats, Toy Poodles are peaceful and accepting. Besides the regular clipping, they do need daily exercise, as they are lively dogs. And they do need a lot of daily companionship. They suffer from loneliness and separation anxiety if left alone too much.
At what age do poodles calm down?
For Standards, while they do become adult at the age of 2 years old, you’ll start to notice maturity changes around the 18 month mark. While things will not change overnight, you can expect the adult Poodle to be calmer than his young counterparts in regard to needing to chew, romp around and have constant attention.
Why are toy poodles so clingy?
There are several issues that can cause a Poodle to suddenly act extremely clingy. Having been startled- If a dog has had a scare or has otherwise been emotionally jarred, he will often then stay very close to his owner, cling to their side and may act scared long after the event is over.
Are poodles hyper active?
While it is rare, dogs can be clinically hyperactive. However, most dogs that behave hyper are not clinically hyperactive. In regard to other medical issues, yes there is always a chance that your Poodle is experiencing some sort of discomfort that is keeping her from being able to rest and feel at peace.
Do toy poodles ever calm down?
When do toy poodles calm down? Toy Poodles will reach adulthood by the age of 1, so you may see them become calmer than they were as a puppy. However, despite their smaller size, toy poodles were designed to be the exact replica of their standard cousins in a tiny package.
Are poodles too energetic?
While it is rare, dogs can be clinically hyperactive. However, most dogs that behave hyper are not clinically hyperactive. In regard to other medical issues, yes there is always a chance that your Poodle is experiencing some sort of discomfort that is keeping her from being able to rest and feel at peace.
Are standard poodles very energetic?
Poodles are good family dogs — fun, energetic, smart and easy to train. They do best with plenty of exercise for both mind and body and prefer to be with people most of the time.
Final Thoughts
As I’ve said in this article, each Poodle is different. However, around five years of age, you can expect a much calmer Poodle than your six-month-old. Remember, however, that the training never stops. You must continually encourage your Poodle to “be calm and carry on” with positive stimulus and words of praise. Best of luck!
