Experienced dog people..

[HotnSunnyRainbowRoses]

Can stress cause hyperactivity?

Just got back from a quick walk, it was an unusually busy morning, crowds of noisy children on the school run (this is normal, he’s been walking in crowds since 8 weeks old, I’m just adding it as a possible extra stressor) and we passed a landscape company cutting hedges and chipping tree trunks, two loud ride on lawnmowers and then passed an aggressive dog on the pavement so close range barking and lunging trying to get to mine.

My 8 month old walked past the noisy gardeners and the lawnmowers absolutely fine, he was way too wound up to pass the barking dog nicely and eat treats which isn’t surprising but then he just went completely bonkers.

So, so hyperactive!
Jumping up and lunging at and biting at my other dog so persistently I had to put him on the other side where he then pulled like a horror (he doesn’t normally pull much, if at all) as well as constantly trying to kill me by trying to dash infront of my feet to jump at my other dog.
Let him off lead in the hope that a nice run around the empty field would burn off some energy and calm him down but he never ran instead choosing to walk nicely with my other dog

Had to put him back on lead once near pavement again as he isn’t obedient like my other one and he pulled and lunged and jumped and completely ignored my pleas and showing of treats to walk nicely whenever he saw another dog passing the whole way back...

I know he’s an adolescent but it’s very out of character for him.
He’s pretty good at walking nicely, fairly good at ignoring other dogs, he does occasionally jump up a bit at my other dog but nothing like today.

It was like walking a totally different dog and I’m just wondering if it’s possible that the stress of the crowds of people, traffic, lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, chipping machines, angry dogs etc caused him to behave in that way?

Like got him completely wound up and overstimulated or is this just the beginning of the nightmare adolescence period that posters here speak of and the busyness of this morning was just a coincidence?

Yep my dog is the same
You could take him in similar on a different day and he could be fine. With mine on a walk if he’s stressed his face looks wrinkly he looks tense he shakes a lot - worth checking your dogs body language. If he’s had a walk which over stimulates him he comes back and jumps and mouths etc as you describe,

You want to help him on a walk if you feel things are too much - so change route
Sniffing is a good stress release (chewing and licking too) so I do go sniff so it’s a command he gets some time to sniff about then we walk on he doesn’t get to sniff otherwise or we’d never get anywhere. I have cut walks short too when I’ve seen he’s not happy - we live near the railway so occasionally if there’s a train - we try to time walks between them but doesn’t always work and I’ll come back. He then needs to process his walk if it’s been especially stress inducing so a good chew - yak bone or kong as this can help and leaving them in a quiet environment to sleep and work it off I’d also leave the next walk out. So as you know this has over stimulated him if you find yourself in a busy walk you can change route, or go home.
Things much better with us - you can play games in garden and do some training etc When he’s jumping and biting him remove yourself and praise when he’s calm always.

Hope that makes sense

There is many factors here.

School run time is an awful time to walk a dog, you described 6 loud and potentially scary things for an 8 month old dog to have to deal with in a short amount of time - dogs obviously don't process things the same we do - snapshot of his mind...

'wow thats a lot of people, there very small people i wonder if they want to play
OH MY GOD WHAT ON EARTH IS THAT NOISE - Why are they taking away all the trees i like to pee on?!
WHAT IS THAT GIANT LOUD MACHINE COMING TOWARDS ME IS IT GOIGN TO KILL ME AND MY MOM?!
Oh theres a scary looking dog there, MUST PROTECT MOM AND ME - I DONT WANT HER TREATS CAN SHE NOT SEE WE ARE ABOUT TO DIE?!'

All that scary interaction, with hormones kicking in is so overwhleming for dogs. You are much much much better taking him on a quiet walk where he is able to be free of so many scary interactions and can sniff and calm his mind.

worth checking your dogs body language
He seemed perfectly happy, just wired!
No shaking, no tension, no hiding/cowering.
I couldn’t see anything in his behaviour body language wise that indicated stress but I assume he probably was because it’s a big contrast to how he is usually.

If he’s had a walk which over stimulates him he comes back and jumps and mouths etc as you describe
No he immediately snuggled into my other dog and went to sleep on returning home.
He’s still sleeping now.
The bonkers behaviour was when we were out actually on the walk.

He really didn’t seem bothered at all about the lawnmowers etc.
He walked past them with my other dog apparently unconcerned.
The other dog did wind him up but that’s expected, he always finds it hard to focus and walk past if the other dog is excitable, pulling etc.

It was like something just switched.
He was his usual (relatively) calm and well behaved self then suddenly just went crackers!

Yes - look up trigger stacking.
Our 18 month old cocker only humps, for example, when he's stacked. This can be through good things and worrying things - they get overwhelmed, bit like an overtired toddler

You may find at 8 months that he's suddenly scared / worried by things that he was fine with before - its normal - adolescent secondary fear. DDog had a complete meltdown around that age because someone had an umbrella, for example.

My spaniel reacts really strongly to electrical noises - for example washing machines hairdryers....lawn mowers particular stressor. The tree cutting you describe he would hate. My dog stock reaction to stressors is really batshit manic behaviour.

It sounds like he could have been displaying the "fool around" fear response.

It's very normal - like a PP says, look up trigger stacking.

One of those things by itself would have been fine (which is why he was fine with the lawnmowers) but then add in landscapers, other dogs, crowds of people and children - and he becomes overwhelmed and frightened and acts out because he can't escape (as he's on the lead).

The sleeping as soon as he gets in is also a stress-response. He's so overwhelmed so he just shut down and slept. It's a way for his body to calm itself down and protect itself from what happened.

All in all that's a very overwhelming experience for any dog, let alone a young dog. I always say to prowl that they should avoid walking their dogs on/along the school run as there's too much going on. Add in all the other stimulation and it's not surprising that he went a bit barmy

One of those things by itself would have been fine (which is why he was fine with the lawnmowers) but then add in landscapers, other dogs, crowds of people and children - and he becomes overwhelmed and frightened and acts out because he can't escape (as he's on the lead)

The sleeping as soon as he gets in is also a stress-response. He's so overwhelmed so he just shut down and slept. It's a way for his body to calm itself down and protect itself from what happened
That all makes me feel terrible
Poor little lad.

I always say to people that they should avoid walking their dogs on/along the school run as there's too much going on
He gets very upset left alone.
Whines and howls.

We live quite far from the school so a twice daily school run alone without any extra walking is about two hours.

He’s been coming with me and my other dog since he was a tiny baby so well used to crowds of people and general hustle and bustle.
Today was just unusually hectic unfortunately.
I don’t usually have to pass hedge trimmers, chipping machines, ride on lawnmowers and aggressive dogs all in one walk.

Usually he comes out a second time for pick up and sits in the playground, I give them treats every time people or other dogs come near.

I’m unsure now if I should leave him home for pick up today but he’ll be stressed at home too.
Not sure what the best move would be.

My dog is much older but he still gets stressed if there is too much going on for him. I can usually tell when he’s reached that point as he’ll start getting nippy and looking mischievous. Giving him something to do, such as carrying a ball or a glove, and lots of praise for being a good boy will generally distract him and keep him calm enough to get home He’s like an overwrought toddler at times!

Don't feel bad - it's so so easy for dogs to go over threshold and you weren't to know all those things would be happening!

Is he okay being left with your other dog? If not for the future it may be worth finding a walker or sitter who could help you out so he doesn't need be on his own.

Is he okay being left with your other dog? If not for the future it may be worth finding a walker or sitter who could help you out so he doesn't need be on his own
Oh I never leave him without my other dog!
He’d be absolutely hysterical if I did that but even with my other dog there he gets upset.

He’s very bonded to me so if I for example go to the shops and he’s at home with DH and my other dog he whines and howls for me.

Fortunately the dogs are pretty much never left alone so it’s rarely a big issue.

He used to be so bad I couldn’t even leave the room, now he’s fine if I’m upstairs and he’s down for example but he hates it if I go somewhere and don’t take him.

So, not sure what the kindest solution would be this afternoon.

Should I take him to the school (which is loud and hectic) and give him his biscuits with my other dog on the playground (which is what we do most days) or should I leave both dogs at home knowing he will whine and howl for me?

I would not stop doing what you have been doing after one stressful walk especially if it is not usually as busy as it was today.

However just be aware and increase distance etc if the walk is hectic. Stand away from people in the playground etc, cross the road to avoid busy areas etc.

It would be preferable to leave him at home at pickup today. If that's not possible, could you wait with him at a safe distance from the school and ask one of the other parents to bring your kids to you? Can you go another route to and from the school, so that you don't pass the places where the scary things were this morning? Even if the lawnmower, dog etc aren't there, he may have decided that those places are no longer safe.

I would be tempted to give him this afternoon "off" so he can decompress a bit. If all the noisy machines are there again he may become unmanageable and you don't want him associating the school run with being stressed and overwhelmed.

It definitely sounds like overstimulation. A few months ago when my current pup was about 7 months old, we encountered a jogger on our walk. The pup was fine as the jogger went past, calmly watched him go by. But as soon as he was out of sight the pup suddenly lost his mind, jumping up, grabbing the lead, and was nearly out of control. Fortunately we weren't far from home and I was able to get him inside quickly. But he had used every bit of his self-control to wait calmly while the jogger ran past us and that pent-up energy simply exploded when the excitement was over. He's generally quite a laidback sort of fellow, so this reaction was unusual.

Maybe something similar was going on with your pup? Something (or a combination of things) put him over the top in terms of stimulation and his excitement had nowhere else to go. I think there are pros and cons to taking him out again today or leaving him home. I'd keep an eye on him and make a decision based on his behaviour, whether he seems relaxed (but not unusually subdued) or still wound up.