Hyper dog at the start of every walk - how the hell do I calm him down?

[SirChenjins]

It’s like he’s never taken on a walk…he’s 11 months, so still young yet, but as soon as lunch and dinner are finished he works himself into a frenzy, knowing that’s the cue for his walks. I’ve tried doing some brain games beforehand to try and calm him down, but it’s no good, he’s ‘in the zone’, and have tried turning and going home when he’s worked up but that just prolongs the hyperactivity. The first 15 minutes of the walk are a nightmare - he barks at everything, sniffs manically at every blade of grass, and can’t be let off lead (as we’ve discovered). Any ideas how I can calm him down before we leave? He settles down as the walk progresses.

No advice, only sympathy. I knew when I saw the thread title there would be cocker spaniel involved. We had something similar although she did improve with age and thankfully once she is outside she is a bit better. Good advice above though about changing up the routine and desensitization. Good luck

What you say about the morning walk is why you need to change things around. So tomorrow he gets a walk as soon as you wake up, when he’s calm. The day after he gets excited when you wake up, but you don’t take him out until after breakfast, after he’s calmed down. The day after he gets his walk at lunchtime. Etc. Don’t allow a new morning walk association to build up.

I think you also need to accept that there may be more barking and disruption before there is less. This is a long term success plan!

Also, you’re not doing anything wrong as such, and you’re clearly doing lots and lots right - great to hear about training, brain games! You just have a particularly happy, energetic, excitable little dog who wants everyone to know how happy he is! There’s absolutely a maturity angle too, it’s like kids, you have to keep giving them the tools until they’re old enough to use them.

I sympathise.

Have you tried picking the lead up at random times of the day.

It will desensitise him to the cues he has for a walk. Also, if you are going to put it back down every time he goes mental, you're not eating Into your actual walk times.

Maybe try it at the weekend.

Also if you're restricted to certain times maybe take him before you eat rather than after?

Long shot, but I make my 17month old labrador sit and keep shutting the front door every time he lifts his bottom, until I tell him to come. He still goes a bit loopy once we're out but I stop if he gets too silly until I get eye contact and then carry on.

Also he's probably so calm in the
Mornings because he knows he is not going to be walked then. You want that all day.

Take him on some morning walks and see if that helps.

Like kids on XBoxs, you only know too late that you've left them too long.

You need to change the walk times. Can one of you not take him whilst someone else prepares dinner or lunch. Or make lunch the night before, and eat it at your desk after your break so you can take the dog out first
also you need to walk him when he gets up. He’s got too much energy and boredom by lunch, get him out earlier and then on the lunch walk he’ll be more relaxed

Also practice the going for a walk clues (getting lead etc) multiple times a day. Then do nothing.
also can you just stop walking him? I know it’s controversial. Just short term.
so practice getting leads out a few times then putting shoes on, getting to the door, getting out the door. Walking down the block - all calmly, reward calmness, one step at a time.
this will be helped by the walk times being changed.
Do that multiple times a day - so it’s 7 or 8 training sessions in being calm, instead of 2 walks. (and other brain games in the house to make up for lack of walking)
can you teach a really solid sit, and have him sit when he starts getting too much and barky. And also try teaching a really solid ‘settle’ or ‘calm’

Yes, I’ve watched Dogs Behaving Badly and fully accept it’s our fault - but we’ve no idea what we’re doing wrong!! 😂 There are many reasons that I hate this programe but this is one of them. It is not your fault , you have a lively spaniel puppy!'

However having said all of that it is worth getting some of the energy off your dog before you go out for a walk. What often happens is the dog is chilled at home or waiting to go out so the walk comes after a period of inactivity. The dogs are really happy to go out and full of energy and you get to take out a nyper dog raring to go.

I would put some scent games in before you go out. So hunting for a ball in the garden, some basic training in the garden, small amount of scattering feeding in the garden . When some of the energy has been used up then calmly put the lead on your dog and start your walk. At the beginning of the walk just outside of your gate I would again do some ball hunting searching games.

When the brain and some energy has been used up you are more likely to have a calmer walk.

WCS owner here

One of mine is 5 years old. He’s hyper before during and after. Having just taken him on holiday with us on a walking holiday - I had 7 days of it. It’s his personality.

Dont always do the lunch time walk then....
Sometimes just do morning one...and a longer evening one and just do training at lunchtime..sounds like the spaniel is strong...but will be super smart 2 clever breeds...hopefully more spanielish to train :)

I have a springer spaniel so have a lot of this! ...training and boring repition ....we sometimes didnt get to the of the street..
If you can find a gundog trainer near you or a trainer that has more of that sort of dog about...i would highly recommend...
Pet gundog is a book, theres an app gundog training and a numbet of fb groups..
Its an ongoing process....mine 2 now and we're back at training/walking bootcamp as qe let it slide a bit!

I have an 11 year old schnauzer and yesterday made a video of her going crazy because I got the lead out and mentioned that word walk! Surely they all have their triggers...?

I’d break down each stage and repeat. So maybe pop the harness and lead on through the day when they are supervised and just leave it for a bit then reward when calm. At the moment the lead is a trigger that you are going on a walk- remove that by having it on at other times

Buy a flirt pole and use it for 5 minutes before leaving the house to take the edge off.

I often used to spend 15 minutes at the beginning of a walk, stood still, waiting for pup to engage with me, asking for a few simple things (sit, touch etc.) before she'd be let off lead. (14 mins of pup pulling, examining everything in a 4ft radius, whining etc. 1 minute of obedience!) It was very dull!

We've never had a routine so luckily we don't get the anticipation excitement beforehand.

Dogs pick up lots of little cues to show they will be going for a walk soon. You will probably be doing the same getting ready routine every time without realising it.
As you use a harness, I'd put that in your dog and then not go anywhere, just carry on with your day. Have the lead and others bits you take with you somewhere else, in the porch of you have one. Put your jacket on and then do something else, go into the garden until your dog is calm.
Its all about breaking the association. Only put the lead on when your dog is sat and calm, not leaping about.
I have a cocker spaniel and she was a very lively dog until she was about 4 or 5. She is 10 now and super calm, though does still have her moments.

Thanks everyone, absolutely brilliant advice here and I'll give them all a go. I really like the desensitizing suggestions as I think we might need to get back to the associations he's built up - jacket/shoes/collar & harness = walk. Will also be doing the obedience training before we start walking and mixing the walk times up a bit as work allows.

I have sent him a link to the thread and he says he hates you all

That'll be the poodle bit....am sure they can read so crafty! 😃

It likely WILL take hours to start with.
You have to be consistent. If he starts getting over excited you stop and wait or sit down until hes calm again. Same as for pulling on lead or jumping up etc. He has to understand that that sort of overstimated hyper behaviour does not get him his walk. it makes his walk stop.
You might barely get anywhere for a while, but he will get it.
You cant explain it in words so you have to show him.

I have a cockapoo and mines exactly the same. Anyone that looks at him and goes “oh he’s cute” I reply yes he is but he’s off his head on something clearly as he’s hyper”
😂😂😂 he is cute though and a big cuddley mess.

I sympathise with you having to walk at set times and therefore building an association up that it's walk time. All the people saying don't have a walk routine, sometimes it's not that simple - people have to go to work or wfh meetings or school runs or other activities at set times and the dog walks fit in around those.

Dogs just have to adapt - but this takes time and 11 months can be a tricky age. Mine is 18 months now and she was a pain when it was too hot to walk after dinner recently as she has grown to expect a walk around then and the routine will change again when the weather changes and it is darker earlier. Distraction and brain training are helpful and as others have said reinforce calm and focus before going on the walk. Mine is ok walking in general but if we walk a certain direction - towards the field she does start to get excited at the prospect of being allowed to run offlead with her dog friends.... I make her sit and "watch me" and wait until she's calmed before letting her off lead. I have also started to take her to the field at other times when her dog friends won't be there and just do some training with her - she does look disappointed though when she sees no other dogs to chase!

My cocker is over 2 and is still hyper before walks especially in the morning. Evening walk he is calmer.

He knows we do not leave the house, in fact he doesn't even get his collar and lead on till he does a calm sit and holds it.

We have been doing this since he was a puppy. He still twirls for about a minute and then sits but you can see him shaking and doing the cocker equivalent of gritting his teeth through every second of that calm sit.

Best thing is to start teaching it now. No calm sit and you put back the collar and lead and go away. Keep going and they soon get the idea. It can take a while and you need to block out a few hours on the weekend to get it right because if he is determined, you have to hold your nerve!

I got some advice from someone who saw me walking my hysterical 1 year old labrador. Now I take a walking stick and hold it in front of her when she plays up. Obviously I would never hit her, she's never been hit, but it seems to act as a barrier, and reminds her about what she should be doing.

All the people saying don't have a walk routine, sometimes it's not that simple - people have to go to work or wfh meetings or school runs or other activities at set times and the dog walks fit in around those.

While that's true, you still can vary the walk times so they don't expect walks at the same time day in, day out.

So one day you do a morning and evening walk, then the next you skip the morning walk and do lunchtime and evening. At the weekends, you maybe only do a long, late-morning walk and nothing else.

You can also vary what walks mean. So, one walk might be a trip to a secure field for a run. Then the next day (at the same time) you could do a slow, sniffy pavement walk, or a walk with lots of training etc. Vary what you do, where you go and what times you go - it'll help.

Join the spaniel inner circle with my trainer and watch her videos. She's amazing and is a Spaniel/Spaniel X specialist.

Move the lead round constantly. Have 2 or 3 on the go and vary which one you walk with too

Daft question I know @GuyFawkesDay but how do I join that?