15 Weird Reasons Why Your Dog Is So Hyper All Of A Sudden

Does your dog surprise you with zoomies?

You may wonder how they turn hyper in a split second.

What causes them to act that way?

Read this article to discover:

3 helpful tips to stop your dog from being hyperactive.
ADHD in dogs and how it’ll affect your dog’s hyperactivity.
15 weird reasons why your dog is so hyper all of a sudden.
And many more…

Why is my dog so hyper all of a sudden?

Your dog is so hyper all of a sudden because they could be happy, seeking attention, bored, itchy, overstimulated, excited to have food, want to go out, play, or see their friends. It could also be due to their food, breed, puppy phase, encouraged behavior, imitating you, or ADHD.

15 reasons why your dog is so hyper all of sudden

#1: Your dog’s happy to see you

Are you the type of dog parent who often plays with Fido?

If yes, it could be the reason for their hyperactivity.

Spending a lot of fun time with your dog will make them enthusiastic.

But, it could make them miss it as well when you’re not around.

So, seeing their favorite human coming home can make them jump out of joy.

They associate you coming home with playtime. So they’ll jump and run around because they can’t contain their excitement.

Check out also: 7 reasons why your dog jumps up and down

#2: Fido could be excited about food

Is your dog the canine version of a foodie?

If so, their love for food and their prominent senses trigger bursts of energy.

Some dogs will get hyper by the smell of food being prepared.

Others will start to show excitement when they see their food coming.

Also, the “tink” sound of their food bowl when you prepare their meal can make them have zoomies.

So, being hyper means your dog can’t wait to have a bite of that delicious meal.

Reading tip: The answers to why your dog barks while you’re eating (7 real reasons revealed)

#3: Your dog’s food might cause their hyperactivity

Yes, we’re still talking about food.

But it’s the aftermath this time.

What food did your dog eat before they started to show zoomies?

Your dog’s hyperactivity could be due to something they’ve eaten.

According to Vet practice foods that can cause sudden hyperactivity in dogs include:

Fibre – Affects food-seeking behavior.
Protein – Increases aggression and hyperactivity.
Fats – Influence systems of the brain that are important to learning, emotions, and impulse control.
Carbohydrates – A study conducted in 2008 shows that a dog’s diet doesn’t need carbs at all.

In addition to that, carbs may put a lot of pressure on your dog’s digestive system.

This can result in health risks such as:

Cancer.
Obesity.
Diabetes.
Stomach inflammation.

Don’t miss out on this read: 17 weird reasons why your dog (suddenly) acts crazy + dangers & tips

#4: Your dog might be excited to go out

Do your dog’s zoomies start when it’s time to walk outside?

Then that explains your pooch’s hyperactivity.

It could be a part of their daily routine.

Dogs are very mindful of their schedules. So, they know what they’re going to do from morning to night.

Do you take them to a certain place that they really like?

They might be thrilled to see that place.

This reminds me of a friend who takes her Beagle, Tino, to a dog park every afternoon.

Tino really likes the small fountain there. My friend told me how much Tino enjoys watching the splashing water drops coming out of the fountain.

Not only that.

Every day, before going outside, Tino would jump up and down. Even on their way to the dog park.

He always wants to run the moment he steps outside their door.

Then he’ll stop being hyperactive when he’s in front of his most adored fountain. This appears to be Tino’s happy place.

Other than that, he doesn’t do anything crazy. And my friend’s fine with it.

She said it’s nice that Tino has something simple that makes him happy. Which makes her happy too. 🙂

Further reading: 9 Real Reasons Your Dog Barks When You Arrive Home + 5 Tips

#5: Your furbaby sees their friends

“My friends are here, Mom/Dad.”

Some dogs are very sociable and have a lot of friends. Dogs, children, and even cats.

Let’s take Bailey, from the movie A Dog’s Purpose, for example. He befriended a donkey which he considered a big type of dog.

Then, there’s also my dog, Lissa, who befriended a neighborhood cat. As soon as she sees Cat Friend, as we call the kitty, Lissa’s tail starts swinging like a pendulum.

It’s as if they haven’t seen each other in years. Well, Cat Friend is a bit more reserved with showing affection. But she’s tolerant of Lissa’s nudging nevertheless. 🙂

Adorable, isn’t it?

Now, your friendly pooch may have seen their friends pass by.

And if your canine is confined at home, they may go crazy. While they attempt to get their friend’s attention. Either by barking, scratching at the window, or spinning.

After all, it’s not cool when you’re separated from your best friends.

But how can you tell if this is the reason why your pooch goes crazy?.

Observe how they act once there are no human or animal friends of your pooch around.

#6: Your dog’s excited to play

Let’s say, your dog hasn’t played for some time.

Seeing you bringing their toy out can make them hyperactive all of a sudden.

This is exactly what happens with Lissa and me. Every time I take her to the big park where I unleash her, I bring her ball.

By now, Lissa knows that at some point, we’ll play fetch. So she goes wild as soon as she sees me put my hand in my bag. That’s the queue she recognizes. 🙂

So when I reach for the ball, she lifts her eyebrows, her tongue hanging out. She fixes me with her eyes. Then extends her neck like a snake and woofs at me!

I can almost hear her scream “Throw! Throw!”. And once I do, she flies after that ball like a torpedo. It’s fascinating to watch. I never get tired of it.

How does your dog show you their excitement to play?

My previous one used to spin around. He was a Pomeranian. They’re famous for spinning hyperactively when happy.

#7: Your pawed child is trying to entertain themselves

“What a boring day. A perfect time to entertain myself.”, your dog could be thinking.

After all, dogs don’t have gadgets or video games like us to entertain themselves.

Their toys could also be boring to play with at the moment. This usually happens when you give all of your dog’s toys at once. Then, your doggo gets used to them and doesn’t play with them.

So, if your dog has nothing to do. They may act hyperactive to not bore themselves.

They’ll run around.

Jump off your couch. Will even bite and lick your throw pillows.

All of these activities will provide your pooch with some form of excitement.

But don’t worry! You can easily deal with this.

Just hide some of your pooch’s toys in the closet. Then, after a few days have passed, substitute the ones you’ve given to your dog with the ones that were in the closet.

This way your dog will always have something to look forward to. 🙂

#8: Your dog wants your attention

“This is right! They’ll notice me now.”

Some dogs could be hyperactive to get your attention.

Let’s say everyone in your family’s been busy all day. All of you could be preparing for a celebration.

And your dog, on the other hand, has nothing interesting to do. Just looking at their (human) pack being busy with something.

Then all of a sudden, they start to show hyperactivity to catch everyone’s attention. Their hunger for attention might show through:

Barking.
Whining.
Jumping.
Air snapping.
Pretend to be injured.
Chasing lights or shadows.
Posing strange body postures.

Dogs who’re used to getting a lot of attention will likely do this. They’ll wonder why they don’t get the attention of their human pack anymore.

Don’t forget to also check out: 11 Real Reasons Why Dogs Act Hyper In The Morning + Easy 3 Tips

#9: Your furry child feels itchy

“I can’t reach it! Scratch it for me, human.”

Your dog could feel the zoomies when something’s itching in their body.

If this is the case, you can see your dog:

Running around.
Biting and chasing their tail.
Scratching a certain part of their body in between their zoomies.

Have you ever had an itchy spot on your back you can’t reach?

Notice how much effort you make just to scratch it?

This reminds me of a kid I saw once. He was so desperate to scratch his back. So what he did was lean his back on a concrete wall and move his entire back against it.

It’s like looking at a human windshield wiper. Although it looked funny, I can’t deny it was smart.

Kids really think out of the box.

And so do dogs.

That’s why they keep on moving a lot. And the goal is to get rid of the itchiness.

Apart from zoomies, your dog could also brush themselves against the couch. Or wipe their snout on the carpet. Another way to relieve itchiness, this time on their bottom, is to scoot.

You see, there are a lot of ways your dog could try to relieve the itching sensation.

You might also like: 9 odd reasons why your dog acts like something is biting her

#10: Your dog’s a puppy

Is your hyperactive pooch a puppy?

If so, hyperactivity is a natural thing for them.

Puppies are known to be uncontrollable when it comes to their energy.

These baby pooches still can’t weigh how much force to exert. Their puppy play shows through:

Biting.
Barking.
Chasing.
Jumping.
Growling.

Be patient, my dear dog parent. Their puppy phase won’t last for a long time. As puppyhood mostly lasts up to the age of 6 months to 1 year.

It’s best to enjoy their hyperactivity during these times. Make use of it and play with them more.

#11: Your dog’s a hyperactive breed

Your furry companion’s hyperactivity can be due to their genetics.

“Well, it runs in my blood.”

So, it’s best to track your dog’s bloodline.

Hyperactive dog breeds have a natural overflowing supply of energy. So they’ll often seek activities to do. They’re mostly athletic too. These pooches can move easily and quickly.

Dog breeds that are known to be hyperactive genetically include:

Boxer.
Vizsla.
Poodle.
Beagle.
Dalmatian.
Chihuahua.
Irish Setter.
English Pointer.
Airedale Terrier.
Golden Retriever.
Labrador Retriever.
Miniature Pinscher.
German Shepherd.
Jack Russell Terrier.
Australian Shepherd.
Pembroke Welsh Corgi.
English Springer Spaniel.

#12: You’re hyperactive yourself

“It looks fun, so I’m doing it too.”

Your dog’s hyperactivity can be a mirror of your behavior.

Dogs are able to imitate their dog parents’ actions.

And even detect what their dog parent’s feeling.

Let’s assume that you just heard some good news. Which made you jumpy and excited.

Your dog who’s been watching your every move will likely get hyped too.

Or they could also celebrate with you.

A study proves that dogs imitating their dog parents is a sign of the mirror neuron system in dogs. Mirror neurons are basically nerve cells that make individuals understand others’ actions.

#13: Encouraged behavior

Let’s be honest.

Some dog parents adore it when their dogs are bursting with energy.

They would even take out their phones and record their dog being so energetic. While bouncing from one couch to another.

It’s unusual. And it can look funny.

But…

Do you respond to your canine’s hyperactivity with attention or treats?

If so, you influenced your dog’s hyperactive behavior. So they now think that hyperactivity is a good thing. Because it gives them what they want.

Here’s some dogs’ hyperactivity caught on camera.

Warning: Joke aside, keep coffee and caffeine away from dogs. It’s poisonous to them.

#14: Your dog is overstimulated

Is your pooch a go-getter dog?

A “go-getter” dog can be compared to a “yes” man (like that funny famous movie).

They’ll be up for anything. Anytime and anywhere.

Wanna go for a run?

“Go!”

Do you want to play fetch?

“Of course, let’s go!”

Let’s play?

“You know for sure. I’ll go.”

Stimulation is really good for our dogs.

But over stimulation can cause behavioral problems. One of which is hyperactivity.

This happens when dogs are over-exercised. In particular, the wrong type of exercise.

Making your dog do extensive exercises such as jumping, fetching, and running around all day. Notably if done every day.

It’ll make your dog used to doing crazy and over-the-top activities.

They’ll think being overly active is normal.

Note: Study suggests that overstimulation in dogs may cause tendinopathy. A.k.a overuse muscle injury in dogs. It may also change your dog’s nerve-muscle response.

#15: Your pooch has ADHD

Dr. Coren said that dogs and children share a lot of similarities when it comes to their behaviors. One example of it is…

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a.k.a ADHD. It’s a behavioral problem.

Signs of ADHD in dogs are:

High energy.
Moving a lot.
Lots of fidgeting.
Being impulsive.
Short attention span.
Getting easily distracted.

3 tips to stop your dog from being hyperactive

#1: Provide mental stimulation

As I’ve mentioned above, overstimulation can cause hyperactivity.

But this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t stimulate your dog mentally.

Keep in mind that mental stimulation should be proper and be careful not to overdo it.

Because healthy and right mental stimulation can make your dog act calm. Here’s what you can do:

Introduce puzzles.
Give treat dispensing dog toys.
Outdoor activities that’ll exercise your dog’s senses.

#2: Get rid of the foods that cause hyperactivity

One of the causes of a dog’s hyperactivity is what they consume.

In some cases, you may have fed your dog human food.

Fido begging for food may be a familiar situation to you. They usually nudge you with their nose to beg for your food if they see you eating some.

It’s a natural thing for them. Dogs are often curious and they’ll want to be involved with their human’s business.

Some dog parents love to share their meals with their dogs, so they’ll give them a piece.

However, keep in mind that some human foods cause hyperactive behavior in dogs. Some of which are:

Sugar.
Carbohydrates.
Packaged foods.
Too much protein.
Artificial flavorings.

It’s best to get rid of those and stick to a more healthy dog diet. You can give your dog home-cooked meals without any type of seasoning or salt.

#3: Have them checked by the vet

Your dog’s hyperactivity may have some underlying medical causes.

You can’t simply diagnose ADHD.So don’t jump to conclusions.

The signs that I’ve mentioned earlier are your go signal to bring your dog to the vet if you suspect them to have ADHD.

“Petya, How can ADHD affect my dog’s life?”

If your dog has ADHD, it could affect their socialization with other dogs. For example, they could be more anxious about meeting new ones.

Your pooch could also have a hard time focusing and it’ll be hard for them to be trained.

They would also seek their dog parent’s attention more often.

Lastly is becoming aggressive. Especially when your dog’s in distress because they won’t be able to control their emotions.

But, be hopeful.

This type of behavioral problem can be manageable. It’ll be done by having vet prescription drugs and behavior modification.