Why Your Puppy Gets the Zoomies (And What to Do About It)

Ever wonder why your puppy suddenly takes off running like a maniac? Welcome to the world of zoomies! Learn what causes these bursts of energy, when they’re most likely to happen, and how to manage them safely and sanely.

Chapters

• 0:00 What Are Puppy Zoomies?
• 1:21 Are Zoomies a Problem?
• 2:43 Managing Zoomies with Exercise
• 4:10 Creating a Balanced Puppy Schedule
• 7:19 Final Thoughts on Puppy Energy

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Does your puppy sometimes go crazy? I mean running around the room trying to bite at your ankles. They look like they're a little tornado tearing around your house. We call this the zoomies and today we're talking all about it. Welcome to the puppy training podcast. I'm Amy Jensen, founder of Baxter and Bella, the online puppy school. Here we are all about helping you create the best possible experience raising a puppy, from training tips to practical tricks, all aimed at fostering a happy, well-behaved dog who truly feels like part of the family. So if you are ready to enjoy the journey and strengthen the bond with your dog, let's get started. Hello everybody, welcome to the Puppy Training Podcast. I'm Amy Jensen. It is back to school time at our house and probably in your neighborhood as well. I like back to school time because it's back to rhythm, routine, basics and it's no different for our dogs. Right Time to get back to the basics. Well, today we are talking about puppy zoomies. Zoomies is kind of a nickname that we give to this behavior. It's actually called FRAP F-R-A-P Phrenetic Random Activity Period and that's what it is. It is an activity period for your puppy. So let's get into this. Today.

Speaker 1: 1:22

Many of you are just like why do they do this and how do I prevent it? Can I stop it? First let's talk about what are zoomies. Okay, zoomies are short bursts of high energy behavior. This usually happens out of nowhere. It seems like it just comes out of nowhere. Your puppy is suddenly crazy. Your puppy may run wildly in circles or leap, they spin, they act really silly for a minute or two and then they crash. They often do this right before they settle down and go to sleep. Actually, Now, they're a healthy way for puppies to release pent-up energy. So think of a little volcano that's just building and building, and building, and building that energy and then it bursts. Right. If you were to describe puppy zoomies, that's probably a good analogy. It's like an emotional and physical reset for your dog.

Speaker 1: 2:05

Now, when do these happen the most? You'll usually see zoomies right after a bath, after your puppy's been crated for a while, usually in the evening. I like to call this the witching hour of the day. My kids had a witching hour and puppies have a witching hour too. Four or five o'clock pm, right Six, seven pm, maybe Also right before bedtime. Now, typically they'll also happen around mealtime. So if your puppy eats a meal and their energy gets spiked by that meal, you might see some zoomies as well. So this is your puppy's way of saying I've been holding it together all day. Now I can't hold it together any longer, I just need to let it loose. And that's really what it is. So are they a problem? Are zoomies a problem? Is it something we need to stop? Not at all, as long as they're safe, right.

Speaker 1: 2:49

So zoomies inside your house can get wild fast, especially if you have kids, stairs or slippery floors. So here's a few tips for you. First, redirect zoomies to a safe space like a fenced yard or an open room. If your puppy gets the zoomies in your house, maybe have everybody step behind a baby gate in the other room. Or if you have an exercise pen, no-transcript, we can also keep breakables out of zoomy zones.

Speaker 1: 3:18

So typically when I bring a new puppy home, I'm puppy proofing my house anyway. It's like having a toddler around. Anything that's nice. I'm taking up off the floor. I'm not leaving things down at their level that they can get into. Anything that they could knock over. I'm probably putting away for a little while. Again, your puppy is going to mature. They're going to figure out how to live in a home and have some body awareness. But when they're a brand new puppy they don't really know that, they don't understand that. They just react. And when these little energy spikes happen, they just run for it right. So don't try to stop them, just manage the space. Really, they last a minute or two and then they're ready to take a nap.

Speaker 1: 3:55

While zoomies are normal. If they happen constantly, your pup may need more outlets. They also might just need to be taught some manners, some basic training. So let's try these things First more daytime exercise, short training sessions, go sniff walks, playing games with your puppy. We don't need you to entertain your puppy all day long, but we do need you to fit a little bit of exercise into their routine.

Speaker 1: 4:17

So here's a sample schedule that I like to do for new puppies. I go by the hour, so at the top of the hour I let them out of their crate or their exercise pen, I take them outside to go potty or wherever that potty spot is to relieve themselves. I get them a drink of water and then we do a little play session. I get some energy out. So maybe I'll do some recall practice where I toss a toy and I call them to come back to me or maybe I hide from them and they come running to me. We do some recalls, okay, and then after they've run around a little bit, then maybe I can get them to focus a little bit and we practice some sits or some downs, or go to bed. We could practice some stays because they've got some energy out and now they can play or hold still a little better. So we'll do some stay work and then I'll maybe incorporate a little bit of mealtime so I'm rewarding them with part of their mealtime.

Speaker 1: 5:07

The rest of their mealtime they can have in a bowl or on a snuffle mat is great, it's a mat with a bunch of different little textures in it and you sprinkle their food in it and they have to sniff around to find their food. That's a great energy outlet. And then I put them in their crate or their pen and I go get some things done and then at the top of the hour we repeat that cycle. So they're getting exercise both physically and they're getting mental exercise. They're also getting some food, some water, they're getting a potty break and then they go back down for a nap and I'm kind of creating this routine or the schedule that they can predict and understand what's happening in their day, you'll see that their behavior settles down. They're not as frantic, they're not as reactive, they're more calm because they know what to expect.

Speaker 1: 5:51

So, again, include physical exercise, but also include that mental enrichment. So, instead of just putting their meals in the morning and the evening and at lunchtime in a bowl, put it in a snuffle mat that they have to find, put it in a food puzzle toy that they have to knock around to get the food to fall out. That can be a great way to engage them mentally. And then that routine again is going to help them relax and settle into their day, versus having so many crazy periods. You're still going to probably get a zoomie here or there right, especially after mealtime or in that evening, that witching hour where they're just tired.

Speaker 1: 6:23

A lot of times a puppy gets tired and they are so overly stimulated that they don't know what else to do with themselves, and so they actually move faster and they run around like crazy and try to bite, and they're just doing puppy things because it comes naturally, because they're too tired to think rationally and think what should I do for good behavior? What could I do to get Amy to say yes or to give me a food reward. They're past the point of thinking about that. They're just reacting because they're tired. So again, if your puppy is having a lot of zoomies you're noticing this happening frequently throughout the day it could just be that they need more nap time and getting them on that schedule of they nap and then at the top of the hour we get them up, we give them a potty break, we give them water, we use their a little bit of food to do some training sessions, we play and then they go back down for a nap and rest time.

Speaker 1: 7:12

You'll see a more well-balanced puppy. So zoomies can be fun. They can also be kind of scary. But don't freak out. It's totally normal that your puppy has these little bursts of energy and looks like a crazy volcano exploding all over your house. Try to do your best to keep people away Again. Step behind baby gates, step in exercise pens or take your puppy outside to get rid of that excess energy, and then they'll be able to focus again. Or they might need a nap and then they'll be able to focus again.

Speaker 1: 7:39

Thanks for listening today. You guys, have a great rest of your week, enjoy back to school time and we'll talk soon. Happy training. Thanks for tuning in to the Puppy Training Podcast. I hope today's tips help you feel more confident and excited about raising your dog. Remember, with a little patience and consistency, you can create a loving bond and a well-behaved pup who's a joy to have in your family. If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe, leave a review and share it with fellow puppy parents. For more resources, visit Baxter and Bella online. Until next time, happy training.