Does your high-energy dog really need more? Or is all that energy just misunderstood?

If you have a high-energy Gundog breed and feel like they are constantly on and unable to switch off, you’re definitely not alone.  

I recently started working with a lovely young Cocker and her mum.  They walked miles and played fetch every day, but after a quick power nap she’d be pacing the house and just couldn’t settle, ever.  

This story is such a common one for the high-energy breeds I work with and it so often becomes a vicious cycle to become trapped in.

We see all this constant movement and energy and think they are bored, need more attention, more exercise, more ball chasing…then maybe they’ll settle. 

But often, we’re misinterpreting this inability to settle and the things we give them more of actually makes things worse.   

What helped this lovely young Cocker, along with so many other high-energy dogs I work with wasn’t more exercise, it was this…

Shorter, higher quality walks with a purpose

She wasn’t yet able to walk off lead safely and under control so we introduced a structured activity walk that allowed her to feel free from restraint (and frustration!) while giving her a job to do, challenging her mentally and meeting her needs. 

More guidance and structure at home 

We made it clear what was available to her and when so she wasn’t always living in constant expectation of activity and interaction which was causing her to feel stressed and frustrated.  We introduced quality activity sessions to break up her day and increased the amount of sleep she was getting. 

More independent activities to promote lower energy levels

We introduced slower-paced activities to promote relaxation and reduce dependency on her mum for activity and interaction…activities that helped her nervous system switch from the high-energy state it had become acclimatised to.  

Diet change from a low quality, high-carb kibble

We switched her diet from a highly-processed, high-carb kibble to a fresh natural diet, as this was likely exacerbating her difficulty to relax.

The diet change had a HUGE impact within a matter of days, and along with the other adjustments we made to her exercise and home life, things just continued to get better and better, and for the first time in her life, she was able to relax.

A dog that is constantly on the go is stressful for everyone, particularly the dog.  It isn’t a breed-trait, it's a sign that something isn’t right for them.  

Introducing structure to their walk, giving them a job to do and a purpose, is a great place to start and that's exactly what we cover in the Pet Gundog Life Skills course...amongst many other things!

With a small group of like-minded pet parents, you’ll learn how to transform their walks into engaging and constructive activity walks that truly satisfy them.  Click here to find out more.