Is Your Dog Hyperactive or Overly-Excited?

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An Excited Dog is Not A Happy Dog

There is a common misconception that many humans have about dogs which is that “An excited dog is a happy dog”. This could not be farther from the truth.

The reason this is a common belief is that oftentimes when a human is excited, they are also happy at the same time.  Dogs are different psychologically than humans in many ways, this being one of them.

When dogs are overly-excited, that emotion is paired with anxiety. When you understand that, it helps you understand that a dog who is excited is not a happy dog. This really helps you to stop reinforcing this state of mind.

Dogs repeat behaviours and states of mind that they receive positive reinforcement for.

The vast majority of dogs you see who appear to be hyperactive are actually not like that naturally. This behaviour is almost always created by the pet parents. 
Dogs repeat behaviours and states of mind that they receive positive reinforcement for. Positive reinforcement for a dog can be as simple as attention of any kind from their human. They will learn quickly that if they are over-excited or obnoxious, that they are much more likely to get attention than if they were calm and sitting by themselves minding their own business. 

Your State of Mind can affect your dogs behaviour

To learn more about how your state of mind can affect your dogs behaviour click here.

This is why we see so many dogs that have become ‘over socialized’, meaning that they have learned that every time they see another human or dog, if they get overly excited and start jumping and pulling on the leash, that they will inevitably get attention from them. 

In order to stop this cycle, you must first figure out what it is your dog is getting out of being this way. If attention is the answer, you must make sure that when they are like this you are not giving the attention they seek. 

There are many different techniques to how to do this. Each dog will be different in which methods are successful in helping them understand this concept. What is for sure, is that if your dog is exhibiting a behaviour you don’t like, using treats at that moment is likely to make them believe that this behaviour is what leads to them getting a treat. Dogs are far too intelligent for this, and will always figure out the pattern that leads them to the food. 
This is why a one size fits all training methodology just doesn’t cut it. It really depends on your dog’s personality on what will and will not work.
Kristina and dogs

When working with dogs who are overly excited (or who have what's called impulse control issues), I use a lot of calming exercises that will help your dog learn how to calm themselves when they get this way. Many dogs with this issue really struggle to turn off their excitement when they get this way, and so it is up to us to teach them how to do it.

Kristina Rapson
The Hairy Dogmother
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  • If you have an ANXIOUS dog with NO FOOD DRIVE, please try Kristina's method!!!!! I wish I could give Kristina more stars, and let her training service be known by every rescue organization in the city. We went to our first training session 12 days agao, and we are amazed at how much our rescue dog, Yara, has improved. Here's Yara's story: We adopted Yara about a year ago. She is the sweetest girl at home! However, she is extremely anxious. She is also NOT food-motivated AT ALL! We have found no dog treats or human food that can grab her attention when we're outside, even when she is not in the barking mode. We believe this is why all the previous positive-reinforcement-based training attempts FAILED, even with anti-anxiety suppplements/ CBD oil/ pheromone collar. We cannot communicate with her what we want her to do, since she can't be bothered with the treats or the high-pitch baby talk. When we contacted Kristina, we explicitly requested to train with no food reward at all. After using the method Kristina taught us for just the 12 short days, Yara has stopped barking at random dogs on walk completely. She has also stopped pulling on her leash. She now exhibits much less guarding behaviour in the dog park towards dogs outside. She plays with us more at home, and she is less anxious in general. The most important part is we think she starts to trust and understand our instructions more! She's still have some issues to work through, e.g. she still barks if the elevator door opens, and another big dog magically appears right in front of her. We are confident that we can work with Kristina to help her overcome all her issues! We were on the verge of giving up before we contacted Kristina, but we're so glad that we did not! If positive-reinforcement-only methods are not working for your dog, please try Kristina's method. Thank you, Kristina! We look forward to our next session.

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  • Kristina has been a constant resource in my now two-year old puppy's life - both my pup and I love working with her. She's patient, kind, and always willing to go beyond your session to offer advice or help. I've enjoyed working with her and will continue to use her help whenever there is something that needs adjusting. Thank you Kristina from all of us!! 🙂

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  • After only 2 sessions with Kristina, the owner of Hairy Tales, my 3 year old 'COVID' dog is well on his way from being a hyper, anxious, reactive leash-tugger to a loose-leash, non-reactive, well mannered dog. Let's be honest - most training is 'training the owner' on how to take control and manage their dog but the benefits I see in my own dog is amazing. I could not have come this far without Kristina's guidance. My dog is now calmer, less reactive to squirrels & other dogs and is well on his way to learning how to behave when visitors come into our home. It's about consistency, having the right tools and having a great teacher. Kristina takes the time to understand you and your dog; explains and teaches how to modify their behaviour (and your own) so that your dog can be a dog and not a pest. Every day, the improvements are amazing and I couldn't be more impressed. My only regret is I didn't know about Kristina earlier. Thank you Kristina for changing my life with Finnegan - AND Finnegan thanks you too!

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  • Working with Kristina has done wonders for my dog’s on-leash reactivity to other dogs. Before meeting with Kristina, my dog was very reactive - barking and becoming very anxious at the sight or sound of any dog. Taking my dog out in public had become a stressful and anxiety inducing affair for both me and my dog. Across three sessions, Kristina showed me how to set up more consistent boundaries at home for my dog and manage my dog’s behavior on leash. After each session, Kristina shared detailed notes and was available for follow up questions - she was always considerate and approachable. My dog showed a ton of improvement after two months of consistently applying Kristina’s lessons and now, at the three month mark, has virtually no signs of reactive behavior. She can calmly pass by other dogs on the same sidewalk, is unfazed by other dogs barking at her, and confidently enjoys herself at the dog park. My relationship with my dog is so much better after working with Kristina. Thank you very much Kristina!

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  • As a first time dog owner, Kristina gives me all the tools I needed to best support my pup! She is super knowledgable and understanding of my pups needs and has so many helpful resources. She is also great with humans - professional, kind, and easy to work with. She has checked in with me throughout my training journey making me feel very supported!

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  • Kristina trained my brother’s rambunctious lab mix who is extremely well behaved. So she came highly recommended. We first went to her a month after bringing home our second dog. The day after our first session, we had a completely different dog. Today, the day after our second session, we were stopped at the park by someone complimenting us on how well our dogs were behaved and wanting a referral. 100% would recommend to anyone looking for a well balanced dog.

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  • There's a good reason Kristina has 82-now 83- five star reviews here. My partner and I have been with her for just one session with our two rescue doggos and already she has helped us more than all the googling and unsolicited advice possibly could. She offers clear, concise instructions without shaming you for not knowing this as some trainers can. She is always paying close attention to the pups without making you feel ignored and uses those small moments that occur in sessions as only a professional like her could pinpoint as a learning experience for us, and teachable moments for the furry ones. We are absolutely thrilled and are looking forward to continuing this with her!

    Gideon Ruttimann-Hoskins Avatar Gideon Ruttimann-Hoskins

  • We had our first session with Kristina today. She is incredibly knowledgeable on dog behaviour and helps you understand why certain behaviours are happening and what they really mean. The corrections she suggested really helped our dog in the first 90 minutes and we are looking forward to our next lesson and Marley’s progress! Thank you Kristina!

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  • I honestly cannot recommend Kristina’s services enough. As an experienced dog owner, I did not anticipate the issues of anxiety and aggression that showed up early in my chihuahua-mix’s personality. Kristina is the third or fourth trainer I have consulted with over the 2 years I have had Banjo, and I am feeling so much relief over our progress after our first 3 sessions. Kristina listens, she understands our issues, she has validated my concerns, and most importantly has given me clear, practical and actionable instructions for helping Banjo become a more confident and calm little dude. To be clear, this is WORK, but she has given me so much confidence and direction, and I’m clearly seeing it in my dogs behaviour. I have texted her between sessions with specific behaviours or concerns, and she has come back with real solutions that I can incorporate into our training plan immediately. All the stars for Kristina! She has made me feel confident for the first time in 2 years that Banjo has a much happier and calmer future ahead - and that I don’t have to live my life walking on egg shells.

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  • My 1 year old Chihuahua has been working with Kristina at Hairy Tales Training for just over a month now. It's incredible to see the progress he is making though practicing his clearly listed homework duties that Kristina provides for us. She is quick to respond to any questions I have had throughout my dogs training and is true pleasure to work with.

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