Dogs are just naturally boisterous, excitable characters. However, if your dog is an out of control dynamo, it probably comes down to one of 3 things – not enough exercise, anxiety or leadership issues.

The good news is that these are all things that you can directly influence.

Curing Your Dog’s Boredom

A common factor for many over-excitable dogs is that they are simply bored. The dog gets no regular physical or mental stimulation. He lays around all day waiting for your return, and when you arrive he explodes into action.

Fortunately, the solution is simple – your dog needs to be exercised. All dogs, regardless of size need it, but very few get enough.

How much exercise does a dog need? Well that depends on the dog. Age, breed and health are all factors. Your little Peke will be quite happy with a stroll around the garden, but that’s just not going to cut it with a Lab, let alone a Border Collie.

Dealing with Separation Anxiety

Many dogs that suffer from separation anxiety are prone to over-excitement. This is a condition that afflicts many “home-alone” dogs. It can be a difficult issue to overcome, but there are changes you can make right away to start addressing the problem.

*Don’t Encourage the Behavior – For Starters you need to stop giving your dog attention when he is in an anxious, pumped up state. Ignore the dog completely until he has calmed down, then, and only then, give attention and affection.

*Mix-up Your Routine – Dogs pay a lot of attention to your habits. Your dog will know in great detail, the drill you go through each time you leave the house. You may not even be aware of it, but your dog is, and every time he notices it, his separation anxiety is triggered.

*Limit Access – Don’t give your dog the run of the house when you’re away, restrict him to a smaller area. You may even want to consider training your dog to stay in a dog crate when you’re not around.*Keep him Occupied – Last but not least, give him something to do while you’re away. A chew toy, or a couple of treats hidden around the room should do the trick.

Provide Leadership

A dog that is uncertain of his place in the pack hierarchy will always be anxious, because he’s not sure how to behave. What can you do about it? Give him some basic obedience training like “sit”, “stay” and “down”.

The benefits of training go way beyond simple obedience. Training is a great way to provide your dog with mental stimulation, and it also leaves him in no doubt as to who is in charge. This will naturally have a calming effect on the dog.

Applying these 3 principles will have a noticeable effect on your dog’s hyper-active behavior. Keep in mind that not all dogs were created equal. Some dogs (and some breeds) are just by nature more boisterous than others.

Read more about dog obedience training, dog anatomy, dog health and other interesting dog information at www.dogsanddogtraining.com.