How to calm a hyper dog on walks?

Start by standing still and quiet. Allow your dog the full length of their lead. Remain still and quiet when your dog is ignoring you, but the split second he pays attention to you, praise him and give him a treat. Once you have your dog's attention, you can move off - use your voice and treats to encourage your dog to stay close to you when walking. Always reward your dog when they're walking on a loose lead. If your dog moves too far away from you before the lead goes tight, stop and be still and quiet until they pay attention and move closer to you. Make the area around you fun and rewarding so that your dog enjoys being closer to you. Lots of encouragement through praise and treats will stop him racing to his destination. Walking around distractions can cause dogs to pull. Place something on the floor your dog would like to get to, such as a toy. If your dog pulls on the lead to get towards the toy, stop and call them towards you. Their reward for walking on a loose lead is getting to the toy. This way, the dog learns that pulling slows things down.

If you think your dog is simply over-stimulated and not anxious, the best thing to do is to try and change the environment, go to a calmer environment to help set your dog up for success, and start walking them on a longer leash. A calmer environment coupled with a longer leash will allow them to explore, sniff, and let loose a bit more than a restricted 6 ft leash in a highly over-stimulating environment. It might seem counterintuitive, but giving your dog more space and time will help to calm their nervous system. Personally, with dogs like this, I will use a 25-35 ft long line and walk at their pace to let them get what they are looking for from their environment. If you can’t change the physical environment, try changing the time of day or duration of the walk. Sometimes we walk our dogs at the worst time for them, when it’s especially crowded, noisy and over stimulating. If you have to take your dog out during those times, go for a shorter period of time. Use treats for a sniff break If your dog is starting to act too over-excited, find a patch of grass, grab a handful of small but high-value treats and scatter them into the grass for your dog to sniff and eat. Sniffing helps to lower the heart rate and provides your dog an outlet for normal behaviour that we’re often suppressing. Take a break from fetching during walks If part of your walk routine involves throwing a ball for your ball-obsessed dog, you might want to take a break from ball throwing. Finally, teaching your dog some loose-leash walking skills will ultimately help them focus more on you and less on what is over-stimulating them.

If your dog pulls and paces excessively, they might need additional support to feel more comfortable. Dogs that pull like a freight train or zigzag at the end of the leash might be experiencing stress. This behavior often indicates that they are overwhelmed and have activated their flight response. By being attentive to your dog's body language and behaviour, you can help create a more positive walking experience for both you and your pup. If your dog's scavenging or hunting seems out of control, it could be a sign of underlying stress. Dogs engaging in frenetic sniffing are often difficult to redirect and seem desperate to gather information. If your dog's head is constantly whipping around, they might be feeling stressed. A reduced interest in reinforcers such as food and play often indicates that your dog's nervous system is under stress. Consider consulting with a certified dog behavior consultant for guidance and support.