How to calm a dog when they are overstimulated?
Nikita Osinski
2025-07-31 14:21:21
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Decrease exposure to stimuli.
A simple way pet parents can reduce the chances of sensory overload is to ensure their dog gets plenty of exercise and mental stimulation throughout the day.
Mental and physical stimulation help dogs relax and may make them less likely to become overstimulated when exposed to external stimuli.
Socialization should occur in a controlled setting under close supervision, ideally with a handler for each dog.
It's important to keep interactions calm and low-key since high-energy interactions can cause can intensify a dog's response and increase the likelihood of sensory overload.
Many behaviorists suggest counterconditioning, a form of behavior modification, to address overstimulation in dogs.
The idea behind counterconditioning is to create new mental associations that encourage the dog to respond positively to their triggers.
Dogs with severe reactivity or very low thresholds for external stimuli may benefit from Behavioral Adjustment Training (BAT), a more advanced behavior modification method.
BAT encourages dogs to ignore sensory information that typically elicits a negative response.
Lydia Mayert
2025-07-23 00:01:59
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When your dog becomes overly excited and jumps on you, turn away and ask your dog to sit. Once they do it, praise them and reinforce what you want by rewarding them with something they love, like a treat or petting them. By ignoring the behaviour you don’t want, in this case, your dog jumping on you, you are ensuring you are not reinforcing that behaviour. Ignore the behaviour: When your dog begins to jump up or become overexcited, turn away from them and ignore the behaviour. Ask your dog to sit and stay: For this to work, your dog should already be trained to understand the sit and stay cues. Once they do it, reinforce the behaviour by praising and rewarding them with a treat or petting them. Teach them alternate behaviour by redirecting their attention away from the stimulus and offering a reward your dog loves. Tossing a treat interrupts behaviour and moves the dog away from the person, this gives them time to move away. Tossing treats also keeps the dog’s head and feet down, so they learn good things are on the ground.
Cruz O'Connell
2025-07-22 23:34:46
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If your dog is exhibiting signs of overstimulation in a chaotic or unfamiliar environment, such as a busy park or during a loud thunderstorm, it's likely that they are overwhelmed by the stimuli around them. Overstimulated dogs may appear tense and agitated, with a stiff body posture and dilated pupils. To determine whether your dog is overstimulated or bored, consider the context in which these behaviours are occurring. If your dog is displaying these behaviours when there is a lack of mental or physical stimulation, such as during long periods of inactivity or when left alone for extended periods, boredom may be the culprit. Another way to differentiate between overstimulation and boredom is to observe your dog's body language.
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