Puppies are nearly always high-energy dogs that need a lot of exercise and stimulation to tire them out.
So if you want to get your pooch worn out before bed, we have shared a list of 12 ways to tire out your pup.
Let’s take a look at the list and then examine each idea in more detail:
Twelve Great Ways of Tiring Out a Puppy
- Dog Obedience Training.
- Play Fetch (Uphill if Possible).
- Give the Young Dog Some Puzzle Toys.
- Play Fight With Your Pet Pup.
- Take Them for a Walk.
- Buy a Bubble Making Machine.
- Play Tug of War.
- Take Them to Puppy Class.
- Give the Puppy Plenty of Chew Toys.
- Let them Interact with Other People.
- Take Them to the Dog Park.
- Get Another Dog!
NOTE – Working breeds (Collies, Spaniels, Labradors, etc.) are often very higher energy than other breeds, so you might want to bear that in mind when thinking of what breed of puppy to adopt.
Dog Obedience Training
One-on-one dog training sessions are a great way of giving your dog more mental stimulation to help make them calmer and more tired.
The most important thing here is to make training sessions fun for the dog, give them lots of treats as you teach your dog new behaviors and cool tricks.
Just be sure that the treats are somewhat wholesome, as you don’t want to be filling up your dog with sugar and awful by-products.
Play Fetch (Uphill if Possible)
Playing fetch with your puppy is a great way to get them exercising if you can do it uphill even better. Even just a few minutes of intense effort can have them panting for breath.
Even if you can just throw the tennis ball up your stairs and make them fetch it, you will tire them out much more than you would with them running on the flat.
NOTE – Obviously, giving your dog exercise and keeping your puppy active isn’t just good for tiring them out. It’s also vital for their physical and mental well-being.
Give The Young Dog Some Puzzle Toys
Puzzle toys are an excellent way of stimulating your dog’s mind.
Typically you hide treats in the toys, and then the puppy has to figure out how to get them out of the toy so they can munch on them.
As the dog learns each new toy, they are mentally engaged. Over time you can use harder toys to stretch their mind even more.
Play Fight With Your Pet Pup
A well-exercised dog is much more likely to be a well-behaved (and happy dog) when you want them to be.
Play fighting with your puppy is an entertaining way to help them burn off some of their excess energy levels.
NOTE – Play fighting with your puppy is a healthy thing to do, but if they get too excitable or aggressive, you should stop and let them calm down before things get out of hand.
Take Them for a Walk
This one is self-explanatory but well worth mentioning, and it is also worth noting that long walks aren’t just good for your dog’s body. They are also good for your dog’s mental and emotional well-being.
Buy a Bubble Making Machine
You can buy a kids toy that churns out dozens of bubbles per minute for just a few bucks on sites like Amazon.
Most puppies will happily spend their time causing the bubbles (again and again and again).
Play Tug of War
Knotted ropes are an excellent toy to playing tug of war with your pet puppy.
The rope is strong enough to last but soft enough to protect their young teeth.
Take Them to Puppy Class
There are so many benefits from taking your puppy to an organized training class.
There are so many benefits from taking your puppy to an organized training class.
The pup gets to work hard, learn new tricks and skills. They also get to socialize with lots of other dogs and people.
You get to meet other dog owners, you get to see all the other puppies, and of course, you get the added benefit of tiring out your puppy.
Give the Puppy Plenty of Chew Toys
This one isn’t going to be super effective, but occupying the dog’s brain with mental exercise will wear them out and put them in a calmer, less frantic state of mind.
Let them Interact with Other People
If you can either invite family or friends around to your house or take the puppy to visit someone else’s home, you will be able to tire them out.
Why? You are not a novelty, but other people are, so they will get more excited and burn through more of their energy due to increased stimulation levels.
Take Them to the Dog Park
Once again, assuming your puppy is fully up to date with their vaccinations and has been well socialized.
Letting them run wild at the dog park is a great idea. It’s great exercise and a really effective way of tiring them out.
Get Another Dog!
Ok, to be honest, we are only half-serious with one. Obviously, it’s an extreme length to go to tire out your puppy!
However, there is a serious point to it. Dogs thrive from canine companionship. If you have two or more dogs, they will play together during the day and burn off some of their excess energy.
Alternatively, you might already have a cat or two that the dog can play with, but don’t force anything. The animals need to be introduced and become friends naturally. This is a gradual process so that everyone feels comfortable.
How to Clam Down a Hyper Dog or Puppy?
For some more useful advice, check out this video from professional dog trainer Zak George.
He teaches a great method for getting your pup to calm down quickly, its a super useful new trick to have in your arsenal, as you teach your pup some good manners!
Ok, that is all we have for this post. If you have a high-energy dog, we hope that the advice we have shared helps them become a tired dog!
Obviously, physical exercise and mental stimulation are key here. A daily walk (longer walks are better when you can), lots of playing, and plenty of love will help chill your young, exuberant puppy out!
It’s up to you now. You have to try and tire out your dog and see how much exercise it takes to wear them out.
Thanks for reading, and good luck with the new pup!
PS – Most dogs calm down as they reach adulthood, and then daily walks, and some play sessions with their favorite toy are usually enough to keep them calm and generate good behavior.
