Emotions are not just for humans, dogs have a ton of emotions, they can be happy, sad, excited, and even depressed. Similar to us, dogs associate emotions with certain situations that make them react, depending on how they feel.
They can feel anger towards another dog, or attraction to another dog of the opposite gender, dogs are creatures that feel and act based on how they feel.
Managing the emotions of dogs is a long topic to talk about. In this article we will be focusing on one specific emotion that somehow leads dogs to do things that can go either positively or negatively.
That emotion is excitement. Excited dogs are seen as happy, and even cute, but when dogs get too excited, they may do things that can cause some problems with their dog parents.
For the most part, excited dogs are happy dogs. If your dog has a history of being aggressive, it can be more concerning. But as long as you know your dog, you should be able to tell if his excited state is a result of aggression or just plain old excitement.
Being a dog parent involves observing and always watching over your dog in order to assess fully the kind of excitement that your dog is feeling.
If it is plain old excitement then you do not need to change it. We love excited dogs, who exhibit their feelings in safe ways, but if your dog becomes aggressive then this should be looked into and may even need professional help.
If the excitement your dog is displaying is worrying you, though, there are a few things you can do to calm him down and keep everyone safe.
Your Dog Takes Its Cues From You
If you get hyped up and get excited, your dog will feed off of that energy and he’ll get even more excited.
If you start to act like something is wrong, your dog’s behavior can quickly go from happy and excited to scared or over-protective. And then you have a bigger problem.
So tip #1 is to stay calm and don’t let your dog see you get upset. You’d be surprised how much your dog picks up from you, even when you don’t realize you’re showing any emotion.
Your dog can pick up on emotions you don’t even know you have yet. So keep your own feelings and behavior in check, and you can head off a situation before it even starts.
Being too reactive as a dog parent will not do any good for you or your dog. It is best to assess the situation first and stay calm so as not to make your dog feel aggressive. Instead, they will know that there is no danger and that everything is okay!
Redirect His Attention
If you see something before your dog does, and you know it’s something your dog reacts strongly to, try to head the situation off before it starts.
For example, there’s a woman in my neighborhood who has mobility issues and 2 small dogs. She “walks” them every day in a motorized wheelchair. For whatever reason, this motorized wheelchair drives my dogs crazy.
If I’m out walking my dog, I’m always keeping an eye out for things that can set him off, so I usually see her coming before my dog does. I turn him around and redirect his attention somewhere else.
This way I completely avoid a situation where my dog gets super-hyper, which makes her dogs get overly excited, and then she and I are each stuck trying to control our excited dogs. If you can avoid the situation completely, that’s the best-case scenario.
Animal conflict is one thing that dog parents do not want, no matter how much you dislike your neighbor. Because it can lead to injury for one of the dogs if left unchecked.
We need to be good stewards of our beloved dogs and make sure that they are unharmed and living a joyful and conflict-free life in the neighborhood.
You Are In Control
Remember, you are in control of your dog, not the other way around. If you know your dog is friendly, you can allow someone to approach, but be aware and don’t let the situation get out of control.
If your dog is large, be very careful that his rambunctiousness doesn’t cause injury. Even the friendliest dog in the world can knock a person over if they’re allowed to get too rambunctious.
Do not let your dog’s emotions take control of them, you need to properly guide them and make sure that they will not cause harm to others and to their own self.
Make sure that your dog knows this too, that you are in control of the situation, and you will not let strangers do anything harmful to them. If your dog shows aggression, then it may be best to not let other people touch them if they are not comfortable.
Be in control and make sure that your dog knows that you care for them and will not let anything bad happen to them.
Remember – An Excited Dog Isn’t Scary
Just because a dog is excited, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s aggressive or that there’s a problem. If your dog has any history of aggression whatsoever, you absolutely must be on guard all the time, but most dogs don’t have this issue.
A dog who is excitedly jumping around is usually just happy to see the object of their excitement. But it’s up to you to control the situation and make sure that your dog doesn’t take any negative cues from you.
We want our dogs to be happy and excited about things that are worth this positive emotion instead of happy memories turning into bad ones.
As dog parents it is an important duty to care for our dog’s health and well-being. Being triggered by too much excitement that causes aggression can be harmful to their mental health, since they would feel that their positive reaction is causing harm, and this is not good.
It is best to fully relate to the emotions of our dogs and make sure that we know what they are feeling if it is normal excitement or aggression.
Allow time before you let your dog outside where there are a lot of situations that can cause a dangerous situation. If you are confident that your take can survive going outside for a simple walk without being triggered by negative emotions.
Always put the safety of you and your dog first, if it is better to bond at home then it can be a better option.
Stay calm, don’t act nervous, don’t let your dog think you’re upset for any reason, and remember to keep control of the situation. Put the safety of your dog first and create happy memories and not the opposite.
Please leave a comment below or let me know any questions you have. I’d love to hear what you think!
Do you want to calm your overly excited dog down and listen to you? CLICK HERE to watch this FREE Step-by-Step Video from Doggy Dan’s Program!
Your tips were very helpful indeed, my 2 boy dogs ( chilhauhau’s) are very sensitive to people going past our house they both bark! They also are very active & exceedingly happy wee dogs! I always try to stay very calm in all situations! Excellent advice/ many thanks!
Thanks! I hope to provide a lot more value and content in the future!
I loved this article. It matches whay my trainer says, but gives me the info in a new way, to deepen my understanding. Thank you!
I am glad you liked this article!
How do you keep control a dog who loves everyone? For example I was letting her in the house & I didn’t know she had come in she came around the corner and almost jumped her arms. She an miniature Aussie & weighs in about 30 pounds. She loves my friend but she’s loves even strangers when I have her leash she’s wants to see them, herd them and play she’s happy with all dogs too. Wants to be friends She’s extremely happy but sometimes crazy excited. She’s 11 months old. Any immediate advice? We love her very but need to how corral that energy that all herding dogs have. Thanks
We had a bad experience walking our excitable but usualy very friendly 11 month old Kelpie-cross on a public footpath along a very busy road. There were houses behind big fences and suddenly a big dog behind a fence, started barking very aggressively at us. Our dog responded with equally aggressive barking and I couldn’t move her as she’s very strong. I had to try to pick her up and drag her to get past the other dog. I certainly didn’t remain calm unfortunately and I dread something like this happening again.
Do you have any ideas to help with a situation like this please?