Dog super hyper

[myrna522]

can animals take adderall?

[Ghilly]

There are many things that need to be considered before labeling a dog "hyper".  What breed of dog or mix of breeds is s/he?  How old is s/he?  What are your living arrangenents, in other words, do you live in a house with a fenced yard or in an apartment?  How often do you walk her or him?  How long are the walks?  Do you have regular, scheduled playtimes?  Do you do anything with him or her like obedience training or agility or flyball?

This might end up being long, but I feel that it's necessary to say what I am going to say, not only for your benefit, but also for the benefit of anyone who may be considering getting a dog.

The first thing to consider when getting a dog is the breed of the dog and what it was bred for in the first place.  Too many of us get dogs because we like the look of the dog or the breed without giving any consideration whatsoever to the requirements of that breed.  Just because we like the look of a dog doesn't mean we live in an environment that is suitable for that breed, and if our environment is unsuitable for the breed we choose, it is a given that misery, on both the part of the owner and on the part of the dog, is a given.

If you love Border Collies because they are so wonderful to watch when they work sheep or so athletic when they fly through the air after a frisbee, but you live in an apartment with no yard and nowhere to exercise the dog, you are doomed for failure as a dog/owner pairing.  High drive, high instinct breeds are bred to live in the environment they were bred for, and in the absence of cattle and sheep to work, these dogs will go stir crazy if they are confined to a house or apartment day after day after day.  This craziness will manifest itself as hyperactivity and the working dog that doesn't have a "job" to do will then invent a job for himself to do, and when the dogs are the ones who come up with the jobs to do, the outcome is never good.  The energy that would normally be burned off during the day herding cows, sheep, goats or geese will now become nothing more than an obnoxious behavior to the person who lives in the city or suburbs and things will be chewed and destroyed, holes will be dug, chronic recreational barking could result, and, at worst, the dog can become totally neurotic and live a miserable life because his instincts, which he cannot help having, are not being used and his energy, which genetically is meant to be boundless, is not properly channeled.  

Just because a dog is small doesn't mean he isn't meant to work.  Parson Russell Terriers have extremely high prey drive as they were bred originally to rid places of vermin (mice and rats).  Their instincts tell them to chase and kill small, furry animals.  Again, instinct cannot be helped and it is very difficult to overcome.  And it CERTAINLY will not go away if you just ignore it.  But people who watched Frasier on television for many years will get a Parson Russell Terrier because they fell in love with Eddie, and then become enraged when the dog knocks over their kid's hamster cage and kills the hamster.  Or chases and ends up killing one of their cats, after all, cats are small, furry animals and a dog with the instinct to chase and kill small furries cannot discern between a rat, a squirrel or a cat.  They're small, they're furry and they move quickly.  All the criteria are met.  

There are some large breeds that are more suitable for apartment and small house life than many smaller dogs.  Just because they are large doesn't mean they need to run, run, run in order to be happy, and just because a breed is small doesn't mean it is meant to be a lapdog.  So before people just go ahead and buy a dog, they need to do their research and if the history behind the breed's development and its reason for being a breed in the first place doesn't meet the person's lifestyle, then the only reasonable thing to do is to not get that dog.  

Inasmuch as a person CAN just go into a pet store or respond to a newspaper ad and, as long as they have the required amount of money, buy the dog of their choice, owning a dog is ETHICALLY not a right as much as it is a privilege.  Someone should NEVER purchase or adopt a dog just because they can without considering the needs of that particular breed.  And if the person is unable to meet those needs, then if they truly love animals, they should overlook that breed in favor of one that better suits their lifestyle.  To get a breed that doesn't suit your lifestyle is basically the same as trying to keep a horse in a broom closet.  You might be able to cram him in there, but he's going to be miserable and so is everyone who comes into contact with him since his whole world is a place where he is out of place.  

Now if someone has done their research and has gotten a breed that suits their lifestyle and their ownership abilities and it's simply a matter of the individual dog having issues that need to be addressed, that is something entirely different.  The sad thing, however, is that animals rarely have problems, and especially behavioral problems, that are not created by the humans in their lives.  So many "hyper" dogs really are not hyper, they are just displaying the instincts that their breed was bred to display, and they don't need to be medicated, they simply need to be in the proper environment for that breed.

I am looking forward to reading your answers to my questions.  Hopefully this is something that can be worked on and a workable solution for everyone can be arrived at.  In any case, I hope that you take this post in the spirit in which it was intended, and that is to educate and inform.  I in no way intended to insult or belittle, I just stated facts.  

Ghilly

[ginger899]

I agree with LMNO...many times what we call a "hyper" dog is really a healthy energetic dog with either not enough training or not enough exercise -or both. Dogs do naturally have good energy, and are built to run, walk and play. Let's not forget that however they seem, they are still related to wolves, who will walk and trot at least 20 miles a day!

Before thinking of going down the "drugs" route, try a good walk/run off-leash/retrieve ball, frisbee, etc....for at LEAST 45 minutes twice or three times a day.

My dog is getting on in years now, but still has her need for healthy exercise, and I do believe that has contributed greatly to her young appearance and condition. She has a poop/pee walk (15 minutes) first thing, then a couple of hours later, I take her for a good proper walk (1 or 2 hours) then she rests while I work, or goes in and out of the garden. Later in the afternoon, she goes for another 1-2 hour walk, and then another short one in the evening a couple of hours after dinner (about 20 minutes) She has always had the same -or similar -routine. And has no problem relaxing in the evening, and sleeping at night.

It also might help if you can switch her food to one that does not contain food additives, and especially colourings. A good healthy food will help a lot.

[Caryopteris]

You can get Rescue Remedy for dogs at pet stores or on line.  

[el_em_en_oh]

In a word... NO.

Dogs cannot and should not be given Adderall.

Talk to your vet about anti-anxiety treatment for your pet. There ARE medications available, or, it may be as simple as changing his/her diet, and/or exercising him/her more often.

You'd be AMAZED at how far a trip to your local dog-park will go, when it comes to taking the "hyper" out of your dog!