For a while, you’ve been noticing that your Bulldog is being super energetic and hyper, running around the house. At first, you thought it is normal and lively but now it is starting to worry you and you want to know what is actually causing your Bulldog’s hyperactivity.
So really, why is my Bulldog so hyper?
Well, a Bulldog gets hyperactive because it must have a lot of energy stored that has not been spent on enough activity or the dog lacks attention from you and sometimes, it may be to please you too which means if you react more positively as the dog acts super crazy, that makes the dog crave more reactions from you since positive reactions equal attention and affection of their favorite human.
However, it is more common to see hyperactivity in younger Bulldogs than older ones since older dogs get lazier as they age. Usually, the next stage of a hyperactive dog’s behavior can get pretty destructive. They will not only run and jump around but also knock things down, chew on all kinds of things especially shoes and will barely listen to your commands.
Here is an in-detail explanation to all the causes of your bulldog’s hyperactivity
Due to not spending the stored energy
A bulldog usually eats quite a decent amount of foods and since this dog breed is inherently less active than most other dog breeds, it will be quite easy for them to store energy and release them all at once at a certain time.
This happens when you do not make the dog do its daily activities and since the dog is already lazy if you also did not make him/her do some activities, it will just not do any at all.
So, taking your Bulldog out for walks, playing in the yard such as fetch and accompanying the dog with you on a quick hike are great ways to help the doggo burn some calories and spend the stored fuel. However, about an hour of activity would be optimal.
Craving attention from you
Bulldogs are known for being companion dogs. So, if you have been leaving the dog alone in the house for too long, it can change their behavior. Thus, they would start to show those behavioral changes through reactions such as being hyperactive even when you are at home with him/her or not.
And with their overly-excited behavior, even the tiniest reaction from you can make them happy. Therefore, they would try all kinds of ways to get your attention. One of those ways is running around the house, causing a ruckus.
So just make sure to spend quality time with your Bulldog. Pet and play with him/her more instead of positively reacting to its hyperactivity. So that the doggo will not feel the need to do crazy stuff for you to notice them.
Not feeling satisfied with the foods they eat (Or the amount for that matter)
Sometimes, your Bulldog might not like a certain food you are feeding them. Let’s say, you changed the brand of its dog food to a new one, the dog might not like that new one and show it’s disapproval to the change in foods in a behavioral change such as acting hyper or starting to eat less.
Another thing is the amount, if the dog feels it wants more foods and what they ate is not enough, they will show their dissatisfaction by also being hyperactive. This one is kind of like what we humans, behave like when we are hungry and angry at the same time
So re-check the dog’s diet and make sure he/she is eating sufficiently and actually likes what you are feeding them.
Got scared of something inside the house
It can be a traumatizing event that has scared the dog. So now, it feels fearful all the time and as a result, the dog might behave strangely such as being hyperactive.
This can be like a phobia, making the dog feel uneasy and anxious of a particular thing in your house such as a furniture that looks like a scary monster at night when the lights are turned off. If you have notice the dog acting even more hyper at night, then surely, it is due to the darkness and something delusional is making the dog feel unsafe.
You can help the dog by comforting it a lot. Every time your bulldog starts to act crazy, just cuddle and pet or keep the dog close to you. Also, at night, let the doggo sleep in your room for a while until it forgets about whatever makes it feel anxious in the house.
At what age will my Bulldog calm down?
When a Bulldog is around 4 to 5 years old, it starts to be less hyperactive because the younger puppies are the most energetic but still calming down a Bulldog fully is almost impossible, they will show their bouncy and lively spirit one way or another. However, you can help them calm down for sure
How to calm down my Bulldog?
Well there are a number of ways you can do this. I already mentioned some under a few of the above sections but let me give you more of a crystal-clear idea on the best ways to calm down the dog.
Let me walk you through the ones I mentioned above again and then get into the new ones:
Spending the stored energy – More exercise is the best for this. Make the dog be more active and burn some calories. So that the dog will not have energy stored in to be hyperactive later on.
Show your attention more – When the dog feels it is not getting enough of your affection, it will do crazy stuff to get your attention. So before it gets to that point, show affection and tenderness.
The hunger is not satisfied or dislike the foods – The dog might show its dissatisfaction of not feeling a full stomach through hyperactivity. It can also be due to not liking the foods it eats. Just make sure the dog is eating enough and likes what it eats.
Anxiety or fear – Something might have scared the dog inside the house such as a shadow of furniture at night in the darkness. So now it makes the dog feel unsafe and hyperactive. Keep the dog close in your arms and let him/her sleep in your room for a while whenever the dog starts acting aggressive or scared at something in the house.
Toys
No matter how intelligent a dog breed is, when it comes to toys, they always get distracted. So try buying some new toys for the dog to chew on and play with.
Your Bulldog will effortlessly forget what it was doing and put all its attention towards the toys.
Training
You can train any dog to obey basics commands such as come, heel, no, off, stay, down and Sit but you can also train a Bulldog to calm itself down.
For example, let’s say some guests came over to your house and your dog started acting super bouncy. Well, with a simple command, you can get the dog to calm down.
But if you did not teach the dog how to behave in such situations, they will come up with their own solutions such as being hyper.
So, try to train the dog as early as possible, the younger the dog, the easier it is to train them.
Another dog pal
If there is another dog around, then that can greatly help your Bulldog put their hyperactive behavior aside and focus on playing with its buddy.
But first, make sure the dog is used to being with other dogs and then, let them interact with each other and become best pals hopefully.
Can I give my Bulldogs medications to calm down?
Yes, if the hyperactivity in your Bulldog got severe, you can try giving medications such as Alprazolam, Buspirone and Clomipramine but these anxiety medications could have side effects which are not the best for the overall health of the dog.
Mental stimulation such as outdoor activities and giving your attention to the dog is the best to try at first but if the dog’s condition gets worsened, then giving medications is suitable.
Final Thoughts
It is safe to say that any Bulldog breed could come across this behavioral change and perhaps, it can even be the normal behavior of a Bulldog from its birth. So it is essential to know that you can not entirely stop a Bulldog from being hyperactive but can help them be calm and less hyper by doing things such as showing more affection and kindness, make the dog be more active, give new toys and train him/her to calm down on command.
