Dog owners know it: Many dogs have their wild five minutes in between: Then your dog races crazy across the house or through the garden. At first glance, this behavior may seem worrying, but your animal world explains why this is completely normal.
Just now your four-legged friend seems quite peaceful – and suddenly it jumps around as if stung by a tarantula. The technical term for these short-term disruptions is “frenetic random activity periods” (FRAP), ie frenetic, arbitrary periods of activity.
But that all sounds more serious than it actually is. For one thing, these bursts of energy are anything but rare in dogs. On the other hand, experts agree that dogs should calmly live out their crazy five minutes.
Marc Bekoff, professor emeritus for ecology and evolutionary biology, explains in “ Psychology Today ”: Going crazy is okay as long as the dog does not endanger himself or others. It doesn’t matter whether the four-legged friend chases its own tail or zigzags through the apartment.
In his experience, the worst possible consequences for dogs are a twisted ankle or shoulder.
Your dog is going crazy? No reason to worry!
Dog trainer Shelby Semel also reassures masters and mistresses. “There is no reason to be alarmed about it,” she explains to “The Dodo”. “The dogs only let out their energy , which has often built up over a longer period of time.”
Puppies and younger dogs are more often affected than older dogs. Sometimes joy or excitement is the trigger. For example, when their owners come home. Sometimes they let themselves be infected by another dog that is going crazy. Many dogs get especially excited after a bath. Others compensate for a lack of movement and turn up especially in the evening.
Make energy boosts safe for dogs
If you know your four-legged friend well and observe them closely, you will at some point be able to recognize the signs of one of its energy surges and secure the environment. It’s best to keep an eye on him to avoid possible accidents or collisions with others.
If possible, make your dog go nuts in an open environment. You can, for example, quickly send it to the garden for this purpose. Because large dogs can easily knock over objects, you should, for example, clear your coffee cup and other things from the coffee table when your four-legged friend whizzes through the living room. And of course you should make sure that young children are safe from your dog’s energy surges.
Conclusion: just let your dog enjoy his “madness”. Most dogs enjoy the energy boosts – otherwise they would stop doing it. It’s just a part of dog life that humans have to come to terms with.
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