Tips if your dog is a bit too over – enthusiastic on walks

5 August 2024

Of course you love seeing your dog’s tongue lolling out happily and enthusiastically on a walk and take great joy in seeing them whizzing around and having fun. However, sometimes a dog’s enthusiasm levels sky rocket and if they can’t slow down they can sometimes knock into you or other passers by just by running towards you, or jumping up. This can lead to pain and injuries – something that we all want to avoid.



Why think about this, is there anything I can do?


There are several reasons a dog may be showing ‘wired’ or ‘hyped’ up behaviour on a walk. Here are some considerations


1.Exercise needs. Are they getting adequate exercise for their needs? Some dogs will need more exercise than others. Has anything changed at all? For example, have they been in a crate for a long period due to an injury and now being reintroduced to walks? If so, they may have a lot of pent up energy.


2.Are they practicing this behaviour with others? Are they in an environment where they are running around consistently all day? For some dogs when they have this level of activity on a regular basis this spills over to behaviour on a walk.


3. Is the walking environment enriching enough? Do they have enticing things to smell and can they potter around or is it an area that is full of other dogs where they just run around constantly? If a dog is running around consistently this can make it harder for them to listen as they’re over stimulated. If you imagine a sink (to borrow an analogy from the wonderful Sarah Heath), and that sink is being filled with water, and the water represents over stimulation which can include barking at the doorbell, running constantly on walks, repetitive ball chucking can all result in sensory overload. Imagine a child going to one birthday party where there is a bouncy castle then on to another where there’s another bouncy castle and sweets.


How to spot signs that your dogs sink is filling up


Body language signs of an overstimulated dog can include dilated pupils, hackles raised, lip licking, poor impulse control, barking, panting. Spotting these signs can help you take steps to lowering your dogs arousal levels back to baseline.


Think A, B, C. Think antecedent, behaviour, consequence – what environment does the behaviour happen in, who/what is around, what behaviour can you actually see (try to avoid labels like stubborn as they don’t actually tell you much about the behaviour that’s being displayed, is there any noise, is the environment very fast paced?


What you can try


Free work is a low impact activity that all animals can try. As well as being an activity that can be calming,it can help you spot areas that your dog may avoid (it could be painful underfoot, or it may remind them of an area that something scary happened).


Using an activity budget – looking at the amount of exercise, sleep and enrichment can help you spot any areas that may be missing/need tweaking.


Would you like support?


Questions are what I work on in my Polite Pup Club membership. Every 2 weeks I answer questions about different topics.


There are resources on recall, polite walking and loads more.


We have videos and you can meet other members too.


If you’d like to find out more check out the Polite Pup Club.

Barking At Night

by Lisa Sinnott • 24 June 2026
A dog barking at night can feel frustrating and annoying – you know they need sleep and you need it too.

10 things you may not know about dog aggression

by Lisa Sinnott • 15 June 2026
Here is some information about aggression.

Understanding Dog Reactivity

by Lisa Sinnott • 12 June 2026
If your dog barks, lunges, growls, or becomes overwhelmed around other dogs, people, or situations, you're not alone. Reactivity is one of the most common challenges dog owners face, and understanding why it happens is the first step towards helping your dog feel calmer and more confident.

Helping your older dog if you are getting a puppy

by Lisa Sinnott • 3 June 2026
Initia l meetings are like first impressions.= they count. Make sure the interaction is away from the house and in a neutral space. When they initially see each other have a treat ready to give but allow them to just watch each other too. Having toys on the floor (if your older dog does not guard can help take the social pressure off. Walking parallel with each other with both dogs on lead can help reduce frustration. If they engage in play, it should be mirrored and matched - always avoid any teeth on body parts. Coming home Dogs shouldn't be right next to each other on the way home. Just like we like personal space on a tube dogs's want this too! Here are some ideas that I got from Canine Arthritis Management for older dogs: If there is a back seat cover for mud an anti not slippy cover is important. Bolsters and cushions can help prevent moving around Harnesses to keep still when you go around any roundabouts can help too. Ramps and steps to get out of the car to prevent lots of pressure on joints ie caravan steps can help too At home Having a safe space for your older dog that your puppy cannot access is key. Feeding times can be over exciting. Just like, us all, older dogs need some tlc. Here are some home adaptations that can help:

Guarding and Possessiveness

by Lisa Sinnott • 18 May 2026
Often people describe resource guarding and possessiveness over items when a dog has snapped or bitten.

Food and how it can be poisoned

by Lisa Sinnott • 14 May 2026
When we live with an anxious dog, it is natural to want to reassure them.

Why Muzzle Training is a Kind Thing To Do

by Lisa Sinnott • 7 May 2026
There can be many great reasons to muzzle train every dog , just in case they ever needed it. These include: 🐾Accidents and emergencies – if a dog is in pain they can be unpredictable sore and aggressive in an attempt to protect themselves. Placing a muzzle on them without any training before hand can stress them out even more and could mean treatment is delayed. This can happen with ANY dog even if they have never shown aggressive behaviour before. 🐾Summer – As you may have seen in the news, very sadly a dog attended a tulip festival and after eating some passed away. More people will be having picnics due to the lovely weather and we don’t want a stressful and expensive vet trip if your dog eats something. 🐾A change in behaviour – a muzzle keeps your dog, people and other dogs safe. 🐾Travel – Many ferries and countries have rules that dog’s must wear muzzles. There is also a good website here , that takes you through steps. I am going to host a muzzle training workshop - you can find out more here. Adapted from the Muzzle Up Movement.

Living with a reactive dog: how to look after yourself

by Lisa Sinnott • 21 April 2026
Having a dog who shows reactive behaviour can leave you feeling tired, on edge and emotionally exhausting experience at times. It is really important to look after yourself. I hope these ideas help you.

Dogs who are nervous of sounds

by Lisa Sinnott • 18 April 2026
Helping dogs who are nervous of sounds It can be really tricky and feel hard when your dog is feeling nervous of sounds that you do not have control over. They may freeze, startle, growl, try to flee, shake, drool or more. Here are some considerations if your dog is nervous of sounds. As well as the noise, there is the physical vibration too.

Fight behaviours

by Lisa Sinnott • 15 April 2026
Have you ever wondered that even if scared why a dog will run towards something? If a dog is barking and lunging at something that they are scared of then surely they would avoid it... right? This isn't always the case!