My dog is hyperactive!

[Liz12]

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Hi
I wonder if anyone can offer any help and tips with coping with my 17 month boxer . Zack was difficult from the word go, though we have owned 6 male boxers previously without too many problems. He just doesn't have an off switch and he is constantly on the go, destroying things, trashing his bed and toys. He gets 3 good walks a day and is rarely left on his own. He just won't settle. He took months to house train and he is now starting to guard items. I am at my wits end. He is good with other dogs but he is very full on with them and if he steals a ball, we cannot get it back. A series of one to one trainers have done little to help us. He has been neutered and is very food motivated but we find ourselves giving him licky mats and treat balls a bit too often just to keep him quiet.
Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

 

[JudyN]

What do you feed him? Please give exact brand/variety, plus what he gets as treats and on his licky mat. There's nothing wrong with using licky mats, treats balls, etc., as long as the food content is healthy and his meals are reduced in size - some dogs get pretty much all their food from toys/games/training. Some food ingredients can trigger hyperactivity, so it would be worth at least ruling this out.

Does he get much mental stimulation? If a bored dog gets lots of walks that aren't particularly stimulating, you just end up with a very fit bored dog.

For the guarding, have a read of this article (which is split over 3 posts), but do ask if you have any questions: Resource guarding If you have children, this is of course a concern - and also on walks, in case he should nick someone else's food or ball and they try and get it back...

Other things to try are impulse control training (to encourage him to stop, think, and listen to you) and teaching a 'calm settle'. For the former, check out

and for the latter,

He should, of course, calm down as he matures - he's an adolescent, wanting to test every boundary he can, and as in humans, adolescents can be a right royal pain in the wotsit!

 

[excuseme]

Carbohydrates like grain and starches create spikes in dog's blood sugar levels. A dog food containing more than 35% carbohydrates will interfere with the amount of amino acids the dog is eating and inhibit his brain function which triggers the out-of-control hyperactivity.

 

[excuseme]

Does your dog live loose in the house with you and the family or do you cage him.

Have you considered a grain free diet or even raw.
If you did consider a grain free product please remember that RICE is also a grain.

A nice British made grain free kibble is "Millies Wolfheart", it has a selection of protein levels and choice of flavours. I always suggest starting with their lowest protein level and building up to a higher level slowly if required. "Forerunner" and "Alert" are their lowest proteins. Online orders and no delivery charges to add.

 

[JudyN]

Liz12 is having problems posting on the forum - though she can send PMs, so I'm trying to work out what's going on. In the meantime, this is her response to the posts above:

In reply to your original response, Zack is fed on Arden Grange sensitive Fish and Potato with the same brand of treats. He does get some Burns turkey grain free treats too. He is definitely sensitive to grain in the tummy department.
When we first got him, he was fed on Royal Canin and we have tried several foods, lowering the protein, but the behaviour remains the same.
Last year, we were at our wits end as he was jumping up and biting us when out on walks. We were black and blue and quite often bleeding too. It was dreadful. The behaviour has eased off but he will still do it if we meet someone and try to have a conversation.
The worst problem now is the hyper behaviour in the home. Unless he is constantly occupied, he digs up rugs, empties bins, destroys all toys, gets up on tables and worktops. If we put him in his crate or short periods, he claws frantically at the plastic liner, after having destroyed the bedding. If we give him a Yakker chew, he finishes it in about 30 minutes and he is pretty bored with them anyway now. His attention span is very short and he loses interest in toys after a few minutes and would rather trash the house! We have given up having guests round.
It is very wearing. I do wonder if he needs medication to keep him calmer or if some sort of supplement will help.
We just want a happy dog who will relax some of the time.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[excuseme]

I am finding it very difficult finding a good list of ingredients of the Burns Turkey and Potatoe.
I did notice somewhere that the main ingredient was a huge amount of potatoe with very little meat protein but a non descriptive meat meal only. Just wondering what other additives and preservatives there may be

I would suggest again that you try the Millies Wolfheart kibble.
Finding the right diet could make a huge difference to his behavior.
Our dogs should have meat as the first ingredient in their diet/kibble.

Do you have a butcher where you could get some large bones for him, they keep our lot occupied for hours sometimes. NO COOKED BONES though!

 

[JoanneF]

Did someone with a link to the APBC / COAPE / APDT or similar not develop a food, maybe 5 or 6 years ago that was supposed to be calming for hyper dogs? It might not suit his tummy of course but could be worth looking into.

Edited - it's this -

Breakthrough Dog Food