Is a Tired Dog Really a Good Dog?
by Sue Brown
The Light of Dog
We've all heard the “a tired dog is a good dog” mantra. Is a tired dog really a good dog? It depends. Some of you already knew I was going to say that, didn't you?!
If by “a tired dog” you mean a dog who:
- has had the right amount of energy burned off,
- IN THE RIGHT WAY,
- and, the dog is tired but not exhausted:
Then, yes. In that case, a tired dog is a good dog.
They are tired but not overly tired. We should avoid dogs being overly tired. It can make any of us sore and crabby.
Completely exhausted from too much activity is also not good. Especially for young dogs who are still growing and whose joints are still developing. You can cause injury or long-term problems if you overdo it.
But my dog will stop when he's tired, right? Not so fast. Some will. Some will go until they drop. Some dogs do not know when to stop. Sometimes they need our help with that.
It's not just HOW MUCH exercise they get but what KIND.
When we want to tire out our dogs, we tend to think of physical activity. Dog park. Play dates. Day care. Walks. Playing fetch in the back yard. Physical stuff.
But what about mental stimulation? Are the dogs using their brains? Are they burning energy constructively?
Sure some dogs like a lot of physical activity. Some not so much. For some, increasing physical activity will not be better. At some point, you are making things worse not better. Some will become frantic and overstimulated. These dogs might LOOK like they need more activity to wear themselves out, but they really need the opposite.
Most dogs need a combination of physical and mental stimulation. Mental stimulation might be things like training sessions, learning new things, interactive food dispensing puzzle toys, or even walks in new areas where they are exposed to new sights, smells, sounds, and other stimulation.
Using their noses also burns energy. What's better, a fast-paced walk without any stopping or a leisurely sniffing walk with frequent stops to check out all the interesting smells? Well, if you are the one trying to burn energy, then the former walk is better. But if you are trying to burn off energy so your dog is calmer, then the latter one is actually better for most dogs. All of that sniffing is usually going to burn more energy than that fast-paced walk.
Now, if you have a high energy dog, then more physical activity will be needed than for lower energy dogs.
However, if you also have a SMART dog, then that mental stimulation will be critical as well. I don't care how much physical activity you give a smart dog, if they do not get chances to use their brain when burning off some energy, you are missing a critical component for a happy well-adjusted dog.
All of that being said, it's also critical that your dog get some good solid down time. Some quiet time to rest and rejuvenate. Dogs who do not get adequate rest can also be overly tired due to lack of sleep.
Some dogs do not need more activity but rather work at being calm and relaxed. So good solid rest is important but some dogs need help at learning how to just hang out, be calm and relax. Seems like something they should just be able to do, right? Sometimes. Some dogs need help with that too.
Are you tiring your dog out in a good way? With the right combination of physical and mental stimulation? AND quiet relaxing rest time? If your dog is not happy and content, is potentially causing some problems (destructiveness around the house, or other things), then they probably are NOT getting the right amount or combination of these things.
So, is a tired dog a good dog?
Just like for us, if it is a “good tired” that makes you feel content and happy, then yes.
If it's that tired that leaves you exhausted, possibly crabby and impatient, and maybe even sore, then it's not a “good tired” after all.
I know it's not quite as catchy, but perhaps the saying should really be something more like:
An appropriately exercised, stimulated and rested dog is a good dog.
Sue Brown, MNM, CDBC, CPDT-KA, is the co-owner of The Light of Dog and co-founder of the Colorado Dog Trainers Network. She is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and Certified Professional Dog Trainer with over 20 years of experience. Sue is the author of Juvenile Delinquent Dogs and Ask the Trainer and has written for the APDT "Chronicle of the Dog". Her training business is located in the Denver, Colorado area, where she offers in-person group classes, private training, behavior consultations, boarding, and board & train as well as online training courses, including ONLINE LIVE STREAMING classes and SELF-PACED VIDEO-BASED training. PRIVATE TRAININGS can also be done online via phone, video conferencing, or email.
NOTE FROM YOUR DOG'S FRIEND:
You can read our handout on dog parks
here. An alternative would be
SniffSpot, which lists safe and private play space that you can rent in your local area.
For a good overview of mental enrichment, watch our webinar,
"Engage the Brain, Tire the Body", presented by Stefanie Strackbein, who runs an enrichment center,
What Dogs Want Academy, in Phoenix, Arizona, or her article,
"Beyond the Kong - What Is Canine Enrichment?
" We have more enrichment webinars
here.
