When Will My Puppy Calm Down? [2024 guide]

I have met several puppy owners, and they all say the same thing: their puppies are always looking to bring down the roof! They would usually regale me with the details of the mischief their little furry friends were up to. According to them, sometimes, it was fun to watch, while at other times, it was just absolutely tiring.

Perhaps you have similar stories to share and wonder if your puppy will ever let you catch a break. Well, I have good news and bad news. I’ll go with the good news first. Yes, your puppy will calm down at some point. And the bad news? There’s no quick fix.

So what hope do you have? Well, you can learn about when you could be expecting your puppy to tone down the madness. You can also pick up tips on how to manage your current situation without losing your mind (and your roof). Ready to learn? Let’s dive in!

Puppies and High Energy Levels

Regardless of the amount of love you have for your dog’s passion for play, it can be a lot and sap much of your energy. Certainly, all that excess puppy energy can make your life very difficult. Puppies are famous for utilizing that repressed energy to hit, bite things, and test their limits.

High energy levels are normal with puppies. They are just like kids. The whole world seems new and exciting, and they can’t wait to explore it.

If your dog is not resting, they are going to be jumping around, running about or searching for things to play with, or just being mischievous.

Like humans, all dogs are unique, different, and special. Some pups are born gentle and quiet, while others are wild and energetic. But many other factors affect a puppy’s level of calmness or hyperactivity. We will discuss all of that below.

Breed

The kind of breed your dog is has everything to do with its energy levels and growth. This truth is fairly obvious. If you are in a dog park, you would easily spot the dogs with excess energy and differentiate them from the calmer ones. The reason is all dogs are not the same.

Normally, dogs bred to do a lot of work for their owners would necessarily have so much agility, strength, and energy. Some other dogs were bred to do sports. They would also be pretty energetic too. Those kinds of breeds are the Border Collies, Dachshunds, Terriers, and Greyhounds.

Size

The size of your dog also plays a huge part in its energy level. Smaller dogs would become calmer first because they don’t grow into adolescents with the attendant burst of energy. They would become adolescents at about five months, while bigger dogs would become adolescents at nine months. Inversely, it would take a longer time for them to calm down.

Mental State

During your dog’s early years, it’s critical to open it to new things. If they are familiar with certain sights and sounds, they would certainly be less hostile and anxious when they grow up. Let your dog mingle by taking it out for walks and runs.

If your puppy doesn’t socialize, that could end up being a big problem later on. It would increase its anxiety and nervousness. Your dog would find it difficult to be calm and quiet, and that is why you should allow it to socialize with other dogs and people.

I am certain you won’t like it if you are cooped up at home all day, not going anywhere. You will feel like you are losing your mind.

It is the same way your puppy feels. If you keep it locked in all day like it’s on house arrest, do not be surprised when it starts acting out or being violent.

When you finally take them out and open them to the world, they encounter those new things like all young puppies would.

Social Structure

If you have more than one dog, you would soon discover that your puppy will mature quicker. The younger dogs learn from, the older dogs, and they become part of a pack.

While we may not comprehend dogs’ social hierarchy, you can observe older dogs take care of younger ones. Older dogs are calmer and would most likely stick to their everyday routine. They cannot deal with the boisterousness of a youthful puppy!

However, older dogs will assist more youthful puppies with getting familiar with everything as they develop.

Gender

Females are known to develop way before males. Most females are ready to have infants when they are six to nine months old! With that organic development comes a quieter demeanor.

Males, then again, take somewhat more time.

How Puppies Energy Levels Change

All dogs are distinctive regarding how they develop. Be that as it may, all dogs will follow almost the same development design. As they develop through the puppy stages, you may see a change in their energy levels. You can anticipate this.

From A Newborn to 10 Weeks of Age

After a puppy is conceived, you’ll experience the most sensational change in conduct. When your puppies are born, they will be so cute and powerless. They can’t even see! Your little dog’s eyes will not open until about the fourteenth day.

Even after their eyes open up, that doesn’t mean they will be jumping around immediately. Your puppy will still be shy and quiet. It will take a while for it to break out of that shyness. Additionally, puppies are like human babies. They would depend on their mother for everything, especially food. Because they are in such a fragile state of development, their energy levels are lower. So don’t expect an energetic infant pup.

As time progresses, you will notice that your puppies will begin to move somewhat farther from home and their mother. Although their mother won’t let them run wild until she believes they are fully ready. Then they will become more playful and would want to explore their environment. At the point when that opportunity to go out arrives, be prepared for a major heap of energy! When these dogs can walk and run all alone, they will exploit every opportunity to play when they are out!

They will begin to learn how to socialize and start to play with others in the litter.

They enjoy playing so much at this point. If you are on the bed or the couch, they will come to meet you so you would play with them.

10 Weeks Old to 16 Weeks Old

Now, training ought to be normal for your puppy. You should be training it every day. At this time, your puppy will be so happy it can touch the roof. It has a lot of energy, so odds are, your doggy is still as enthusiastic as could be expected! Youthful puppies will generally have a limited attention span. Training them is so hard, and you have to be patient so you don’t get upset.

Because of their short attention span, you have to keep training sessions short and interesting. Nonetheless, stay watchful and use appropriate and safe training methods.

At this age, your dog can be considered an adolescent. Just like adolescents, they will have this wild side. They will also be very explorative. Puppies will start testing their limits and going on adventures. For instance, they may not listen to you when you tell them not to go to certain places or drop certain things. They do what they want.

Puppies at this age are famous for getting into trouble. Keep a vigilant eye, and don’t let your dog make a habit of being naughty. Another important thing to note is that most puppies start getting teeth at this age. Their initial set of teeth is going to drop out at this point. Your puppy is going to be so irritated and uncomfortable, just like humans babies. They are also going to get bitey and start looking for things to latch onto. You should get your dog some toys to play with and to bite. If you do not, do not blame it when it tears out your sofa, curtain, and shoes and turns your house upside down.

4 to 6 Months

After four months, you should be done immunizing your puppy. Immunization is very important, so make sure you do it! After your dogs have been immunized, the world is indeed their oyster. They can get on with doing things dogs should do – explore their surroundings. If you have been a pretty good dog owner, your dog should already be familiar with its environment and people by this time.

Your dog’s energy levels are going up at this stage. Your dog would be very excited and would fancy playing with other dogs. Puppies are trying to become social beings at this stage, and what you will interpret as aggression would just be them playing. You would notice your dog barking, biting, and running around. Do not get too worried about these behaviors. However, take notice of your dog’s behavior if it is violent. Are they causing harm to others? Are they losing their temper? Are they acting unnecessarily nervous? When you leave the house, do they seem afraid? That is such a big deal, and you have to take note.

6 Months to One-Year-Old

By this point, your little dog is more acquainted with your daily routine and its environment. It should know how things work by now. This doesn’t mean you should stop training it. No! you have to continue! Keep up with socialization, exercise, and training.

Most dogs are energetic and lively. But at this point, your dogs should be quieter. You should notice that your dogs have changed and aren’t as unruly as they used to be. Well, this is all dependent on several things, especially how you have trained them.

One to Two Years of Age

Depending on your dog’s breed, it will arrive at full adulthood following a year or two of life. Physically bigger breeds will, in general, develop more slowly, so it might happen nearer to the two-years.

In any case, this is the point at which your dog will be a lot more settled. This doesn’t mean that they will not have energy. However, it will be energy saved for playing outside.

At the point when you glance back at the earlier stages and the troubles you went through, you would see that you have come a long way—Pat yourself on the back. You are one good dog parent.

How You Can Calm Your Dog Down

One of the best ways to calm your dog down is by proper training. The fact that puppies are more energetic and problematic than older dogs is not a good enough reason to allow your younger dog to release such pent-up energy unchecked.

Here are different ways that you can cause your puppy to calm down. Utilize these procedures consistently, and you’ll raise your little guy to be a quiet and balanced dog.

Normal Exercise

The ideal way to calm your dog down is to allow it to work out! Repressed energy is not good for your dog and would most likely cause it to lash out. If you do not allow your puppy to release this energy, you won’t be happy with the outcome. It would probably ruin things.

Go on long strolls and play some serious rounds of fetch. These exercises are great because you are not just trying to exhaust your dog. You will be strengthening the bond you have.

Mental Stimulation

It’s not only actual exercise your dogs can engage in to calm them down. Mental activities are also good. If your pup is cooped up in its cage or room the entire day while you go to work, you need to give it the avenue to keep its brain engaged. Consider providing mentally stimulating toys. You can buy puzzle feeders, treat-administering toys, or basic interactive games. Any of these toys will keep your canine’s brain occupied for quite a long time.

Set up Routines

Make a rigid routine for your dog to follow every day and stick to it! Dogs are intelligent creatures and are not as oblivious as people think. They know what they are supposed to do or what they shouldn’t be doing. They know the rooms to enter and the ones to stay away from. They know the times to stay in and when to go out to play. You shouldn’t take your puppy out at just any time. Your puppy needs some structure. If you do this, they will be uncertain about playtime and act out any chance they have to play.

Have a set time for feeding your dog. But, do not make the mistake of feeding it right before bedtime. It will just get too excited and wouldn’t want to sleep again.

Crate Training

Some people think putting your dog in a crate is some form of punishment. That is so far from the truth. Crate training is one of the best things you can do for your dog. The crate becomes a sanctuary and a resting place for your dog. This is very good for you as the owner because you know that there will be some calm once the dog is in the crate. And when your dog acts unruly, you can just put your dog in it.

Ignoring Your Puppy

Sometimes your dog can throw a tantrum to get your attention. At such times, the best thing to do is ignore your puppy. This might seem cruel, but if you don’t pay attention to your dog’s attention-seeking gimmicks, they will calm down and move on soon enough.

Don’t allow your dog to get excited over every little thing. Also, don’t shower your dog with too much attention. If you contribute to your dog getting overly excited, it would also overreact. For instance, when you get back home, don’t act too happy to see your dog. If you do, it would be restless all day as they anticipate your return.

Obedience Training

You have to train your dog to be obedient, but this is not an easy task. Teach your dog how to sit and how to shake. The best kind of commands is the ones that would make your dog sit down and listen to you. The most important ones are attention-based, recall, and sitting commands.

An obedient dog has many advantages to the owner. You need your dog to listen when commands and instructions are given. That won’t just happen. You have to train your dog to be obedient. If your dog is trained to be obedient, you would be able to control him when he acts unruly.

Final Words

In conclusion, it is only a matter of time before your puppy calms down. Expect your puppy to be calm by six to nine months. By the time it’s one or two years, the youthful exuberance should be gone. However, you can speed up this process by adopting useful training activities like those discussed in this article.