Have you ever seen your furry friend run madly, jumping unstoppably, spin and trying to catch his own tail, and even do somersaults? Have you heard that they bark or make playful vocalizations during these actions? Then I'm sure you must have been disturbed to see all this, just like all other dog owners, and think, "Are zoomies a sign of a happy dog? Let's find the answer to this.
Are Zoomies A Sign Of A Happy Dog
Dog zoomies are a common phenomenon that every dog parent can relate to. These sudden bursts of energy can take over even the most well-behaved dogs, transforming them into high-speed runners that zip around the house.
Watching your pup engage in these frenzied sprints can be entertaining, and it's heartening to see how much joy they can derive from such simple activities. Zoomies may seem chaotic, but they're a perfectly normal and healthy part of your dog's behavior and can be an important way to expend excess energy and alleviate boredom.
Do you want to know more about zoomies' behavior of dogs? Suppose you are confused about whether it signifies happiness or dangerous behavior. In that case, this ultimate guide will be helpful to know about zoomies' behavior, the reason for getting zoomies, signs of zoomies, and how to overcome this behavior.
What Are Dog Zoomies?
Dog zoomies are a silly antic of dogs when they release energy build-up in the past few hours. Still, the actual term for this behavior is the Frenetic Random Activity period (FRAP), as there is no scientific explanation.
Hence, every dog acts differently when building up energy, and some questions arise here. Is there a specific thing that triggers this dog behavior? Do zoomies takes place in a specific situation or does a dog usually get zoomies?
Every dog has a different activity and energy level, so less active dogs get involved in this behavior not as much as active dogs. Even till this time, this word is undefined. Still, according to Dr. Zac Pilossoph, a Healthy Paws Pet Insurance veterinarian, zoomies are a way through which dogs explain what they are feeling; excited or happy. Here, we stop to find more reasons that build up their energy level, and they get zoomies.
What Is The Reason For A Dog's Certain Behavior (6 Reasons)
What causes dog zoomies? Do you know? From Basset hounds to great Danes, all the dogs get zoomies. But it is more vibrant behavior in puppies and young dogs as they have more energy to burn than the older ones. Zoomies' behavior in dogs is due to specific reasons, and here we discuss the most prominent six reasons, which are as follows:
Celebration
Sometimes dogs zoom around to rev themselves up, such as seeing their pet parent or another dog. When it cannot control its excitement, your furry friend gets zoomies. It is an entertaining and fun behavior of the dog, and Dr. Lisa Radosta, DVM, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist, encourages pet parents to make the most of it.
She says when her dog gets zoomies, she acts like she is stalking him, making it a maniac. It is his way of celebrating, and he behaves like a category-five hurricane, jumps all over the place, and loves it. So, zoomies of dog is a good time for you and your pooch friend. Some other things that make pooches happy and overly excited are
- Greeting you when you come home
- Going out for their daily walk
- Seeing their food bowl
- Training, especially if learning a new trick
Relax And Relieve Pain
According to Dr. Lisa Radosta, dog zoomies are always an almost positive event with happiness and celebration. Still, occasionally they get zoomies because of pain in the hind areas. The most common is pain from a flea bite or arthritis, and your pup gets zoomies to relieve pain and relax the body.
Body Warm-Up
Sometimes, dogs make this wild and uncontrolled rush to warm up their body. Mainly this condition occurs after they get out of the bath, pool, or lake.
Relieve Tension And Anxiety.
Do you know dog zoomies after bath? Dogs frequently zoom around, especially after baths; that is how to release tension and anxious energy. Whenever an exciting or stressful event occurs in a dog's life, the dog gets zoomies to pacify that situation and release that build-up tension. Lisa Radosta, a veterinary behaviorist, says it.
Primary Instinct
A certified professional dog trainer and Daily Paws Advisory Board member Irith Trietsch Bloom says that zoomies commonly happen at specific periods during the day, showing it is like a built-in biological rhythm.
The pooch is more vibrant and energetic during the day and evening due to its hunting cycles. Radosta says coyotes hunt in the morning and evening because that's when prey wakes up and falls asleep, and they're more vulnerable. So, their primary instinct is to do zoomies at these specific times of the day.
Feel Good Moment
Pet parents often notice this behavior in their pups: dog zoomies after pooping. It is just like their body is free from a major load, and it is the time of celebration, Radosta researched. But sometimes, it happens that the poop is stuck with the pup, and it tries its best to get away from it and shows this type of behavior that gives an impression of zoomies.
Common Signs Of Zoomies To Consider
Canines get zoomies in different ways, with some actions more acceptable than others. In answer to "are zoomies a sign of a happy dog?" Dr. Taylor says, dog zoomie is a good thing; you should closely monitor your dog. For example, if your furry friend engages in such negative behaviors while getting zoomies like dog zoomies biting, it is time to give him more training. These signs are as follows:
- Nipping and Biting
- Jumping on people
- Chasing other dogs and ignoring parent commands
- Knocking things over
- Chasing tails
Is Zoomie Behavior Of Dogs Dangerous?
People often ask, "are dog zoomies bad?" As I discussed, zoomies are a positive sign from a health perspective, and it indicates that your dog is a vibrant ball of energy, but sometimes they may be dangerous as they increase the chances of an accident.
When a dog zooms around without any sense of direction, it can bang its body parts with some object or wall or even trip downstairs; their unawareness leads to a significant accident in that condition.
Getting zoomies when dog parents take them to walk is also dangerous. This sudden energy change will mad your dog bolt away from the leash and may be rushed into the car. Therefore, the risk of fetal accidents increases.
This sudden surge of energy cause harm to other; it runs and bites a person around your surroundings. Therefore, zoomies might cause different accidents, but it is not dangerous overall for your dog.
Dog Breeds That Get Zoomies
All dog breeds get zoomies, which may vary from breed to breed. Active breed more often zoomies, especially if they lead a sedentary life. Less active dogs have less tendency to get zoomies because they are not energetic animals genetically.
Zoomies' behavior is common in all dog breeds despite their size, features, and other factors. Pups are one exception to it until they develop motor skills or physical strength to run and spin madly, maybe up to one week older.
As they gain strength, you will also notice this behavior as they age. If mobility persists in senior dogs, they will also have zoomies behavior, which indicates that your pooch friend is in good health and can be vibrant and energetic enough and move to utilize it.
According to veterinarian opinions, it is impossible to see zoomies behavior in sick dogs as the body's energy is used to fix the affected part of the dog. In short, if you see your pup get zoomies, make yourself happy as it shows your furry friend is healthy enough to generate energy and expend it.
How To Stop Dog Zoomies
It is not easy to stop your canine friend from getting zoomies. Siegfried explains the only way to deal with it is to train your dog to ensure this behavior cannot get out of hand.
Train your pup to come when called in both low and high-distraction environments for reliable behavior, even during playtime interruptions.
Use the word "enough" repetitively at the end of playtime sessions to signal to your dog that it's over. However, make sure to establish the repetition for it to be effective.
Rhoades suggests that to calm your dog after zoomies, scatter some food on the ground for them to find. Simple nose work activities like this can help reduce excitement.
Here are some points through which you can reduce their zoomies behavior, and these points are as follows:
Routine
Routine is important to stop your dog from getting zoomies. If you take your dog out for a walk at 5 Am every day, then this time should be fixed for your canine friend. If you change its routine, your dog's physiology will get confused and zoomed.
Safe Environment
When your furry friend gets zoomies, keep the surrounding environment safe so they cannot get hurt. Be sure that your dog doesn't spend too much time near dangerous areas where there is a risk of accidents. Give them a carpeted floor and a fenced yard for their safety.
Exercise
This behavior is actually due to excessive energy level build-up in the body. In order to release this energy, regular exercise is necessary to control that behavior. Lack of physical activity increases the chance of zoomies in dogs.
Give them proper exercise time to fix this behavior. Their extra energy will be released through exercise, and zoomies will be minimized. Give them different exercises so that they cannot get bored.
Opinion From Vet
If you cannot fix the problem through all these activities, then it is necessary to visit a vet for proper medication or find other ways to lower the energy.
For quick understanding for the answer "are zoomies a sign of a happy dog," watch this informational video by Monkoodog
Final Thought
I hope now you get the answer to "are zoomies a sign of a happy dog?" Zoomies is a natural behavior of dog to release energy that is beneficial for dogs' health; therefore, there is nothing to worry about as your dog want some excitement and energy released in their life by getting zoomies. This blog describes the behavior of dogs in detail so that you will be able to handle it correctly.