# Crazy and cranky after walk



## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

Our 13 week old began going on short leashed walks about 2-3 weeks ago. We have noticed that she is insane after her evening walks. Runs around the house and is very sharky. It takes her a good hour or two to calm down and go to sleep. If we don't take her and just exercise her via playing fetch or what not she is NOT like this.

I can't help but think maybe she is getting over tired? We only take her on a 30 min walk and she doesn't appear tired while we are out. Is this too long of a walk for a 13 week old?


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

My guess is that she is tired. 

Sam :-[ .... once he is tired, and really needs rest, acts funny like starts chewing at pants legs or try to jump up at us.

Even at 17 months, Sam does something similar... he will circle around the coffee table and go back and forth looking for things to chew on. I usually grab him, hold him for 5 minutes and falls asleep. I sometimes put him in the crate... same result.


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## Suliko (Sep 17, 2011)

If she is leashed for her walks, I believe, she just doesn't get to run as much as she'd like to. My oldest V. Sophie used to do exactly the same. I'd walk her to the woods on leash (where she had a good off leash run) and then walk her back. Every time after our walk I let her off leash in our front yard, she'd just start doing zoomies and jumping for about 10 minutes. Then she'd be good  So, my theory was that the controlled leash walk made her hold bak lots of energy...and once off leash she needed to let it out ASAP!


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

Suliko said:


> If she is leashed for her walks, I believe, she just doesn't get to run as much as she'd like to. My oldest V. Sophie used to do exactly the same. I'd walk her to the woods on leash (where she had a good off leash run) and then walk her back. Every time after our walk I let her off leash in our front yard, she'd just start doing zoomies and jumping for about 10 minutes. Then she'd be good  So, my theory was that the controlled leash walk made her hold bak lots of energy...and once off leash she needed to let it out ASAP!


You may be right. I really want to start off leash but my husband insists that Ruby needs to master the on leash walk and heel before we move to off leash. I have no idea if he is right or not ...


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## minihero (Jun 19, 2012)

Hi, Just my 2 cents..new V owner as well and not an expert, but our friend's have a V (8 months - he does heel) and ours is 4 1/2 months now.
In no way will she be heeling and doing the "perfect walk" for months and months, so I'd let her try off leash in a safe area. You'd be surprised how much she will listen to you and stick close to you.
We've been doing off leash walks in an open field and on a wooded trail (with another V) since she was 11 weeks old. She loves it.
Before we did this we practiced recall of her name 100s of times (still do every day), in the yard and in the house until she came every time. When we wanted to try it outside I used Boar's Head roasted turkey slices in small portions, she came every single time. Now, when she comes to me it's only for good things (treats) and we haven't had any time that she hasn't come. Believe me I was scared too..who wants to lose their darling pup?
We brought her to a large open field and let her walk beside us, she was afraid to go too far so mostly stayed right next to us and we just kept calling her back. Now she's a pro...we walk her on leash to the field, make her sit, treat, take the leash off, throw a ball and the rest is fun fun fun.
When we're ready to go home, we just call her over, treat, and the leash goes back on. It's a reward really. All of her other walks are on leash through the neighborhood, town, wherever we go and she gets better every day. We use lots of treats and praise, but our trainer said she won't really get heel until she's much older.


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

Thanks, minihero. We definitely need to work on her recall some. Comes 90% of the time but not always. I need to get some high prize treats. I have heard hot dogs work wonders too!


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

Ruby can have a mad half hour after a good off lead walk,,,bouncing all around living room etc, I just think of it as "warming down" a bit like athletes do lol!


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## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

Dozer always went crazy after training class and some walks. I think they're concentrating so hard that when they get off the leash they just have to burn off the stress or whatever energy they we're holding back in order to do the work.


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## SteelCityDozer (Aug 25, 2011)

Oh and you can try "anchoring" if you know they're actually tired and just not settling. Basically if Dozer is just not wanting to stop, I use his leash to attach him to something like the coffee table and for some reason it relaxes him. Maybe bec we also use it when misbehaving and he's not allowed off until he's good and quite and we ignore completely until the whining stops.


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