A Dog’s Day

Much like children who need a nap, enforced breaks and crate time are very important to your dog’s health. Enforced downtime teaches your dog how to slow down and practice emotional regulation. Young dogs don’t always have an off switch. They may play until they’re exhausted and stressed. This stress leads to a mental state called overstimulation. This is especially common in busy environments like daycare or the dog park. Overstimulated dogs are in fight or flight mode. You may see a wagging tail, but this doesn’t mean the dog is happy. They may hunker down and refuse to engage, or play and run with no respect for boundaries or commands. The stress hormones (like cortisol) linger in the body for hours or days afterwards. As stress levels build, the dog can go over the threshold with fewer triggers. One day, you suddenly have a dog that shuts down during play. The dog may engage willingly then suddenly snap or bite, overreact to other dogs nearby, over-correct when they feel another dog played incorrectly, or just become entirely unruly in an open play setting. 

If your dog plays excessively rough, ignores you around other dogs, or refuses to settle, you may be dealing with overstimulation. An overstimulated dog will come home tired, but not content. They’re simply exhausted from being in an elevated emotional state all day. Structured and monitored play time and pack activities give your dog a chance to socialize in a healthy manner, creating new experiences while catering to their mental and physical needs. Every dog will have different needs for enforced down time. Please consult this guide from the American Humane Society on proper crate training techniques.