Dog Hyperactivity Training Plan That Works

Why Your Dog Is Bouncing Off the Walls

If your dog struggles to switch off, you are not alone. Many families face relentless pacing, jumping, whining, and impulsive reactions to the slightest sound. A structured dog hyperactivity training plan is the answer. At Smart Dog Training, we build calm as a trained skill using the Smart Method. Every step is coached by certified experts so your dog learns what to do, not just what to stop. You can work at home, in small group settings, or through a tailored behaviour programme with a Smart Master Dog Trainer. Results are clear, measurable, and designed to hold up in real life.

Hyperactivity is not a personality trait you must accept. It is a pattern of arousal, confusion, and habit. Dogs repeat what works for them. When energy and impulse drive the day, behaviour snowballs. Our dog hyperactivity training plan replaces that chaos with a simple routine, clear rules, and rewarding success. The outcome is calm, confident, and willing behaviour you can trust anywhere.

The Smart Method for Hyperactivity

All Smart programmes follow the Smart Method, our proprietary system built to deliver reliable behaviour that lasts.

• Clarity: Markers and cues are precise so your dog knows exactly what earns release and reward.
• Pressure and Release: Fair guidance shows the right choice, then pressure turns off the moment your dog complies. This builds accountability without conflict.
• Motivation: Food, play, praise, and access to life rewards create a positive emotional state. Your dog wants to work.
• Progression: We build skills step by step, then add duration, distance, and distraction in a plan that fits your dog.
• Trust: Clear rules and kind leadership strengthen the bond. Your dog looks to you for direction and feels safe.

This balance of structure and reward is the heart of our dog hyperactivity training plan. It teaches an off switch and keeps your dog engaged without tipping into frantic energy.

What Hyperactivity Looks Like

• Constant motion at home with little to no rest
• Explosive reactions to knocks, doors, and outside sounds
• Jumping, mouthing, or pawing for attention
• Barking at windows and overstaring at triggers
• Pulling on lead and scanning instead of walking
• Struggling to settle after play or exercise

If these sound familiar, our structured approach will help you turn energy into focus and calm.

First Steps: Assess and Set the Stage

Before you train, you set the scene. Small changes reduce baseline arousal so training can shine. This is where a Smart Master Dog Trainer starts during your first session, whether in-home or at class.

Daily Stress Audit

• Sleep: Most adult dogs need 14 to 16 hours of rest in 24 hours. Puppies need more. Track it for a week.
• Exercise: Quality beats quantity. Ten miles of free running can fuel arousal. Structured movement builds calm.
• Stimulation: Background noise, constant access to windows, and free access to guests all spike arousal. Reduce noise and visual triggers.
• Predictability: Fixed feed times, set training windows, and a simple routine drop stress and help the brain learn.

Environment Setup

• Use a crate or pen for rest periods. Rest is a trained skill, not a time out.
• Add a raised bed in each key room and teach Place. This becomes the calm anchor for your dog hyperactivity training plan.
• Control windows with film or blinds to block trigger staring.
• Place leads, long lines, and rewards in a basket by the door. Keep tools ready so training is easy to start.

Dog Hyperactivity Training Plan Overview

Smart builds calm through short, focused sessions. Each week layers clarity, impulse control, and real life reliability.

• Week 1: Clarity and Calm Markers, Place, lead handling, and rest routine
• Week 2: Impulse Control Focus, name response, and household thresholds
• Week 3: Structured Movement Loose lead and pattern walking
• Week 4: Distraction and Duration Proofing Place and Down
• Week 5: Real Life Reliability Visitors and public settle
• Week 6: Maintenance and Progression Enrichment that soothes, not hypes

You can work this plan alone or with a trainer. For the fastest progress, book guided sessions. Ready to turn your dog’s behaviour around? Book a Free Assessment and connect with a certified Smart Master Dog Trainer available across the UK.

Week 1: Clarity and Calm

We start by teaching your dog how to earn release and reward. That clarity drops anxiety and impulsive choices.

Marker System

• Yes: Releases your dog to collect the reward now.
• Good: Tells your dog they are right and should hold the position.
• No: A neutral marker that ends the try. Guide back to the task and make the next rep easier.

Practice five times daily for one to two minutes. Reward calm, still behaviour. Keep a quiet tone and slow movements to reinforce the mood you want.

Place and Settle

1. Lure your dog onto a raised bed. Say Place as paws step on. Mark Yes and feed on the bed.
2. Ask for Down if your dog knows it. If not, feed low and steady until elbows touch.
3. Switch to Good for calm breathing and eye softening. Feed slowly on the bed.
4. Release with Yes and toss a treat off the bed so your dog resets.

Do three to five short sets per day. End while your dog is successful. This single skill underpins the whole dog hyperactivity training plan.

Lead Handling and Calm Starts

• Clip the lead while your dog is in Place. Reward stillness. If they pop up, reset and try again.
• Walk two to three steps indoors. Stop and feed for a loose lead. Keep it boring and slow. Calm walking starts inside.

Week 2: Impulse Control and Engagement

Now we build focus without tipping into overdrive. Engagement is fast to start but calm to continue.

Name Response and Eye Contact

1. Say your dog’s name once. The instant they glance at you, mark Yes and reward.
2. Repeat five to ten times. Then ask for one second of eye contact before Yes.
3. Build to three seconds. Keep your tone soft and body still.

Household Thresholds

• Doorway Neutrality: Approach the door. If your dog forges ahead, step back and reset. When they pause and look to you, mark Good and open a crack. Release with Yes when calm.
• Food Bowl Manners: Ask for Sit. Lower the bowl an inch at a time. If your dog breaks, lift the bowl. When they hold the sit with soft eyes, mark Good and then Yes.

These micro drills teach your dog that patience pays. They also give you daily chances to practise clarity and release, a core of the Smart Method.

Week 3: Structured Movement and Loose Lead

Free running often fuels frenzy. Structured walking teaches an even rhythm and a thinking brain. This is a pivotal week in any dog hyperactivity training plan.

Pattern Walking Indoors

• Walk in straight lines and corners around your living room.
• Feed at your thigh when the lead is loose and your dog is by your side.
• Stop often. Wait for soft eyes. Mark Good then move again.

Transition to Outdoors

• Start in a quiet car park or cul de sac.
• Set a timer for eight minutes. Short is best. Quality over miles.
• Reward often for position and calm breathing. If your dog spikes, step off to the side, let the arousal pass, then resume.

Loose lead is not about tiring your dog out. It is about teaching a slow, regular gait and a calm mind. Your walks become part of the solution rather than a driver of chaos.

Week 4: Distraction and Duration

We now add real life pressure while keeping your dog successful. Pressure and release, done fairly, shows your dog how to hold position under mild stress. Then the release and reward make the right choice feel great.

Build Duration on Place and Down

1. Start with ten seconds. Reward at five and nine seconds with Good. Release with Yes at ten.
2. Add five seconds per session until you reach two minutes indoors.
3. Begin to stand, sit, and move one step while your dog holds Place. Reward on the bed for staying.

Calm Around Triggers

• Play a recording of street noise at low volume. Ask for Place. Reward soft eyes and slow breathing.
• Increase volume slightly across sets. If your dog tenses or scans, lower the volume and help with easy reps.
• For door knocks, practise mock visits with a family member. Use the visitor protocol in Week 5.

Stay patient and protect the quality of each rep. Progression is steady, never rushed. That is how the Smart Method delivers reliability that lasts.

Week 5: Real Life Reliability

Now we take calm on the road. Real life is the test and Smart training prepares your dog for it.

Visitors Protocol

1. Before the knock, put your dog on Place and clip the lead.
2. When the knock sounds, feed slowly on the bed while you walk to the door.
3. Bring the visitor in while your dog remains on Place. Reward calm. If they break, guide back to the bed and reduce the challenge.
4. Release to greet only when your dog offers soft eyes and loose body language. Keep the greet brief and quiet.

Public Settle

• Choose a quiet cafe corner or park bench.
• Lay a mat and cue Place then Down.
• Feed at slow intervals for calm. Add mild distractions like passing people. If arousal rises, step away and reset with a short walk pattern.

These sessions turn daily life into practice reps that reinforce your dog hyperactivity training plan.

Week 6: Maintenance and Progression

By now, your dog understands how to earn release and reward through calm choices. Keep the gains with simple habits.

Independent Settle

• Offer Place after walks and meals. Fade food, then switch to praise and touch.
• Scatter a few bits of kibble on the bed at random times so the bed stays valuable.

Enrichment That Helps, Not Hypes

• Use sniff walks on a long line in low arousal areas. Let your dog forage and decompress.
• Offer calm chew sessions with a settle cue, then remove the item and praise for staying relaxed.
• Keep fetch limited and slow in pace. Mix in obedience between throws to maintain a thoughtful state.

Maintenance is light and targeted. You now have an off switch that you can use anywhere.

Daily Schedule Example

Use this template for a balanced day. Adjust times to fit your routine.

• Morning 10 to 15 minutes: Place practice and short indoor lead work. Then a calm walk of 12 to 20 minutes with pattern walking.
• Post walk 30 to 60 minutes: Rest in crate or pen. Quiet house.
• Midday 5 to 8 minutes: Focus drills like name and eye contact. Light enrichment like scatter feeding in the garden.
• Afternoon 10 minutes: Threshold practice at doors and Place with mild distractions.
• Evening 12 to 20 minutes: Structured walk or public settle session with a mat.
• Pre bed 3 to 5 minutes: Easy Place reps. Lights low. Calm reward.

Short sessions keep your dog below threshold. Consistency builds automatic calm.

Troubleshooting Common Sticking Points

My Dog Gets Worse After Exercise

Replace long, high arousal play with slow pattern walks and Place practice. If your dog is more wired after a session, the session was too long or too exciting. Cut duration, slow your pace, and reward for soft eyes and steady breathing.

My Dog Cannot Hold Place When Guests Arrive

Split the challenge. First, hold Place with you moving around the room. Next, practise door sounds with no guest. Then add a guest who ignores the dog and sits down. Release only after calm. If your dog fails more than twice in a row, reduce difficulty and win small.

My Dog Will Not Take Food Outside

Use higher value food at first and reduce distractions. Reward for orienting to you, not tricks. If appetite is still low, shorten the session and work closer to home where your dog feels safe.

My Dog Jumps on People

Clip the lead before the knock. Hold Place while the visitor sits. Reward for four paws down. Release to greet only when calm. If jumping starts, guide back to Place and try again with a shorter greet.

Measuring Progress

• Settle Time: How long to relax after a trigger or walk
• Lead Tension: Time spent with a loose lead on each walk
• Rest Hours: Total daily sleep and quiet rest
• Visitor Protocol: Number of calm greets in a row
• Public Settle: Minutes your dog can relax on a mat in a new place

Track these once a week. Celebrate wins. If progress stalls, adjust the plan or get hands-on help from our team.

Why Work With Smart

Smart Dog Training is the UK authority in structured, results focused training. Our programmes are delivered in-home, in group classes, and through tailored behaviour plans that follow the Smart Method. Each plan is backed by national standards and supported by the Smart Trainer Network. When you train with Smart, you work with a certified professional whose sole focus is your outcome.

If you want expert guidance on your dog hyperactivity training plan, our team is ready to help. Find a Trainer Near You and start with a local professional who understands your goals.

How Smart Trainers Coach You

• Clear coaching for handlers so you know exactly what to do in each rep
• Tailored progressions that match your dog’s breed, age, and stress profile
• Fair pressure and release to teach accountability without conflict
• Motivation that builds joy and a willing attitude
• Mentorship and support so calm becomes your lifestyle, not a one-off trick

Every Smart Master Dog Trainer earns their certification through Smart University and continues with mentorship. You get a consistent standard and a coach who will help you get calm that lasts.

FAQs: Dog Hyperactivity Training Plan

How long does it take to see results with a dog hyperactivity training plan

Most families see early change in one to two weeks when they follow the routine and protect rest. Reliable calm in real life often takes four to six weeks of steady practice. Complex cases can take longer. Smart programmes are structured so you see clear wins early and build from there.

Do I need more exercise or different exercise

Most hyperactive dogs need different exercise, not more. Swap long high arousal play for short structured walks, sniff sessions, and Place training. This teaches an off switch instead of chasing a moving target for tiredness.

What if my dog is a puppy

Puppies benefit even more from structure. Keep sessions very short. Focus on Place, thresholds, name response, and calm handling. Protect sleep and use a crate or pen for rest. Our trainers adapt the dog hyperactivity training plan to your puppy’s age and needs.

Can I fix hyperactivity without tools

The real tool is clarity. Markers, fair guidance, and measured rewards drive success. Your trainer will select safe, humane equipment that supports the plan and teaches accountability. We keep methods simple so you can train with confidence.

Will food rewards make my dog more excited

Not if you use them well. Deliver food slowly and close to your dog’s body in calm reps. Mark with a quiet Good for holding position, then release with Yes. You shape a relaxed state while keeping your dog motivated.

When should I work with a trainer

If you feel stuck, if your dog cannot settle after a walk, or if reactions are escalating, bring in help. A certified Smart Master Dog Trainer will assess, set the right plan, and coach you step by step. Hands-on guidance often speeds results and reduces stress for everyone.

What if my dog gets over aroused by visitors

Split the challenge and practise the visitor protocol in stages. Start with Place while you move, then door sounds, then a seated guest. Reward calm and keep greets short. If your dog struggles, lower the difficulty and build back up.

Can this plan help with barking at windows

Yes. Reduce visual access, teach Place away from windows, and reward for relaxed body language during trigger sounds. Add calm pattern walks and you will see the barking reduce as overall arousal drops.

Conclusion: Calm Is a Trained Skill

Hyperactivity fades when clarity and structure rise. The Smart Method shows your dog exactly how to earn release and reward through calm choices. With a consistent dog hyperactivity training plan, you will see real change at home, on walks, and in public. Smart Dog Training delivers this change through in-home coaching, structured group classes, and tailored behaviour programmes guided by certified professionals who are invested in your success.

Your dog deserves training that truly works. With certified Smart Master Dog Trainers SMDTs nationwide, you'll get proven results backed by the UK's most trusted dog training network. Find a Trainer Near You