Instructions
Exercise your puppy. This is a must, and it cannot be put off because of rain, sleet, snow or heat. Your Labrador retriever puppy must be completely tired out at least two times each day--three times daily is better--and this will continue into the dog's middle age at least. Completely tired out means the dog walks into the house and flops down for an hour's nap or longer. Its exercise should be a combination of leash walking and free play in an enclosed area; it needs both.
Keep the household schedule and routines as structured as possible. Dogs tend to be anxious if there is too much uncertainty in their routines, and anxiety often results in hyperactivity.
Find chews that your puppy really loves--the kind that will make it lie down and chew for a good 30 to 60 minutes without a break. This may be large soup bones from the grocer, rawhide or other chews. Chewing is good exercise and relieves stress for dogs. Give real bones raw; cooked ones splinter more easily. Give rawhide only with supervision. Some veterinarians recommend rawhide, and others are against it. Supervision is always required, and you should discuss the pros and cons with your pup's veterinarian first. Buy a few Kong toys, fill them with peanut butter and other goodies and freeze them. These are great for the times when your puppy needs to be crated.
Play some indoor games daily in addition to the daily outdoor exercise. Tug is a great indoor game, especially when you are tired or want to watch TV. Just sit down comfortably and hold the tug toy while your dog pulls to its heart's content. Tug is a healthy game for dogs and does not cause aggressive behavior. Take advantage of your Lab's soft mouth and play Nerf fetch indoors, but keep the Nerf toy out of reach when not in use.
Teach your puppy to play with puzzle toys. It has to learn to work the puzzle to get the treat to come out.
Give your puppy lots of time out of the crate. Arrange the schedule so that it spends only the night in the crate and possibly a couple of hours in the daytime. This may mean sending it to a doggie day care while you work, but any puppy will be rather crazed and hyper from spending 8 to 12 hours a day in the crate and then overnight in the crate as well. It's fine to crate it when you have to run to the store or take a shower. In that way, a crate is like a playpen for a baby. But all day and night with just a short time out of the crate in the evening is not going to work.
Include training time into every day. Teach your puppy as many words and commands as possible. The more its active mind is occupied, the better.
Visit the veterinarian to rule out any of the physical problems which can cause hyperactive behavior.
Take your puppy to a veterinary behaviorist if you seriously apply these steps and there is no improvement. True hyperactivity (ADHD) is very rare in dogs, but it can occur. In such cases, a veterinary behaviorist will be able to prescribe the appropriate medication.
How to Keep Up With a Hyperactive Labrador Puppy
Labrador retrievers have been the most popular breed of dog in the United States for several years, according to American Kennel Club registration statistics. It's no wonder, because they have a well-deserved reputation as friendly, gentle, fun-loving dogs that are easy to train. Sadly, with such great popularity comes a few problems. Many people see the opportunity to make some easy money and start breeding dogs indiscriminately, causing health and behavior problems. In addition, some people adopt or buy the popular breed without regard to whether they are suitable owners. Hyperactivity is often a result of poor breeding and/or an inappropriate environment. It's not a hopeless problem, however, and there are steps you can take to help you keep up with your hyperactive Labrador.