07/13/2026
“I think my puppy just needs another walk…”
Honestly… that’s probably one of the biggest myths I come across.
I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had where somebody says, “They’ve got so much energy, they must need burning off.” Then they describe a puppy who’s biting everything, charging round the living room, grabbing at sleeves, stealing socks and looking as though they’ve got enough energy to keep going until midnight. On the face of it, that sounds completely logical. Busy puppy… equals more exercise. Except… it isn’t always that simple.
One of the biggest things I try to explain is that “tired” doesn’t always look sleepy. If only it did… life would be much easier! Puppies don’t always wander off, curl up in a bed and quietly fall asleep when they’ve had enough. Quite often they do the exact opposite. They become mouthier. They stop listening. They find it harder to switch off. They zoom around as though they’ve suddenly been plugged into the mains… when actually they’re running on empty.
I always say to owners, “Tell me what today has looked like.” That’s usually where the answers start to appear. Maybe they’ve had visitors this morning. They’ve been to puppy class this afternoon. They’ve had a little training session in the garden, met next door’s children, had a walk, learnt something new and played with three different toys… then everyone wonders why they’re bouncing off the walls by seven o’clock. When you list it all out like that, it’s not really surprising they’re struggling to switch off.
The important thing to remember is that excitement and overtiredness can look remarkably similar. That’s why it’s so easy to mistake one for the other. An excited puppy will usually stay engaged with you, respond to what you’re asking and enjoy interacting. An overtired puppy often starts making poorer decisions. They grab first and think later. They become more impulsive. Their little brains are effectively saying, “I’ve had enough now,” even if the rest of their body hasn’t quite caught up yet.
That doesn’t mean every lively puppy needs putting straight to bed either. It’s about looking at the whole picture rather than one behaviour in isolation. Sometimes they genuinely do need to let off steam. Sometimes they need a toilet break. Sometimes they need a quiet chew and somewhere calm to settle. And sometimes… they simply need everybody to stop entertaining them for half an hour so their brain gets chance to catch up with the rest of them.
One thing I’ve learnt over the years is that puppies are actually quite good at telling us what they need… they’re just not always very good at telling us in a way that makes sense to us. That’s why I spend much less time asking, “How do I stop this behaviour?” and much more time asking, “Why is this behaviour happening?” Those two questions might sound similar, but they usually lead you to completely different answers.
So next time your puppy suddenly goes from lovely to loopy… just pause for a second before reaching for the lead or another game of tug. Have a think about what the day has looked like. Ask yourself whether they’ve had enough time to process everything that’s happened. You might find the answer isn’t another walk after all… it might just be a nap. 💛
