Why is my Malamute hyper?

If your Malamute has been being hyper, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you eight common reasons why they can be hyper and what you can do about it.

Your Malamute might actually be doing it for a number of different reasons and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider when figuring out the main causes and there are many things you can do about them.

Possible reasons why your Malamute is hyper

Below are a number of possible causes and what you can do about the behavior.

Exercise

Malamutes are supposed to get daily exercise. When they do not get enough exercise, it is common for them to become hyperactive. This would be more likely to be the cause if yours tends to be more energetic when it has not been able to get exercise.

Generally, it is recommended for them to get at least an hour of exercise per day as healthy adults. However, if it is a puppy, it is recommended to limit exercise to 5 minutes per month age because its joints are still developing (source).

Attention

Another possible cause is that your Malamute has learned that being hyper results in you giving it extra attention. This would be more likely if your Malamute starts being hyper when you are not giving it attention and if you tend to give it extra attention when it does it.

If you think that this might be the case then you could try ignoring it when it is trying to get your attention by acting hyper and then rewarding it with your attention when it is being well behaved.

Boredom

It could be that your Malamute is hyper because it is bored. This will likely stem from not getting enough exercise, training and attention so it’s important to make sure that it does.

Location

If your Malamute is not hyper in one location but it is in another then it is likely to be because it is being excited by all of the things going around it that it isn’t used to.

It’s not uncommon to be able to train a Malamute to do something in one location but to not be able to get it to do it in another. This is due to all of the new things going on around it. So, when you’re training it, it’s important to train it in multiple locations.

You have been encouraging it

Another possible cause is that it has learned that the behavior gets rewarded. If you tend to give your Malamute things such as toys, treats or extra attention, when it behaves that way, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.

Separation anxiety

The cause of the hyperactivity could be due to it having separation anxiety. This is where it does not like being left without you and it can cause it to become anxious. There are a lot of other symptoms that often come with it like peeing inside or being destructive while you’re away or becoming anxious when it sees that you are about to leave.

A lack of training

If you do not give your Malamute training, it will behave the way it feels like behaving. The way it feels like behaving is unlikely to be the way that you would like it to behave which is why it is important to make sure to give it training. It would help to start with the basics and then to build up from there.

Feeding it the wrong food

The cause might also be that it has been eating things that it should not be. This would be more likely if it is more hyper when it eats certain foods or if it has started acting that way since a change in its diet. Consult with your vet if you think that this might be the cause also make sure that no one has been feeding it without telling you.

How to stop it from being hyper

Below are some things you can do in order to get your Malamute to stop being hyper.

Train it

To get your Malmaute to stop being hyper you can give it lots of training.

Start by teaching it to do simple things such as to sit in an environment like the home where there are not many external distractions. Once you can get it to do that you can build up to teaching it harder things such as to come to you on command.

Once you’re able to get your Malamute to listen to you in less distracting environments you should build it up to teaching it to do the same in more challenging environments.

The training method I would recommend would be positive reinforcement training. Another training method that can work well would be NLIF (nothing in life is free) training.

You can watch the video below for advice on training hyper dogs.

Give it exercise

It would also help to ensure that it is able to get daily exercise. It is generally recommended for them to get at least an hour of exercise per day.

Don’t reward the behavior

As mentioned above, it might be the case that it has learned that the behavior gets rewarded. It’s important not to encourage its hyperactivity. So, you should be careful not to reward it when it is acting hyper. Instead, you can try ignoring the hyperactivity if you can and then reward it when it is being well behaved.

Keep it occupied

You can also try diverting your Malamute’s attention onto things that you don’t mind it playing with by giving it lots of toys to play with.

Calming chews

In addition to the above, there are chews that you can buy that are designed to calm your Malamute down. This is something that you might want to try.

Get help

If your Malamute has started being very hyperactive suddenly and you’re not sure why, it would help to take it to a vet for a checkup. Doing so should allow you to see what has been causing the behavior and to get expert advice tailored towards your particular Malamute.

Also, another option would be to get help from a dog behaviorist. By doing so, you should be able to see what you can do to get your Malamute to be calmer.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider about your Malamute being hyper.

It won’t be quick

It is very unlikely that you will be able to drastically change its behavior with just one training session. Instead, you should train it to behave a certain way in specific situations, stick to training it over the long term, to make sure that it is getting the right diet and to give it daily exercise.

Be consistent

It’s important that you train your Malamute on a consistent basis. If you just train your Malamute once and then stop training it for a while then it will forget its training.

Use positive reinforcement

If you punish your Malamute for acting hyper then it will likely think that you are punishing it for the last thing that it did which is coming to you. A better alternative would be to use positive reinforcement training where you reward your Malamute for behaving the way that you want it to and to avoid rewarding it when it misbehaves.

How old it is

It’s important to consider the age of your Malamute. If it’s still a puppy then it will likely calm down as it gets older but it’s still important to take the time to train it now even if it is still young.

What is different when it is hyper

If your Malamute tends to be hyper more at specific times, it would help to consider what is different when it is hyper. For example, if it only does it in the morning and when you arrive home, the cause might be separation anxiety or hunger.

What else happened when it first started doing it

If it started being hyper suddenly, it would also help to consider what else happened when it first started being hyper. If it did do it suddenly, it could be due to things such as learning that the behavior is rewarded, a change in its diet or getting less exercise.