Ask The Vet: How to deal with a younger dog's high energy – Arizona Daily Sun

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Q: I got my dog when he was a puppy. Now, he is two years old and is still completely high energy and out of control to the point where I want to give him sedatives daily to calm him down. At what age do dogs calm down, and what can I do to help reduce some of his energy?
A: Adopting a puppy is not for the faint of heart, as getting a well-behaved dog takes time and effort in the long term.
In some ways, raising a puppy is similar to raising a child, as you need to establish boundaries and start training them immediately. It takes time and daily training to teach a dog how to behave appropriately. They do not learn how to be good dogs on their own; they must be shown by their owners daily how to behave as you need them to as a member of the family.
For most young dogs with behavioral issues, such as too much energy, destructive behaviors, and anxiety issues, the number one issue is that they are bored and not getting enough exercise or mental stimulation.
Short daily leash walks for a young dog living in an apartment are not enough exercise and lead to boredom and behavioral issues.
You need to look at your exercise regime for your dog, and if he is not getting plenty of time to run and play daily, he is not getting enough exercise.
Dogs must exercise until they are tired. This might mean an hour at the dog park or an hour-long hike for a younger dog, and it might be a slow 15-minute walk for an older dog. Even older dogs need daily intentional exercise, such as leash walks, to stay limber and maintain muscle mass.
Young athletic dogs need miles of exercise before getting tired, so look carefully at the amount of exercise your dog is getting and significantly increase it each day if it is not sufficient.
The other option is to take your dog to training classes with a legitimate dog trainer. Most of the time, the dog is having issues because of what the human has inadvertently taught it, and it is necessary to break bad habits.
Dog training is as much about training the owner as it is about training the dog, as the human usually does not give the dog good boundaries and is not clear about expectations.
So, with your dog’s behavioral issues, it is essential to look inward at yourself and ask if your dog is getting enough exercise and mental stimulation daily and if you unknowingly enable these unwanted behaviors by not appropriately training him.
If you can address these two issues, you will be surprised at how quickly a dog with behavioral problems can turn into a more stable and calmer dog, no matter its age.
Q: My cat prefers my dog’s food over the cat food I give him. Can I give him dog food instead of cat food to save money?
A: Interestingly, my cats also like dog food and will try to sneak it anytime they can get to it! However, while it is acceptable that your cat eats dog food occasionally, it is better for your cat also to eat cat food daily.
Cat food is much more balanced nutritionally for a cat’s metabolism and provides your cat with all the essential nutrition it needs to be healthy.
Dog food is not designed for a cat’s nutritional needs, so although it is not harmful to them, they must eat cat food to get the nutrition necessary for good health.
Interesting fact, dogs are omnivores and can survive on plant protein alone, but cats are obligate carnivores and must eat meat to survive. You cannot have a vegetarian cat without it having severe medical issues!
Dr. Julianne Miller is a Flagstaff veterinarian. She can be reached at [email protected]

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