You may have seen your dog run around and around at full speed through your house, and questioned the reason behind this huge and sudden outburst of energy. This behaviour may include spinning around, jumping in the air, laying down then sprinting away. It is a type of Frenetic Random Activity Period (FRAP), also referred to as ‘zoomies’.
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Zoomies normally occur at a regular time of day, for example, as soon as your dog gets out of the bath, or it could be when you return home from work. But some dogs will perform these behavioural traits randomly. Dogs very rarely perform zoomies alone, it is most common whilst they are in the company of people. As dogs get older, the frequency of the zoomies, commonly becomes less and less. Although some dogs will never grow out of them. Below we will discuss common reasons why pets display ‘zoomies’.
Why do dogs get the zoomies?
Dogs act as if they store up lots of “energy” (psychological excitation or arousal). This could be described as nervous energy, physical energy or emotional energy amongst many other types. These states of potential excitation are then released in frenetic random activity periods.
Another way of looking at it is that dogs build up stress levels. And the zoomies are a way of burning that stress off, cathartically. This excitation state is likely to build up if pets have not seen their owners for a long period and then they are reunited. You will often find that once your pet has run around frantically, they are much more relaxed.
Plus, of course, it’s a hyper-excitable state so it’s probably fun! By domesticating dogs, we’ve bred and trained them to keep a lot of their puppy behaviours into adulthood (like barking). FRAP is typically a puppy behaviour (just like in toddlers!). And it might be we have accidentally “built” our dogs with this behaviour retained into adulthood.
At the end of the day, it seems to be a normal part of being a dog.
Are Zoomies Dangerous?
This behaviour is completely normal and can be very fun to watch. It does not normally last very long and very rarely causes any harm to your pet.
However, if your dog is old and suffers from osteoarthritis, or has any injuries that limit mobility, zoomies may affect them afterwards. In this case, you should try to prevent them from jumping on and off objects or suddenly stopping and starting quick movements as this could exacerbate any mobility problems.
Additionally, you should be careful allowing zoomies to take place immediately after your pet has eaten. Exercise straight after food can lead to gastric dilation volvulus, a painful twisting of the stomach that is common in deep chested dogs and can very often be life-threatening. Furthermore, zoomies can be dangerous should your pet jump on and off fragile furniture, or crash into vulnerable ornaments or pots – they may injure themselves as well as damaging your possessions. You should make your house as safe as possible for your pet as it is very difficult to prevent zoomies.
Can we prevent zoomies?
If you feel your pet is exerting this amount of energy too often, you may find they benefit from going on more frequent walks, or staying out for longer when you do go for walks. This will increase the amount of energy your dog burns off, meaning they have less stored energy for zoomies. Zoomies are a very normal behaviour trait for your pet to exhibit and therefore they should not be punished for doing it. If you are still struggling to control your dog, please contact your vet for veterinary advice.
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