Dog Zoomies – Why Do Dogs Run In Circles?
Dog zoomies are periods of frantic activity in which a dog runs around in circles, and seems to be unaware of their surrounds. In canine psychology circles we call it a frenetic random activity period, or frap for short. Zoomies are more common in puppies, but can happen in dogs of any age. They do it without noticing what’s going on around them, what they break, or who they knock over in the process. When the dog zoomies happens indoors, it can leave the rest of the family in quite a state.
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A dog with the zoomies is not going mad. Nor is he bad, or dangerous. Apart from the risk of tripping over something or smashing up the furniture the zoomies isn’t harmful to him.
Frapping or zoomies is a normal dog behavior but if it’s causing you a problem, there are steps you can take to reduce it. Increases in exercise and training are the most effective solutions. Dogs can be taught that zooming is only appropriate outdoors. And if you are alert to your dog’s triggers, you can anticipate most cases of the dog zoomies and move them into your yard.
Is this the dog zoomies?
Does your dog suddenly runs madly around the house like a wild animal, low to the ground with legs bent. Do his eyes look a little crazy, is his butt tucked underneath him, and does he appear to have no regard for his own safety or your best china? If so, you’re probably watching a case of the zoomies dog in action
The word zoomies really does sum up this crazy behavior very well.
Once seen, never forgotten!
Dog zoomies isn’t just clumsiness or restlessness. The behavior is quite distinctive, as is the posture of the dog. It’s almost a squatting kind of run – difficult to describe but you’ll recognize it once you’ve seen it.
You may also see play bows interspersed with the running.
Another feature is the sudden way that the zoomies start. A dog with a case of the zoomies will break into a flat out gallop from a standing start.
Sometimes right in the middle of your living room! There is often very little warning.
A trail of destruction!
People often use the word ‘crazy’ to describe the zoomies dogs do. The dog will be oblivious to any damage, often crashing into tables and knocking chairs flying. If he’s outdoors in your yard, he’ll often race in a big circle at break neck speed, leaning right over to turn as tight as he can.
And perhaps stopping on occasion to spin around and set off in the opposite direction.
He may well not hear your pleas to ‘stop’ or ‘look out’ The zoomies don’t last long. But they can leave a trail of destruction behind them. And for a new dog owner, they can be quite shocking.
So what exactly is going on here. Has a dog with the zoomies got a problem? Or is the problem all yours? Why do dogs run in circles like this? Let’s discover what the scientists say.
Frap dog behavior
Of course, biologists have come up with another name, so you’ll also hear zoomies referred to as ‘frapping’. Frapping dog is not an expletive (though you might feel inclined to use one)!
Frap is an abbreviation
F = frenetic
R = random
A = activity
P = period
And it’s a pretty self explanatory one.
Why do dogs get the zoomies?
So why do dogs run in circles like this? We don’t know exactly why some dogs are prone to frapping or getting the zoomies and other dogs aren’t.
Dog zoomies are more common during time periods when a dog is full of energy. In other words he hasn’t been exercised for a while, or has been shut in the house for a few hours.
Some dogs never get the zoomies, no matter how full of energy they are, and others get them frequently. So that isn’t the only explanation.
Dog zoomies can also have triggers particular to that individual. Such as after grooming, a game of tug or a bath. Though if this is your dog’s only trigger, this may not be a true case of the zoomies
After a bath?
If your dog races around after his bath he might not have the zoomies. He may just be expressing his delight at the bath being over. Other dogs will zoom around with their head on the ground and their butt in the air after a bath, as they try to rub themselves dry on your carpets. One of my spaniels does this.
Again, it isn’t quite the same as the zoomies, which involves that distinctive posture I describe above. And a dog that is just drying himself will be more responsive to you than a dog with the zoomies. So how can you tell if your dog is about to get the zoomies? Is it possible to recognize the signs?
Over-excitement!
Zoomies are most common in dogs that are puppies or quite young, that haven’t had much exercise in the last few hours, and that are starting to get a bit excited, or playful. Play bows can be a sign.
If your dog has had the zoomies in the past and starts to play bow indoors, there is a good chance you are about to see a case of the zoomies. While dog zoomies are not in anyway linked with aggression, occasionally a young dog will start nipping during frapping behavior.
Zoomies and biting
If your dog is nipping or biting during an attack of the zoomies, you need to change the way you manage him. Avoid physically handling him, and stop any game you might have been playing. He needs to have a chance to calm down.
If you can open a door and let the dog outside to burn up some energy in your yard, then do so. Have your dog wear a house line indoors, so that you can restrain him at arms length if you need to.
Are the zoomies harmful to my dog?
Dog zoomies are not intrinsically harmful. They won’t give your dog a seizure or take him into some kind of permanent emotional melt down. Despite the clumsiness of dogs that get the zoomies, they don’t usually hurt themselves in any significant way, especially outdoors. The zoomies is also not usually a sign that they are sick.
If your dog has had the puppy zoomies on a regular basis since he joined your family, this is just ‘normal for him’. It’s how he lets off his extra energy. You don’t need to worry. Except about your china.
However, if a previously very calm dog suddenly starts to run in circles on a regular basis, consider having a chat with your vet. Especially if nothing has altered in the family routine that could have caused her to have some extra energy to let off. This change in behaviour could possibly be a sign of another problem.
Are the zoomies dangerous?
Dog zoomies are not usually too risky. But do be extra careful if you have a dog at higher than usual risk of injury. Dog zoomies along with stitches for instance can spell trouble. Avoid any known triggers for his zoomies. And to consider how to safely give him enough exercise, to reduce his pent up energy.
Dogs with the zoomies don’t usually crash into each other. But if you have a second dog in the house who is frail, elderly, injured or sick, you may want to protect them from a zoomie-inclined companion. For example by escorting them to safety when the zoomies begin!
And equally, a dog with the zoomies could knock down a toddler or an elderly or unsteady adult. This isn’t common, but it is something for owners of high energy dogs to be aware of.
What to do when your dog gets the zoomies
Don’t be tempted to chase your dog when he gets the zoomies, indoor or out. Chasing him is likely to excite him even further. Move him outdoors if at all possible
(paid link)I have had a lot of success with simply opening the back door and waving the dog outside the instant the zoomies begin. If the zoomies dogs are a big problem for you, think about what might have triggered them so that you can work on preventing or reducing them in the future.
How to prevent the zoomies
Because dog zoomies is normal behavior you don’t need to do anything, other than help your dog learn to express this behavior in your yard, rather than around your coffee table. But, you may find that offering your dog more ways to dispel his energy helps to reduce frapping episodes, or even stop him from doing it altogether
Exercise will help to prevent the zoomies. Dogs won’t normally zoom when they are physically tired. Mental stimulation helps too. Dogs may be more prone to the zoomies when they are bored. A couple of training sessions each day will help to exercise your dog’s mind
Most dogs are more likely to have the zoomies when they are already in a playful of excited state. So learning how to calm a puppy or an older dog will help you.
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My yellow Lab Shelby was famous for doing Zoomies I just let her rip and zoom around the yard. So funny watching her tuck in her behind and just take off. It was always entertaining to see her zoom all over the back yard. She has now since passed away. But always remembered her doing her daily run of Zoomies. Thanks for the info on Labs and that it’s natural for them to do Zoomies.
Thanks Again
Surprised to hear that Labs get the zoomies! Our 4 yr old Working Cocker does this for ages. He can keep zooming for over a hour outdoors. It’s difficult when he does it indoors, though. I try not to tell him off, knowing he can’t help it. I speak to him softly and put him outdoors, with the command ‘Go play’ – this way I hope he won’t find it a punishment. If outdoors is not possible I put him on the lead and he immediately settles . If I’m busy doing other things I put him in his crate with a favourite toy in for half a hour at a time while I go in an out of the room. He immediately settles and often choses to have a sleep. He usually comes out calmer. Until the next time!
My 13month black lab does this and I find it very frightening. She jumps bites and just goes crazy. It is always when we are having a nice walk all of a sudden she attacks me. I stand still and ignore her but she continues to jump and bite. I sometimes shout which helps on odd occasion. She sometimes sits and I try to calm her give her a treat but as soon as she has this she is of again. Any advice would be most welcome. Otherwise she is a very friendly loving dog.
Do not reward her during or after these fits. Though zoomies are totally normal and super common in labs you should still make it clear that you don’t approve of the bitting. Finally make note of when she has theses fits and let her outside.
We rescued our now six month old white lab mix at four months old. Not only has he doubled in size but he has also turned into our zoomie boy at least once a day. He has the nipping and running zoomies and it’s terrifying for me. 85% of the day our George is a gem but the other 15% watch out!!
Any advice?
My service dog gets the zoomies when we get home from work. If I don’t get a chance to play with her fast enough, she’ll take off. It is one of the funniest things she does and always makes me happy to see her just let loose after a long day of work.
I have a mongrel with quite a bit of Lab in him, he loves to this, up and down the garden. I was worried at 1st as he seemed to use shoulder to wall at the top of the garden to stop. He loves it if I stand with my legs apart and he races through them. Occasionally I get it in the house, but open the back door and he soon diverts back to the garden, sometime in and out the house is fun for him, but not so it causes any real damage.
Our almost 11yrs old black lab still gets the zoomies and still loves to play just finished working at the end of last game season
Our 4yo springer has zoomies – we call them ‘mental spaniel moments’. Unfortunately, they centre around a person (usually me, as Primary Carer), and as he runs out and back, he’ll grab at trouser cuffs, shirt sleeves, etc. only momentarily, but inevitably there is tooth to skin contact. Not too much of a problem for the adults who know him – we generally discreetly remove ourselves until he is run out – but I’m always very watchful around kids, as the potential results don’t bear thinking about.
I’ve been trying to read about different dog gaits (e.g. trot, canter, gallop) and it sounds like the zoomies might be a modified type of single suspension gallop, but I’m not sure. Does anyone know what gait dogs are using when they get the zoomies? None of the gait descriptions mention the butt tucking, which is my favorite part of the zoomies. It’s so cute!
My 3 yr old chocolate lab is a big lad. Gunner does zoomies at least 3 times a week. Up and down the stairs through the kitchen and into the garden. Then it’s repeated numerous times. I love to stand and watch him it gives me so much joy. Love my boy so proud of him and his little party tricks
Our 6 mo. old yellow lab gets them every day or two and in the house or outdoors. When he is in the house he races through the house and bounces off the couch. Realize now that he is probably about 60 lbs. of muscle and bone. He has sent our wicker couch on our sun room flying over backward. I cannot predict when he is going to do it when inside but outside he usually has a bout of the zoomies first thing in the morning and may again later in the day. He does a lot of bowing, wanting you to chase him, as well.
My ten year old yellow dudley, Blossom, has always gotten what we refer to as “the rips”. When she was younger she used to rip from one end of the couch to another (with her hulking self!) and from one corner of the bed to the other. She rips outside when we are hiking as well. So funny to watch them!
Henae
I love it when my 3.5 year old chocolate does this. He does it a lot after he goes poo, which is adorable in the backyard, but difficult when I have him on a leash and need to pick it up lol ???? he also does it when he is really excited, gets to be off leash on a new place, or when we are holding a squeaky ball
All of the black labs that we have had (3) have had crazy spells or zoomies. The one we have now is especially goofy. She is only 8 months old, but has been doing this ever since we got her at 8 or 9 weeks of age. It is hilarious to watch and we love to see her so energetic. It’s what makes her a joy to have as a member of our family!
i have a golden retriever named Max, he gets zoomies when he i meet him after a long time.
My wife has called this behavior Devil Dog. Our Mettie, always performs this outside and usually when another dog passes by her fence. I am convinced she does this to show off to the passing dog and their partner.
She will often do this while doing some training and I just let her go so she can explode all of her pent up energy. She will sometimes start to come at me and bite at me I then will stand firmly facing her and give her the non verbal sit sign ( for me is the hand closing into a fist)
I am all for her expelling her energy this way since she can be subdued when needed and most of all she just needs to burn off built up energy quickly. I like the term Devil Dog the best, it suits her well.
Our 9 year old borador gets back from a long walk, plays in the yard, comes in the house, mopes around then BOOM, springboards off the couch (once off my brother’s huge gut) then flies up n down the stairs, does tail chases on ottoman, and royally chimps out. Then as soon as she zooms, she dissapears. Funny as hay. It is hilarious.
My 2 year old yellow lab, Maggie gets the zoomies when I’m getting ready to take her for a walk. I just thought she was excited about a walk. She races from the living room to the dining room, runs around the table and back into the living room several times. The only damage is the rug in the dining room gets schrunched up. I love watching her 🙂
Wow, so relieved to read your article & COMMENTS from other families who have witnessed the ‘zoomies’. Our Maya does it occasionally and Usually after we just played or long walk or even after our daughter has taken her for a run. I was concerned that she had a ‘problem’ to me it seemed as if her ‘blood was boiling’. At times when I’m concerned for her safety or others, I call her for a treat and slip her collar & leash on, sometimes it takes to ‘stroll’ (walking very slowly) around talking calmness to help her cool down!? I use the ‘leash method’ inside as well, at times when Maya is bugging us at inconvenient times. Although it works I’ve been wanting to ask someone like yourself if this is appropriate, or demeaning to do. Our Maya is 3 1/2 adopted from a shelter at 1 1/2, and previous to us had been unsuccessful at ‘training for the border patrol’ whatever that means and is very skittish to loud noises.
Hi Mary, I am pleased to hear that you found the article useful. Here is an article on chewing, which I hope will help: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/how-to-stop-your-labrador-chewing-things/
My yellow lab Duffy gets the zoomies when his dad indicates he wants to play.. Just one playful look or motion can send him into the zoomies.. I just stand aside and watch.. He gets the craziest look in his eyes and sometimes grabs a pillow and runs around shaking it.. Sometimes he sends his dad flying if he decides to pounce on him.. We can get him to get the zoomies 99% of the time when his dad says Duffy in a playful voice and then looks at him and pulls a cover over his head and then plays peek a boo.. Instant zoomies!
My 2 yrs old Lab Hachi has Zoomies a few times a month. Thankfully outside, and mainly after he’s been for a poop or if he’s excited.
Yesterday it was the first reason, and after the weather at the weekend, a rather soggy front garden is now almost bare and all the grass has been turned over to mud….lovely!! Summer hurry up!! ????
I love watching Hachi’s Zoomies, but do worry in the back garden as I have a couple of large steps, but he always manages to clear them both!!
Such very clever doggie traits haha ????????
I love it when my guy gets the zoomies – he’s usually pretty calm so I like seeing him with that excited puppy energy. I can tell when he wants to zoom and I say “go crazy!” and on command he charges in zig zags with his butt low. It’s always outside and doesn’t last that long and always makes me laugh. I think he does it to entertain me.
My lab, Joy, has always done zoomie, and still does at age 7. She’s always done them outside in the yard and I love watching her in full, wide-open zoomie mode. Zoomies strike when she is at her happiest…Even at play dates with her friends. To me, “Joy Zoomies” are an expression of her happiness. I hope to someday capture a really good video!
I just got my 12 week old Lab on video doing the zoomies. It’s hilarious.
Horses also will suddenly start running crazy around their pasture, usually bucking and we call it “feeling their oats”.
My Lab, and in fact every dog i have ever seen do this are usually overjoyed for some reason. I have never considered it a negative behavior. I wish I had the ability to express myself the way they do!! I always send them outside to finish their Zoomie. I dog sit many many types of dogs and almost all of the younger dogs have a case of the Zoomies at one time or another. I have never ever considered it as abnormal.
Most of my Labs have done this. The one we currently have does on the spot 360 degree spins as well. Also, and this could be frightening to young children or the elderly, she runs at you and uses you as a spring board to change direction. Fortunately she doesn’t do this with anybody other than me.
My labbies have always done this. We call it “getting buck”. I personally love see their happiness and excitement! ????
my 4 yr old chocolate does it when he has been play fighting my fox red but the red never does it
Our chocolate lab is 4 months old and gets the zombies approximately 5 times a week….I wasn’t sure what was happening in the beginning just thought she was going crazy. Thanks for this article…I feel better knowing this happens with labs. We don’t have an enclosed yard for her to run but I put a long lead on her so she can act crazy but zombies mostly happens in our house. Do they grow out of it or should I expect that this is normal lab behavior, well, I guess normal for Maggie? Thank you Pippa. I love all your articles. They have helped me a lot.
Glad you find the articles helpful Maggie, some do grow out of the zoomies.. but not all 🙂
Thank you….I keep writing zoomies but zombies show up,on the screen….lol.
Mine has the zoomies, Lola, it only lasts a while. She also pretends shes a crocodile, or alligator and bangs her teeth together.
Lola is fascinated with the veins on my legs, she sniffs them. I have mentioned it to my doctors, as Ive seen TV programmes about it and it appears quite normal but not with my GPs, consultants, or Professors. Does anyone have any ideas? I’ve always had retrievers before but Lola my black Lab is very special. She has a sense of humour, very loving, last week we were sitting on the sofa and she huffed and puffed and hit me gently on the back – as if we had heard a joke. She is very stubborn but she’s so lovely. Maddie xx
My lab has the zoo it’s quite often. She is 16 months old. As I have a fenced yard she just zooms she has a small bucket and she tosses it and throws it around.
Our 17 month old black lab gets the zoomies or ‘mad moments’ as we call them when im going out the front door. Most often than not she comes with me on trips out in the car so just as im going to open the front door of the house she’s poised all excited then dives into the front garden and has her mad moment lol. Its so funny to watch. With her bottom low to the ground. It’s as if her behind cant keep up with her front. She’ll run round the cars few times untill im next to my car and opening the back seat door, then she dives in the back seat.
She’s been coming with me in the car since day one and I think its just excitement with that. So funny to watch and she seems she’s having a blast!
My dog tends to do this after a walk. If she’s very muddy after a walk I let her into the back yard and go in and open the back door to let her in. After a few laps of the garden she comes in has a drink and goes to sleep. Yesterday after we had been out for about an hour she suddenly started doing this on her lead! Then calmed down and we walked on. She is a 15 month old black lab who has plenty of company and excercise, training and play.
Unfortunately my pup got the zoomies whilst I was walking him on the beach, I will never have my back to him when he does this ever again because he plowed straight into the back of my leg and broken the three main bones in my ankle, still recovering 8 months after.
My Black 2 year old Lab likes to chase her tail whenever I ask her if she wants to go outside. She spins in circles and knocks whatever is in her way unto the floor, only for a minute or so. Is this just her Zoomie way of getting excited and want to go outside.
I love hearing these stories! My 7 year old black lab, Jackson, still gets zoomies, however, we call it “crazy dog”. He wil run in wild circles in the yard kicking up clumps of grass like a race horse! If you stand in the center of his circle and spank his tooshie as he flies by he does it twice as long. It is hilarious and he loves it!
Ha, we call it “crazy dog” too – and I can get my lab going if I let him outside and hop to a crouch…it sets him right off and I love it! I have a friend with a terrier and they call it “go dog go”, which is a great description 🙂
We call it “butt running”. My dogs do it when they are really happy and excited to see someone or do something-like retrieving! They are always outside when it happens.
Do I have to stop the Zoomies? I usually just let her run them out .
No need to stop her at all Kathleen, I just let my dogs run it out too – but outdoors! 🙂
We love when’ve our pup starts the zoomies! We think it’s hilarious and encourage her to keep going. She also doesn’t damage anything when she goes so maybe that’s why we are entertained instead of mad… she does this randomly, or after breakfast in the morning, when we give her a Greenie, after bath, and has even done it after coming home from a 3 mile run. Lab energy! 🙂
Hi Pippa! I have been reading your articles ever since we got our now almost 2 year old English black lab. You have helped me a lot with questions I’ve had about her behavior. She has had the “zoomies” since she was a little puppy. Very often. Indoors it has become more controlled. She knows just when to turn so she doesn’t ram into the coffee table or another piece of furniture. Outdoors is another story. We also don’t have a fenced in yard, so letting her out loose is not an option. So we take her out on the leash and sometimes she has zoomies while on leash. When she zooms around me she wraps the leash around me until she comes to the end of it, which stops her. End of the zoom. If she just runs in the other direction she is so strong she has pulled several family members down including me. If I try to reel her in and grab her harness she tries to nip at the leash, my hand, whatever is near her. Not viciously, of course, I always just attribute it to her being “possessed”. Thank you so much for your wonderful articles.
My service dog (a lab) simply cracks me up. I asked my vet about that since my former labs were quite the opposite and very mellow, he also says it’s a normal Labrador trait in many. My service dog is very focused when she’s wearing her vest and working. But when she’s in the yard, you never know when she gets the nutty attack and then it’s just getting out of her way.
My 1 1/2 year old lab get the zoomies typically right after I have just taken her on a walk. We walk at least 2 miles a day so I don’t think her’s are a case of needing exercise. I actually enjoy watching the joy and reckless abandon that goes on for 30 seconds or so.
My 9 month old chocolate lab gets the zoomies a few times a week. I love it he is so funny, bowing and jump bowing, his rear stays in the air but his head bobs up and down. Nothing gets in is way and he’s a big boy so once he starts everyone has to sit down
It just another of the real delights in living with a Labrador … ours is ‘triggered’ by needing exercise (currently curtailed due to a sprain injury), by our playing zombie walking – and often by having a poo in the garden. Alarming for people unused to them, but usually just another shared joke between us and the dog, once she comes-to and takes stock. And yes, she is very likely to have a toy in her mouth throughout.
I have an 8 month old fox red labrador dog that does this … he circuits the living room and as he grew started to incorporate the furniture after a few attempts of trying to stop it now get him to go to his pen in the hall by using ‘out’
Which saves the furniture and usually settles down after a few minutes with a rubber bone toy
After a spell outside in the garden our brown lab trecks in to the house, back or front, with very muddy paws so we say ‘wait’ in the hall and she has to have her paws wiped – part of which is facilitated by her lying down on her back so we can get to her back feet properly. She loves this ( especially as she has seen us do similar with the cat when he gets soaked outside) but when she’s been wiped she jumps up, rushes to her bed, picks up her big soft toy dog in her mouth and zooms off just as you describe in a mad frenzy.
Aileron loves having her paws cleaned too. She sits on the steps and hands us her paws.
Ha! I thought this was something that only my guy, Drax, does. I’m pleasantly surprised that this is a real lab thing! When he does this, we just let it run its course. Then Drax will usually take a nap when he finished. Thank you for the info!!
Hi Pippa,
New reader here. I signed up because we have a 2 year old White German Shepherd – Yellow Lab combo, and basically she really is a Lab wearing a German Shepherd suit of clothes and a White German Shepherd digestive system. And yes, she has the Zoomies, five or six times a week. She is our sixth dog, and we never had this happen before. We can’t let her outside because our yard isn’t fenced, so she just roars around the house like a little demon, running it out, and collapsing on the floor with a huge sigh. She is very agile, and doesn’t bump into anything. Sometimes she carries a ball or piece of rawhide along with her, so I thought it was a bit of the predator coming out.
Thanks for your wonderful site,
Dorothy
Both of our block head English labs have experienced the Zoomies multiple times, our American lab, not so much. Luckily it’s always been outside..we used to clap our hands and playfully shout “get it” to our dogs whilst they zoomed with tails tucked..they would “zoom” even faster and keep it going for a short burst longer…they always seemed happy dong this…seeing how they are labs, I believe they were happy,knowing they were entertaining and pleasing us!