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.
Contents
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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Same 13 yrs old (me) and I annoy the dog like poking him or jumping suddenly towards him (3) yrs and if I do it enough he goes “bonkers”
He’ll like now as described and stare at me outta the corners of his eyes exactly like above pic and then if I like step hard on the floor he take off again off the couch onto the floor run around repeat
Our rescue dog gets the zoomies when it is so full of life and joy that it just cannot keep it all inside. Then it is off to the races! For example, when I get home from a business trip or one of our kids visit, the happiness of licking hands soon cuts short and the race is on! We laugh and clap our hands and she runs all the harder. Never ever occurred to us to limit the activity, she is obviously having a great time! Soon enough, she wears herself out and we all go laughing into the house where happy interaction continues.
Plse can someone tell me if my baby has zoomies.
I have a 5yr old duchhund male and he will lie down and sleep and suddenly he will get up and run up and down and will syddenly sit down watching his behind then he’ll start running again like a mad thing.Everytime after the episode he’ll lie down and sleep and woops he’ll jump up and start running again like something is chasing him and suddenly he’ll stop bend his back legs and look at his behind.
Could this be zoomies?Plse Im so worried.
Thx everyone.
Hi Len, I think it’s a good idea to take your dog to the vet for a checkup. Changes in behavior can indicate medical problems and as your dog is a Dachshund (prone to back issues) it would be sensible to have a medical professional give him a once over. I hope he’s okay. Best wishes, Lucy
My dog does the zoomies mostly when he is mad at me. When I tell him we have to go inside or take the toy away he runs around like a mad man like a spoiled child. Its really funny.
My 18 months old female pitbull,started to have the zoomies while she was a puppy,in the house ,no less,i always thought it was hilarious,i even invited a friend over to exibit this strange behavior,but of course she didn`t do it .Now I added an 8 months old puppy to the household,just today,while playing in the yard with him,she went into the zoomies,ran him ragged,did acrobatics over him,while the puppy just looked in bewilderment,and it happens so fast ,that I never have a chance to put it on film.
IT HAS A NAME! I just thought I was dealing with an “out of control toddler”!! I have an 18 mos Choc Lab who loves to burst out into the Zoomies. (in the house, no less) And her 5 yr old Choc Lab “sister” does not like it when she loses it like that. So I’m off to the side trying not to laugh myself silly at the both of them. Big sis always steps in and gets lil’ sis to eventually calm down. It’s priceless. Thank you so much for your article on Zoomies/Frapping. I feel so much better now knowing my 18 mos old Lab has a reason for doing what she continues to LOVE to do…. ;0)
When your dog gets the zooming it is a good idea to be careful not to get in their way! I made the mistake of moving just a bit and my 7 month old lab broke my knee!
My 8 year old puggle gets them all the time. If she been home alone for a few hours and in the winter when we do not go for our daily long walks. I usually stop and play with her for a few minutes until it passes and she drinks some water and goes and lays down. I find it hilarious and I glad to finally know what it is and that it has such a fitting name.
All too familiar sounding behavior for our 26 lb Basenji/? mix rescue girl now about 2 yrs old. Her mid-course target is one of the 2 liter empty plastic pop bottles that she sends flying across the yard. Scared us to death the first time she performed for us in the house! Would like correspondence from other Basenji owners.
Loved this article, perfectly describes our 7 year old black lab, Zeppelin. We have always called it “butt tucking”! He has such fun, and tries to get my husband to join in. If he’s outdoors, he runs in a perfect figure eight as fast as he can. Our yellow lab, Jessie joins in occasionally, but mostly just watches and gets out of the way!
My little cairn terrier / chihuahua mix does this almost every night. She’s 9 months old. It’s hilarious. Sometimes the other dogs join in.
Our 7 month old lab gets the zoomies but it actually is really scary cause I have to be able to grab the kids before she literally bowls them over or slams them into the glass doors and takes a nip at their neck. Kids are terrified. Any advice appreciated. We walk her at least 4-5kms per day so she’s gets a good amount of exercise. Wonder if she will grow out of this behavior?
Our 14+ year old Pembroke Corgi starts frapping virtually every night after her dinner. She stands in front of us and barks and wants to be chased. If we give in and play catch me if you can for a few minutes she’ll calm down. If we don’t, she acts depressed. I guess she has us well trained! She used to try to get her “brother” to play chase outdoors but he was more of a couch potatoe and rarely gave chase. We lost him to cancer three months ago and she’s really lost without him since she is now deaf and he was her “ears”. I see us continuing to give in to her demands as it’s a small thing to to to keep her happy. Love our girl! F.Y.I. My yellow lab’ who has been gone for 10 years now, often got the zoomies when she was extremely happy!
My 12 year old labrado does this…..we always call it funny running ..
My 9 year old black lab has always done this -but only outside though if the back door is open he will run from the botom of the garden through the kitchen then back again. He will try and goad his 9 year old sisterbut that doesn’t work nowadays as she has artritis in all legs. When they were younger she would follow him but not with the same intensity and could never catch him but at all other times she would run faster than he did. I didn’t know for years that there was a word for this behaviour -I just called it Inca having a mad moment. It rarely lasted more than a few minutes and he would be very calm after that. If we were on a walk he would then just walk calmly ( off lead ) beside me as though he was tired out. Once you have seen a dog do this you recognise that it is vastly different from just running around happily or even different from the dogs chasing squirrels, rabbits etc. They are excited then but it is not like a zoomie. I have no idea if there is a trigger -it just seems to happen suddenly. Thank you for confirming it is normal behaviour —-incidently mine are labs – the male ‘ zoomer ‘ is black -hi sister chocolate.
Roxy is our first dog. She is a 14 mth lab and has always done the zoomies between the couches indoors – very funny.
However, in the last month she has started to do it outdoors during our walks. This is more scary as she bowls towards me and then tries to nip and growl at me. Her recall has completely dried up and I really do not look forward to her walks anymore – reduced to walking her on her halti for control.
Any advise welcome as I really don’t know quite what to do.
My dog is doing the same thing. I have no idea how to stop this behavior either.
I love watching my 11-year old Chihuahua-Pomeranian Guido do the zoomies. He looks and acts like he’s having the most fun ever. It’s almost as if he just can’t contain all his happiness and has to race around like a crazed chipmunk. I suspect he’s also performing a bit because he can tell I get a big kick out of it, and he wears a huge smile while he does it. I can tell when it’s starting to get a little frantic, however, so I usually step in after a minute or so and pet him and calm him.
My son and I have a 2yr old Lab/Golden/Husky mix. She’s did this since we got her @ 8 weeks. She does it in the house where she runs from 1 couch to the other which are on opposite sides of the room. She jumps on them so hard it sounds like were using hammers on the walls to anyone outside. She gets so fast she only takes one leap between couches. She also does it outside. She just tucks down and runs in wide circles. If you’re close to her she will run towards you and before she gets to you she jumps in the air and barrels into you then take off running again. We haven’t figured out her trigger if she has one. Its great to watch her being so happy. Having golden in her she always looks like she’s smiling & has her tongue hanging out of the side of her mouth. Just wonderful to watch.
Our Australian Shepherd is now 4 years old and has had this behavior since a pup. Like the others he usually does it after a long walk or if off leash, during the walk. He takes off and then turns around and comes barrelling at me, jumping and trying to bite my coat. As a puppy I had a coat destroyed. He doesn’t listen when you command him to stop and I’ve had to use my knee to keep him from jumping. Sometimes I cross my arms and turn away. Any thoughts or suggestions? He is a rather nervous, sensitive Aussie.
When my 9 week old yellow Lab puppy does this, I call her a tornado!! She often does this just before we go to bed. Then she crashes, goes to sleep and sleeps all night. She occasionally has a tornado attack during the day. She is SO FUNNY!!
I have a 12 year old black lab. He’s got some health issues being an old man. But, he still does the zoomies from time to time. It’s nice to see him feeling youthful during his zoomies. He will always do a few playbows while doing zoomies. I can tell right before he’s about to do one too. It’s usually while he’s doing something “bad” like jumping up on the couch or doing what I call headbutts on the bed. He will jump around on the bed and smash his head into it and do a playbow but twirl and roll around on the bed. He will have the crazy eyes. He will jump off and begin the zoomies around the house. I actually promote them as I think it’s funny to watch. He has smashed into walls before but it never stops him! He does zoomies for about 2 mintues and just stops, lays down and will look at you with crazy eyes. I always encourage him to drink some water after a zoomie and allow him to rest after. They start doing zoomies as puppies and do them often. I remember seeing my first one and I was nervous thinking he was going to hurt himself. But, dogs seem to know their zoomie path and tend to stay away from danger.
My Choc Lab used to spaz out (had the zoomies or whatever you want to call it) when we’d be down at the park off leash. I’d see her butt tuck & off she’d go running like a wild animal all over the place, stop & change direction. I always got a good laugh out of it because her posture was so bizarre (tongue hanging out, ears flapping in the breeze). TG she never tried this indoors. Now she’s nearly 13 & I think her zoomies are over. Every now & then she’ll surprise me & take off running at the park but it’s never quite the same as when she was young & would spaz out. I never really thought it was something that Labs do, I thought it was just my crazy dog……:-)
My old lab used to get the zoomies but we called it spazzing out. I knew the triggers to provoke it as a kid.
My new dog is a twice daily zoomier. She just came off rest from a stitched up paW. When she wasn’t able to go for walks she was constantly attempting to zoomie. She seems set off by smells and loose dirt or sand. She sticks her nose in it and then goes crazy. When she does it in the house it’s alway morning or evening but often when returning from a walk. I took her on a hour walk to and from the dog park with a stop to play with dogs and she still zoomies when we got home . I feel like it’s something she does when she’s tired but doesn’t want to go to sleep yet.
Oh my this is a regular occurrence in our backyard. I have a black lab and a Rhodesian Ridgeback. They go at it together and run their little hearts off. And then they jump in the air and do body bumps, and then they bite each other’s neck, and then they run some more, and they run and they run and they twirl around until they exhaust themselves. Then they become ‘dead dogs’. That’s what we call them because they find a shady cool spot to lay down and don’t move. Now we have acres so they have plenty of room to do this but it’s the most beautiful thing to watch. The only thing I have to be careful about is the transition from the grass area to the gravel which has travertine border around it and once in a while they get a paw pad cut on the edge. Outside of that it’s healthy and playful for them.
Our dog is 1.5 yrs old and only about 13 lbs. We absolutely LOVE the zoomies. There’s no harm done to our home or anyone in the vicinity. It often happens just before bedtime, or when one of his little pup-friends comes to visit. We not only love it, but we encourage it! Many times he takes a toy along in his mouth. It’s so fun to see him enjoying himself! A whole lot of happy going on in our home! <3
My 4 year old lab still does this but luckily she only does it outside and we have a great big garden for her to do it in. I sometimes feel as though she is a different dog when she does the Zoomies but nothing to worry about and it doesn’t last long. Glad I have a name for it, prefer Zoomies to Frappies ????
Ha! I have a Lab who will get the zoomies or “Daft 5 Minutes” as I call them prior to pooping too! Of course, he’ll get them for no reason whatsoever as well. Having had a Lab before, I recognize the “mad eyes” and get out of the way! 🙂 I have a Chihuahua/Corgi mix female who will nip or “talk” to me when she is desperate to get outside and will spin around and around as we get closer to the door. She looks like a whirling dervish! My Westie is just too “proper and contained” and watches in fascination…
I have a 20 month male TT Brit Lab pup. He is super smart, often think smarter than me. We have not neutered the pup yet…and your information is why not. We also have a 7 year old very well trained neutered male lab. Yes, the zoomies happen… It is really fun to watch and everything you wrote is exact on the money. I just forwarded this article to my wife at work…so she can have a good laugh. Bottom line for me – my pup knows the word STOP for any activity. We tell him to STOP. Never chase him, etc and it soon sends him to his crate for recovery from crazy. He goes to the crate himself and then calms down. If he is inside or out and runs into our adult lab who loves and raised him, the pup gets a correction bite… How funny. New terminology to me.
I’ve had a rescue dog probably a year old a few months now who does these zoomies regularly, especially prior to pooping. She does very wide fast circles in the yard. Also, in the house she nips a lot playfully prior to having to poop which I find rather funny. At first I thought she was a cattle dog since she’s been doing zoomies, but am glad to know now that it is normal.
thanks a lot for this accurate explanation. I have a shih tzu puppy from less than two weeks and i got shocked when all of a sudden she started running like crazy and barking. I thought she was having some kind of neurological problem. I’m glad to know that this is just normal
My poole run around the apartmenttand then lay down and rest and does again
Oh boy we have a six month old wild hair terrier/beagle mix that gets a case of the major zoomies after pooping. Reading the article makes me wonder if I need to challenge him more. He is by himself for six hours until we come back from work. We take for a pee break then feed him. We wait for an hour or so to give him his poop walk. After pooping he goes coco bananas. Looks like using my bicycle with him running next to me should burn off all that extra energy after pooping.
My lab does this and last fall while doing this outside, she hit the base of our birdhouse and slashed her side open. She had 19 staples. We have the base now padded. She’s never done this in the house and only does this occasionally.
Oh dear how horrid for you and her – and what bad luck!
That is part of the reason that I redirect to a toy or a scent game. Borzoi puppies having the zoomies can be a disaster waiting to happen!
Pippa, I’ve loved your advice for as long as I can remember!
Now, 5 Labs later…..
We’ve always called the “zoomies” or “fraping” “the butt-tuck boogie” it
seems as though all of our Labs have had a tendency to do it right after
taking a poop. We had always come to the conclusion that “wow, did that ever feel good!” never knowing that it is really “a thing”
Thanks for all of the GREAT ADVICE over the years, you’ve helped us stay out of the Vets office & raise healthy Labradors, one of which was a Therapy Dog for Shriners Children’s Hospital for 7 years. Thanks again!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment – I’m very glad to have been helpful 🙂
My year and a half old shepherd cross gets the zoomies quite frequently (I didn’t know there was a term!) Sometimes after a walk and quite a bit of the time it seems like she does a zoomie and then poops. We used to call it “running the poop out”. Does any one else’s dog do this?
My 3 lb. Maltese gets the zoomies several times a day if we are unable to take a walk. She will also do it if she’s been in her crate. As she is so small, she runs up and down any hall or room with carpet and doesn’t damage anything except her head occasionally if she turns too quickly and hits the wall! It is actually hilarious to see this tiny dog tuck in her butt and take off in a frenzy of wild and crazy running, stopping, barking. At times she gets over excited and will start to nip at toes and then we will start a game of tug-of-war and she settles down.
So happy to know we’re not alone! I always called it “getting the runs!” 🙂
We have a 3 month old chocolate labrador (not the first in these comments!) He seems to get the zoomies fairly regularly and often ends up launching himself at whoever is sitting down.
My 2-yo Weim has a zoom on days he does not go to daycare. It is fascinating to watch. My husband and I just get out of his way and let him go at it. His zooms are normally at dusk. He sleeps very sound after a zoom. He used to have them everyday as a a puppy.
Our border collie puppy Max has zoomies generally between 8-10 at night! Races around in and out to the back garden .????He becomes quite vocal and doesn’t listen to us !! Although if we tick him off and tell him to “calm and settle “it does help. Hopefully will grow out of it and am sure longer walks as he gets older will help
My lab, Raffles, gets the Zoomies every day. I love to see him run. So graceful and full of life. Unfortunately, he gets aggressive, biting and nipping. How do I stop this behavior.
We have the same problem. When our 7 month old lab is having an “episode”, he’ll often lunge and sink his teeth into whoever is close by. These are no longer just puppy nips, they’re real puncture wounds, at times quite deep. We don’t think he’s actually trying to hurt us, but when he’s in this state, commands don’t register, and as he gets bigger and stronger, we’re concerned he’ll seriously hurt someone. So we need this to stop, but how? Walks, fetch games etc. trigger outbursts, so exercise is not the answer. Advice anyone?
Please let me know if you found any help with this. Our large 4 month Lab pup is quite scarey as he bites also in these evening zoomed! I end up in tears because I worry he is aggressive…
Yes totally agree our 7mth lab is so hard to control and she’s only going to get bigger and stronger, she bowls the kids over and nips them in the neck, it’s terrifying to watch!
We have a chocolate lab, Ammo, who just turned a year old. We also have ample amount of land for this pup to run. A pond, a farm, a u-pick orchard, plus the woods and creek waaaaay back at the end of the property. Last fall, I’d go out to pick apples and this dog would get a serious case of the zoomies, tearing up and down the orchard rows! If this dog spots a tread or a puddle of water, it just increases his excitement! It doesn’t matter if we walk, wrestle, play ball all day, this dog has been possessed with zoomie-itis! We have all learned to stop, bend our knees, and slightly pivot our bodies, when he comes barreling at us! We laugh every time, but smile even more later on, since the zoomies truly wear this pup down! We did also get Ammo another chocolate female, but she is strictly business and always on the hunt for something out in the woods. They just had their first litter of pups, so I’m interested to see which puppies inherited his zoomies! Lol!
My pup is a ridgeback/lab and def has the zoomies! I usually let her run it off outside but I try to take her for a long walk or a quick one mile run everyday and that seems to even out the zoomies…. she doesn’t go crazy after a bath but it’s not zoomie posture… most frequently when I get home or if she goes poop lol. Or if any of her favorite people come over and even more so if she’s been cooped up all day! Walks and runs help a lot!
My six-month-old Show Cocker does this. It’s never worried me but I didn’t know there was actually a name for it! For Kinsey it’s usually a circuit though the house and out again, around the back garden then back into the house, repeat! Lasts about five minutes after which she collapses in a panting heap.
I have noticed that she’ll often do it when we get back from a walk. At six months I gather she’s only supposed to have a 30 minutes’ walk and sometimes wonder if it’s enough to burn off her energy.
Made the mistake (wrong advice) of not letting her off-lead when tiny so am now working through Total Recall to ultimately enable her to get more exercise when out for walks. Perhaps then, and with her maturing, the zoomies will ease up!
My one year old chocolate Labrador has just been for a long walk yet found the energy for doing zoomies and each time threw himself at me mid zoom, as he was covered in mud I really didn’t appreciate it furthermore as I am no spring chicken it took me all my time to keep upright. I found this article very interesting, glad to know it’s quite normal as I wondered if it was some sort of dominance thing. He seems to spend his days finding ways to wind me up, I think he is very spoilt as he has constant company. Right now to attend to the washing of my mud covered clothes…….
I call it scatterpup – thankfully Bumble (3) has never done it in the house – she does it at gundog training! We just wait til she’s got over it and it’s never worried me – just exhuberance. It doesn’t happen so often now she’s nearly a grown-up! Thanks for the article, much enjoyed!
Glad you liked it Sarah 🙂
Billy often gets the zoomies, he spins round a few times then off around And back to spin again, it’s funny and he loves it but look out, he can knock anyone over, especially as he uses us as a spring board mid zoom!
My 3 year old choc lab has regular zoomies both inside and out. Luckily he hasn’t destroyed anything when doing it inside. It’s very funny to watch and with no warning! You just have to mind he doesn’t run into your legs!
Yes our lab gets zoomies he seems to take them out on the cat whom he is mean to he runs crazy around the table then couch pauses to nip at the cat and off again
My 14 year old lab x Kelpie started doing this yesterday and I’ve been researching what’s wrong with her as when we take her for walks she is tired after 10 mins. With our first baby on the way we thought it may be something to do with that but glad to know it’s just boredom…