So you know the drill, right? You get home and your dog gives you that “look” or the “puppy play bow” and then that wild look commences on their face and –-off they goo!!! Zoomies around the living room again–and again–all cheered on my our infectious giggling associated with one the most favorite past times we enjoy with our dogs! But why do dogs do Zoomies? Well, here at Endless Mt. Labradors–its one of our favorite past times!

According to the AKC, (Stephanie Gibeault, MSc, CPDT), “Certain times of day may trigger Zoomies in dogs more than others, such as the first thing in the morning or in the evening after spending much of the day in a crate. Some dogs get zoomies after a bath, while others are triggered by stressful situations like visiting the vet. Zoomies most often occur in puppies and younger dogs, but the phenomenon can strike dogs of all ages and breeds at times.

Zoomies are a natural dog behavior that is most often no cause for alarm, so long as your pup has room to run without injuring themselves. However, constant Zoomies may be a sign of a larger behavioral problem, so its a good idea to keep tabs on how often your dog is zooming and for what reasons.”

Zoomies are normal.

“There is nothing wrong with this normal dog behavior — as long as your dog doesn’t run around in a place that is unsafe, such as near a road or through a part of the yard with dangerous objects. Though Zoomies are not problematic, sometimes dogs that chase their tails are mistaken for having the Zoomies when they’re actually showing symptoms of obsessive-compulsiveness.” (BY KAREN B. LONDON, PHD).

Strangely they don’t last long, usually, and can be totally sporadic, in my experience. But there are a few safety things to consider for the PUPPY:  Doing this sort of extreme repetitive motion can cause ACL tears and injury to the puppy who is between 6-24 months old whose growth plates, joints, and bones are still developing. At least monitor it, and don’t let it get out of hand or too long.

For the SENIOR DOG–again–safety is a concern, as the joints get more unstable as your dog ages. ‘An ounce of prevention will go a mile’ will help a lot here. Again–we don’t want an ACL tear.

We hate to curtail these amazing BURSTS of energy EVER!! They are wonderful! But first, think safety–then–enjoy–and laugh with your Labby!!!–(by Donna Stanley, Endless. Mt. Labradors. Copyright, Donna Stanley, use by permission only)