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Golden Retrievers are hyperactive dogs who use their immense energy to engage in endless activities for the most part of the day.
So, when do Golden Retrievers calm down?
Just like other energetic dog breeds, Golden Retrievers will calm down when they fully grow from youth into adulthood at around 2 to 3 years of age.
Female Goldens tend to get calm a little faster than their male counterparts; who might extend their playful nature for quite a while.
Keep reading this post to find out why Golden Retrievers are hyper and get some helpful tips you can use to calm them down.
Understanding The Golden Retriever Breed
Golden Retrievers are large dogs who were initially bred to help hunters in retrieving gunned waterfowl.
The original breeders chose energetic dogs who had the resilience to tackle the terrain, accompany the hunters, run for long distances, and dive in the water.
As a result, the Golden Retriever came out with a strong muscular body and a high energy drive embedded in their DNA, which made them ready to tackle the job.
To this day, Goldens are known for their energetic bodies and alertness to details which makes them good sporting dogs.
Too much energy might overwhelm the Goldens and sometimes they get excited to become hyper in everything they do.
However, you should note that not all Golden Retrievers have a high-energy drive. Some newly mixed breeds have acquired a laid-back character which favors them to be more silent.
Understanding Golden Retriever Puppies’ Behavior
Golden Retriever puppies are fun-loving and playful thanks to their inherently high-energy drive. These young dogs are naturally curious to explore their surrounding and make friends with their human caregivers.
Due to this strong attachment to humans, Golden puppies are easy to train hence making them a favorite choice among new dog owners. Remember to use reward-based training methods and practice patience when teaching your young pup.
Owing to the intrinsic factors that favor them to play, Golden puppies need to be provided with enough physical stimulation and given attention from their owner.
You can start exercising your puppy when they are about 6 months old while being mindful of the type of engagements you have with them.
Failure to actively engage with your puppy might lead them to develop some unwanted behavior including chewing on items, excessive rolling, barking, or just being naughty.
Golden puppies are patient with children and they readily make the best friend because of the collaborative fun they get from kids.
Make sure to socialize your young dog with everyone in the family and take them out to interact with the outside world.
Poor socialization might cause your puppy to become nervous when around people.
Why are Golden Retrievers so hyper?
1. It’s written in their genes
Golden Retrievers are more likely to get hyper because they were bred to be working dogs. They have the inherent genes that make them high-energy breeds with a predisposition to play.
This trait stems from their ancestral breeds which were carefully bred to retrieve waterfowl for hunters in Scotland.
They needed lots of energy to enable them to run over long distances and accompany the hunters whenever they went.
They have a set of favorable characters that makes them easy to engage in endless fun throughout the day.
2. Lack of exercise
If you keep your Golden Retriever inactive for considerable hours, they are more likely to get hyped up and look for ways of releasing their pent-up energy.
An inactive lifestyle will build up excess energy in the dog and they will use it to get mischievous and overexcited within your home.
A twitchy Goldie will bark excessively, chew on items, roll along the floor, and dig into the bed for hours on end in a bid to expend their energy.
3. Lack of attention
Golden Retrievers are highly social dogs who love receiving attention and care from their human family.
They equally pass down their affection to humans and they are likely to offer the best companionship.
But when these dogs are separated from their owners for some time, they can become anxious and overly hyper.
This condition might predispose the Golden to get stressed and develop anxiety which can lead to destructive behaviors.
4. Age
The age of the Golden Retriever will play a role in determining how hyper they get. Younger Goldens are still developing their social knack and exploring the environment; hence they may get frenzied.
It is not uncommon to see a youthful Goldie spending much time of their day in the yard running and engaging in diverse activities.
At What Age Are Golden Retrievers Most Active?
The most active phase of Golden Retrievers can be seen during their tender ages of between 6 months to 3 years old.
Female Golden Retrievers tend to mature faster than their male counterparts hence they may start to calm down at the early age of 2 years.
During this youthful age, the Goldens are still growing and they have an excitement to discover their surroundings.
It’s at this phase that the young Goldies will expend much of their energies on unending games and fun activities throughout the day.
A youthful Golden Retriever is also more curious and eager to learn from their human caregivers and naturing mothers.
You should use this opportunity to start training them into becoming more responsible adult dogs.
What Age Is Most Difficult for Golden Retrievers?
The most difficult age of dealing with Golden Retrievers is between 8 to 18 months old.
It is during this stage that most dogs are surrendered to animal shelters and rescue centers after overwhelming their caregivers.
The adolescent phase is when the young Golden is outgrowing their naughty puppy behavior and taking up a responsible role as an adult.
During this time, they may get stubborn and mischievous in training and might push you to the wall when they want their way.
Young Goldens undergoing this phase might also show some undesirable behavior including excessive barking and chewing of items around the house.
You need to be steadfast in training your adolescent Goldie to help them grow into becoming a well-behaved adult in the future.
How To Calm a Golden Retriever
Despite their high energy levels, you can still calm down your Golden Retriever and make them more independent.
The following are some of the steps you can take to relax your Golden Retriever:
1. Physical activities & Exercises
Providing your Golden with plenty of physical stimulation and exercises will help to tone down their hyperactive nature.
Exercise presents a positive avenue for your Goldie to vent their high energy. Make sure to slot in at least 30 minutes daily for taking your dog out for walks and exercises.
Exhaustive physical activities will tire the pup and by the time they get back home, they will be less hyper and more willing to sleep.
Failure to engage your dog in daily walks and runs will make them become restless, get hyper, and develop unwanted behavior.
2. Mental stimulation
Intellectual stimulating games like playing puzzle games, playing with a stuffed Kong, and playing hide & seek games, are crucial in developing a puppy’s brain and keeping them quiet.
Your Golden Retriever will be cracking their head while thinking of how to get that hidden food from a treat-dispensing toy and they will have no time to get jittery.
Such brainy games will keep the dog entertained and prevent them from engaging in mischievous activities.
3. Establish a routine for your dog
Dogs will normally do well when they know what is expected of them at any given time. You need to establish a clear-cut routine for your Golden Retriever and stick to it keenly.
Have a constant time for waking them up, mealtimes, exercising, grooming, petting, training, and sleeping.
A routine will help the dog to become independent and to calmly preserve their energy for upcoming activities hence preventing them from getting nervous.
4. Regular training
Training a Golden Retriever is fairly easy even for new pet parents. These dogs are smart enough to take in command cues and to understand behavior coaching within a short time compared to other breeds.
Having consistent training sessions with your Golden Retriever will help in teaching them new tricks and improving your relationship with them.
Regular training will keep your dog less hyperactive and more accountable in their behavior and interactions with everyone.
You can start by teaching your dog how to remain calm when they are distressed. Recall training and teaching your Goldie to ‘sit and stay’ will help you to calm them when they get carried away.
Make sure to reward and praise your dog when they choose to remain calm from a state of overexcitement.
5. Give them attention
Don’t neglect your Golden Retriever especially when they crave your attention. These dogs are highly excitable and they need to be loved and cared for by their human family.
Be close to your Golden when you get back home by sharing the couch and giving them a soft massage to relax their muscles.
Attending to your dog’s social needs will make your relationship better and shape them to calm down even when they are nervous.
6. Provide a comfy bed
Your Golden Retriever might be avoiding going to the bed because their sleeping area is furnished with non-comfortable bedding.
You need to scout carefully and look for the most convenient dog bed for your Golden Retriever to give them a comfortable place to rest and sleep.
A comfy bed will provide the dog with the needed coziness to snuggle and aid them to sleep even when they still have some energy left for the night.
7. Provide plenty of toys
A bored Golden Retriever may suddenly become hyper when they don’t have the right accessories to make them happy.
They will look for ways of creating their own fun, and in most cases, they choose the destructive route.
Investing in a variety of dog toys will help to keep your Golden active and focused on engaging with the toys for a long period.
Interactive toys will drive the dog’s frustration away and they will find more amusing ways to get fun and become active while indoors.
8. Hire a professional trainer
If your Golden Retriever is still not toning down their hyperactive state, then you can decide to hire a professional dog trainer to work with them for a while.
The expert will identify the possible reasons why the dog might be showing an intensive hyper nature even when exercised and devise a workable formula that will help.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Will my Golden Retriever calm down after being neutered?
Neutering a Golden Retriever may appear to calm them down at first but it’s only because the dog is healing from surgery.
Being hyperactive is an inherent trait in Golden Retrievers that cannot be solved by hormonal adjustments like neutering.
2. When do Golden Retriever puppies calm down?
On average, Golden Retriever puppies will calm down as they approach maturity in 12 months with consistent training.
It’s important to mention that every puppy is different, some may take a long time while others can take a much shorter time to calm down.
3. At what age do Golden Retrievers slow down?
Golden Retrievers will slow down when they enter their senior years at around 8 – 10 years old. This period will vary depending on the dog’s health condition, gender, and lifestyle.
As the senior Golden advances in age, you will notice a decline in their physical activities and an increased time spent relaxing & sleeping.
Conclusion
When do Golden Retrievers calm down? You can expect your Golden Retriever to calm down at between 2 – 3 years of age.
Goldens are more active during the adolescent phase where they keep exploring the surroundings and may become easily excitable.
You can help your Golden Retriever to abandon their hyperactive nature and get more independent by calming down.
Make sure to tire them out in physical and mental stimulations and don’t forget to provide plenty of training sessions to instill good behavior.
Laura is the founder of Furs'n'Paws. She is a also a pet writer and expert with more than 20 years of experience of working with dogs and cats. She developed a very strong love for animals at a young age. Her passion led her to establish a thriving pet sitting and dog walking business in Dubai. As an expert in pet training, behavior, and nutrition, Laura is committed to helping pet owners and pet lovers by offering high-quality information on a wide range of topics.
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