Runs in Circles . . . Lots and Lots of Circles!!!

[LynnNM]

We adopted our rescue dobie 5 months ago. He is the fourth Doberman my husband and I have owned in the past 32 years, so we're not newbies with this wonderful breed. He was a one-family dog, given up because his military family was being transferred overseas. At the time, we were told that he was a very calm dog. Wrong! I now believe that he was given something to tranquilize him when we were first introduced to him by his previous owners. He's a good boy and very loving, but he is the most hyper dog (of any breed) I've ever owned. When he gets excited, which does not take much at all, he runs in circles. Fast tight circles or, if given the room, large fast circles. When I take him on his daily walks, he trots in as big of a circle out in front of me as his 16-foot long retractable lead will allow. Over and over again throughout the entire walk.
When not running in circles, he's a great dog, but he also has a strong tendency to run very fast whenever he can inside our home . . . which could be very dangerous for him and for us!
My first thought is that he was crated way too much by his previous owners. Although we never strike our dogs, Knight also cringes when we raise our arm, hold a newspaper, etc. We've learned what to avoid so as not to make him alarmed, though. Obviously, our boy has been hit by his previous owners enough times that he's very goosey, even after 5 months with us.
So, I'd love to hear your thoughts on him . . . and how we can manage him. Especially with the circling.

 

[JanS]

It does sound like he wasn't treated the best by the previous owners and pent up too much. I'm sure now when he's getting the exercise and freedom he deserves he wants to take full advantage of it by running like a maniac.

I would add lots of mental stimulation to tire him out and perhaps a training class.

 

[AresMyDobie]

Kinda sound like a case of the zoomies to me. 5 months old is when he should be learning rule and boundaries. I personally do not and will not use a retractable leash. You don't have any control over your dog what so ever. When I first introduced a walk it was with a training slip leash so he could have a easy correction and then reward when done what was asked of him. At 6 months I introduced the prong collar and I love my prongs its like powered steering. He walks like he's done for years I have rules on walks but that just me. He and my Shep mix get to go to the ball fields and run like maniacs a few times a week to get their craziness out. I think all he needs is fun training and rules and boundaries so he understands. I'm a big fan of teaching what to do instead of them learning what not to do. Any time you are with your dog you are training. Just be patient he's just a baby One thing Ares loves to death is his flirt pole you might want to consider making one tires them out fast we also play a lot of mind games as well they definitely need it

 

[LynnNM]

I'm sorry. I should have mentioned that Knight is not a puppy. We adopted him 5 months ago. He is now 4 years old.

 

[AresMyDobie]

I'm sorry. I should have mentioned that Knight is not a puppy. We adopted him 5 months ago. He is now 4 years old.

Oh well he certainly can be on a prong and learn the right way. My new rescue has thrived off rules and loves to learn she has a blast we always make training fun. She just recently learned what tracking was. Ares my almost one year old absolutely loves to track and is quite good at it now haha I think training, consistency, patients and good physical and mental exercise makes any dog a happy one

 

[Rits]

My girl Java does this. She simply has a lot of energy. Her "running around" lessens as we use up that energy. Best way to deal with it is to put them to some kind of job. Training, frisbee, agility, dock diving, obedience...whatever.

Having a dog with energy like that is fantastic if you want to physically do something with them because then you have all that energy to use to your advantage but not so great if your lifestyle doesn't fit the needs of the dog. I would try to find something you two could train together for and find a way to channel that energy into something productive and engaging for Knight.

 

[AresMyDobie]

My girl Java does this. She simply has a lot of energy. Her "running around" lessens as we use up that energy. Best way to deal with it is to put them to some kind of job. Training, frisbee, agility, dock diving, obedience...whatever.

Having a dog with energy like that is fantastic if you want to physically do something with them because then you have all that energy to use to your advantage but not so great if your lifestyle doesn't fit the needs of the dog.

Lol or get another dog for them to play with lol no but I completely agree A job is one of the best things for a Doberman they love to work and learn Ares needs something to do till he passes out lol he's high energy Boo on the other hand totally content to lay with you or do exercise but she isn't demanding about it lol

 

[Gelcoater]

We adopted our rescue dobie 5 months ago. He is the fourth Doberman my husband and I have owned in the past 32 years, so we're not newbies with this wonderful breed. He was a one-family dog, given up because his military family was being transferred overseas. At the time, we were told that he was a very calm dog. Wrong! I now believe that he was given something to tranquilize him when we were first introduced to him by his previous owners. He's a good boy and very loving, but he is the most hyper dog (of any breed) I've ever owned. When he gets excited, which does not take much at all, he runs in circles. Fast tight circles or, if given the room, large fast circles. When I take him on his daily walks, he trots in as big of a circle out in front of me as his 16-foot long retractable lead will allow. Over and over again throughout the entire walk.
When not running in circles, he's a great dog, but he also has a strong tendency to run very fast whenever he can inside our home . . . which could be very dangerous for him and for us!
My first thought is that he was crated way too much by his previous owners. Although we never strike our dogs, Knight also cringes when we raise our arm, hold a newspaper, etc. We've learned what to avoid so as not to make him alarmed, though. Obviously, our boy has been hit by his previous owners enough times that he's very goosey, even after 5 months with us.
So, I'd love to hear your thoughts on him . . . and how we can manage him. Especially with the circling.

I'm thinking for the walks and his big circles,don't give him the lead.
Sure your retractable has 16 feet but that doesn't mean you have to give it to him.
I would give him about a foot.
The walk stops when he starts to circle.
The walk resumes when he comes back to heal.Weather it takes 2 stops or two dozen.

For the cringe reaction it may be tough to fully break.
Might try raising the arm and with the other hand giving him a training treat.
Soon he may relate raising hands and arms to something good.

Sounds like he needs a lot of exercise.Is there any where you can take him that's free of people and dogs where he can just run his little butt off?Do you trust him off leash or tested his recall?

 

[GennyB]

I too have a dog like this, lots of energy. In fact, we call him top dog because he spins like a top. I personally love it because you can use it to get what you want once you learn how to cap and focus it. Don't let energy intimidate you, learn to use it as a tool.
It would help us to give you answers if we knew more about your circumstances. Do you have a yard where the dog can get some excerise? What kind of training do you have access to? I ask that because your local Petsmart can help you with basic house mannners, but teaching you how to work with a high energy dog would probably be best to find a Schutzhund trainer that understands drives.

 

[Oh Little Oji]

I'll chime in in favor of working with your dog yourself and not paying a trainer or training facility unless you have the money and wish to do so.

Dobes can be an obsessive breed. I bet in his former life he did not have enough exercise and mental stimulation, and now habits have been formed. I bet that over time, the exercise and basic training you give him will cause the circling to die way down.

The running in the house is a problem for sure. We certainly know that in our home. Our little bullet goes hard and fast and is not very gentle. BUT we have outlawed running in the house, and have taught "gentle!" from an early age. Outside is still a danger.

I posted a thread here a while back about our Dobe giving my wife a possible concussion when I unwisely let him run loose in the backyard when my wife and daughter were having a picnic on the ground. He launched off a low hillside and couldn't adjust in the air and slammed into her body and head. I am extremely grateful he did not hit my daughter instead.

So, give as much exercise and training as you can. Work on tricks in the house – things for him to learn and struggle with a bit, and hopefully master.

I agree that if you could find a place to safely let him run loose that might help too.

Just some thoughts.

With my first Doberman, I didn't let him get into the habit of chasing his tail. I considered it unbecoming a Doberman. I still do, really, but with our current young male I just go ahead and let him chase his leg, his penis – whatever.

On leash, if he is getting wrapped around you, definitely back off on the using the retractable leash until the problem is under control. If he is getting wrapped around your legs with a standard leash, what I've always done is not fix it for the dog. Don't do the behind-the-back passing of the leash from hand to hand. Insist that they fix it. It takes time but they learn to not cross behind you.

 

[MyBuddy]

When I take him on his daily walks, he trots in as big of a circle out in front of me as his 16-foot long retractable lead will allow. Over and over again throughout the entire walk.

'm thinking for the walks and his big circles,don't give him the lead.
Sure your retractable has 16 feet but that doesn't mean you have to give it to him.
I would give him about a foot.
The walk stops when he starts to circle.
The walk resumes when he comes back to heal.Weather it takes 2 stops or two dozen.

I agree with this on the walk and I would never use a retractable leash! Especially with an active dog like yours. If you've never got that leash wrapped around your leg, consider yourself lucky! lol I could never use it on a large dog, but I did use it for a while on my Chi/mix, Kali. She's only 12 lbs and it worked well for her....until my husband was holding the leash one day and she went around my leg! Ouch! I've been wary of it ever since! I can't imagine it's much control with a large dog. I'd be grabbing the line with my other hand like you do a regular leash and that would hurt!

The advice you are being given here is wonderful. I totally agree with a lot more exercise, some classes for some mental stimulation and some off leash free time if you have a fenced in area. It really sounds like he has been under exercised for some time. I think the circling is just his attempt at exercise in a small area, which is probably all he had access to for the past 4 years before you took him in. Kinda sad actually. Maybe you can bike with him.

 

[WMBigs]

Cody must be a NASCAR dog, he runs in left hand circles. He is off leash frequently and runs in front of me. He gets about 100 feet or so away from me and circles back to me/us. When he is running away he will turn his eyes and head to make sure we are still there. Hiking/walking he will do this for an hour at least. He will slow to a trot/run for the duration. We have been bike riding in the snow about an hour at a time, running the entire time. His recall is excellent! He does need that run time. I rode about 30 miles these past four days, he must have run about 45?? When I stop, he keeps running. This dogs purpose is running. 3 year old rescue. Watching him run through the forest, jumping and dodging is incredible.
MikeB

Sent from my ARCHOS 80G9 using Tapatalk

 

[Oh Little Oji]

Cody must be a NASCAR dog, he runs in left hand circles. He is off leash frequently and runs in front of me. He gets about 100 feet or so away from me and circles back to me/us. When he is running away he will turn his eyes and head to make sure we are still there. Hiking/walking he will do this for an hour at least. He will slow to a trot/run for the duration. We have been bike riding in the snow about an hour at a time, running the entire time. His recall is excellent! He does need that run time. I rode about 30 miles these past four days, he must have run about 45?? When I stop, he keeps running. This dogs purpose is running. 3 year old rescue. Watching him run through the forest, jumping and dodging is incredible.
MikeB

Sent from my ARCHOS 80G9 using Tapatalk

Sounds like great exercise for Cody! Oh, how I agree – it is so wonderful to see these Dobes run free. We used to live in the Pacific Northwest and had forest hiking nearby – some within a jog's distance from our house. Boy though, when we'd drive to a hike, then have him on leash for the first part of the hike until I could confirm it was safe to let him off leash, nothing provided such a stress release (for me!) like finally letting him off leash and seeing him bound away!

Oh, and both of my previous Dobes, and this current young one, have been really good about coming back and checking in with me every 20 or 30 seconds or so.

 

[MyBuddy]

At the time, we were told that he was a very calm dog. Wrong! I now believe that he was given something to tranquilize him when we were first introduced to him by his previous owners. He's a good boy and very loving, but he is the most hyper dog (of any breed) I've ever owned. When he gets excited, which does not take much at all, he runs in circles. Fast tight circles or, if given the room, large fast circles. When I take him on his daily walks, he trots in as big of a circle out in front of me as his 16-foot long retractable lead will allow. Over and over again throughout the entire walk.

My first thought is that he was crated way too much by his previous owners.

He is off leash frequently and runs in front of me. He gets about 100 feet or so away from me and circles back to me/us. When he is running away he will turn his eyes and head to make sure we are still there. Hiking/walking he will do this for an hour at least. He will slow to a trot/run for the duration. We have been bike riding in the snow about an hour at a time, running the entire time. His recall is excellent! He does need that run time. I rode about 30 miles these past four days, he must have run about 45?? When I stop, he keeps running. This dogs purpose is running. 3 year old rescue.

Well, your last post sounds like he gets his share of exercise! And he sure sounds like a dog who needs it! My general feeling on this is what you said in the beginning....that he was not treated well by the former owners and not given the proper exercise. It's just my opinion, but I feel the circling is a learned habit. A way of movement in a small space. A way for him to expel his excitement/energy when no one would walk him or give him space to run. So what you are doing sounds great. Now he has the freedom! Now he can run! I'm sure he's a happy camper because of that and its great that his recall is so good. I love that he is always checking to be sure you are there. I would just keep up what you are doing but, for me, I would try and correct/redirect him when he is circling. Just a gentle redirect, not a harsh correct. Just something to let him know that he doesn't have to do that anymore. It might never completely go away, but I know I would be trying anyway.