Seems like whenever my dog gets a little crazy, I'm always quick to yell at him to calm down. I know the yelling doesn't really help the situation, but it does make me feel better.
So is it the dog's fault? Is it just his nature? Not really. It's my fault. A dog needs regular exercise. They need play time. My dog likes to play rough, so I need to make sure I get him tired on a daily basis.
A dog, especially a young one like mine (15 months old), has a lot of energy to burn. If I don't help him burn it off with regular walks, play time, trips to the dog park, and exercise, he'll find a way to burn it off himself. He gets bored and starts with the toilet paper roll. Then he may move on to "digging" motions on my furniture. Of course, my first (and wrong) reaction is to yell at him to cut it out. To blame him for being a crazy dog. It's not his fault he's crazy, it's mine for not giving him enough physical activity. On days when he gets two walks a day, he's a joy to be with at night. On those other nights when schedules, or weather, doesn't allow his night time walk, he's a terror around the house.
So what to do? The best thing is to find a way for him to run around. A long walk, a fenced in park for him to run, a "play date" with another dog, or just playing fetch around the house, are all great activities for allowing the dog to burn off some energy
